Meet AL99

What’s your name and where are you from? 

My name is AL99, pronounced “Al nine-nine”, and I was born in New Jersey, then moved to Arizona at 4-years old and was raised in a Phoenix suburb.  The origin of AL99, is that it’s a derivative of my name and my birth year. I now reside in the DMV. But, Phoenix was where my ear was honed. My artistic talent was nurtured and developed by hearing a myriad of music from all over the world, played in my house while growing up.

Why do you love what you do?

I love what I do because it’s one of the only ways I feel free to totally express myself. It gives me total joy and never feels like work. I can be in my studio working for hours and I'm so lost in the music that 5 hours can fly by and feel like 5 mins. It's my true passion. Whether I'm creating beats, writing lyrics, structuring, and engineering a song or composing a score for a short film, I'm loving every minute of being engrossed in creating music.

What makes you different?

What makes me different is my being a quadruple threat! I’m an artist, musician, producer, and engineer. I studied music in school, I have 2 degrees, one in Audio Production and one in Music Business. So many artists focus on the entertainment aspect of the music business, and not the business of the entertainment and music industry. I write my own music, compose my own music, and play the guitar and keyboard for my music.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In 5 years, I see myself as a major influence in the music industry. I want to produce and compose for all genres of music. I’m striving to be the next Quincy Jones! I want to do my own music, score movies, and produce for other artists.

What do you want to accomplish in life?

What I want most to accomplish in my life is to build generational wealth. I want to use my musical ability that I’ve been blessed with to set my family and future generations up for a life of comfort and opportunities.

What do you bring to your industry?

I bring a unique blend of cultures to this industry. Because I love all genres of music, my sound is eclectic and multifaceted. When you listen to an AL99 project, you can go on a musical journey through HipHop, Trap, Soul, The Blues, Rock, Alternative, and even some classical. I love incorporating strings into my sound.

The exposure to Classic Soul, Classic Rock, Classical, The Philly Sound, Motown, Hip Hop, R&B, Jazz, and Neo-Classic Soul was the way my native New Yorker parents sowed into my creative spirit. They often recall a two-year-old me asking to hear the great jazz musician Thelonius Monk to fall asleep. It turns out even my lullabies were next level. My firsthand mentors and influencers also included: my grandpa Herbert “Toubo” Rhoad of The Persuasions, my Uncle Dan who is a drummer, my Titi Paris who is a singer, and my Uncle Bubba who is a pianist. While those who fueled my desire to dive into the industry are people like Eddie Van Halen, Michael Jackson, Biggie, Tupac, and Kendrick Lamar.

What do you want to be remembered by?

I want to be remembered by a plethora of music in an amazing catalog of music like Michael Jackson, Prince, Jimi Hendrix, and Eddie Van Halen. I want to be remembered as a good dude that made the world a little bit better through his music.