There aren’t many rappers who can say they’ve survived in the Hip Hop industry for more than 10 years. Still fewer can claim 15. But at 25+ years in Hip Hop, Mattapan emcee Al-J is only getting started. Groomed in the “conscious era” of boom bap, the Connecticut native got his start rhyming in the lunchroom cafeteria and rolling with a Bridgeport-based chapter of the Zulu Nation. Aspiring to the likes of rap icons the Juice Crew, A Tribe Called Quest and Leaders of the New School, Al said, “It was really innocent at that time, not hard core like we’re going to shoot you.” While promoting his first solo CD, Blak Ambition, Al ran into Muslim rapper Yusuf Abdul Mateen, a chance encounter that would later lead to the duo Blak Madeen. Together with Yusuf’s Islamic-influenced rhymes, the group evokes the same “conscious era” of Hip Hop that Al admired as a teenager. Al: “ The group put out their debut album Sacred Defense (2009) via Traffic Ent. to positive reviews, encouraging the pair to continue. Blak Madeen since then has released 5 albums featuring Cormega, Reef The Lost Cauze, Tragedy Khadafi, Gift of Gab (Blackalicious), Planet Asia, Divine Styler, Blacastan, Sadat X, The Jacka (RIP), Akil The MC (Jurassic 5), Edo.G, Kam, Ill Conscious, Daddy Grace, Slaine, Rite Hook, Sicknature (Snowgoons), and more. The group would eventually land a deal with Chuck D and producer C-Doc’s SpitSlam Records and be featured on Enemy Radio (Public Enemy) Loud Is Not Enough LP.