Ali B facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ali B
Ali B in 2018
Born	Ali Bouali (1981-10-16) 16 October 1981 (age 43) Zaanstad, Netherlands
Nationality	Dutch and Moroccan
Occupation	Rapper singer-songwriter television presenter cabaret performer stand-up comedian
Spouse(s)	Breghje Kommers
Children	3 sons
Important information

Ali Bouali, known professionally as Ali B (born 16 October 1981), is a famous Moroccan-Dutch rapper and entertainer. He is one of the most well-known rappers in the Netherlands. He has worked with many musicians, including Akon and Marco Borsato. Ali B is seen as an important person in helping different groups of people in the Netherlands get along.

Ali B has released three music albums and many singles. One of his songs, "Wat zou je doen" with Marco Borsato, became a number-one hit in the Netherlands in 2004. He has performed at big national events. These include the 2005 Queen's Day celebration and the 2013 inauguration of Willem-Alexander, when the new king was officially welcomed. He has also been a judge on popular TV talent shows. These shows include The Voice of Holland, The Voice Kids, X Factor, and Holland's Got Talent.

In 2022, Ali B faced serious accusations. Because of these accusations, he lost many of his deals and jobs.

Life and Music Career

Ali B was born in Zaanstad, Netherlands. When he was two years old, he moved to Amsterdam's De Pijp neighborhood. Later, he moved to Amsterdam-Oost. At 14, he moved to Almere. During his teenage years, he faced some challenges. To help him, his mother sent him to live with his grandparents in Morocco for ten months. There, he found comfort in his faith and in rapping.

In 2004, Ali B worked with Marco Borsato on the song "Wat zou je doen." This song became number one in the Netherlands. The money from the song's sales went to War Child, a charity that helps children affected by war. He had other successful songs too. These include "Leipe mocro flavour" and "Wij houden van Oranje." The latter was a new version of a football song, featuring the original singer André Hazes.

In 2004, Ali B became the first rapper to have a wax figure at Madame Tussauds Amsterdam. He also worked with Akon on an international remix of Akon's song "Ghetto." In 2006, Ali B was given a special title, "Baron of Ooit," at the children's theme park Land van Ooit. He also received a statue there. The park honored him because they felt he was "committed to children in a special way."

Ali B in 2008

In 2005, Ali B hugged Queen Beatrix at the Queen's Day celebration. After this, people often called him the "knuffelmarokkaan" (cuddly Moroccan). At first, he didn't like this nickname. He felt it suggested he was only seen as friendly because of low expectations for Moroccans. However, he later tried to make the phrase seem more positive.

In 2015, The Economist magazine wrote about Ali B. They said his kind actions likely helped Dutch people accept Muslims more than any government policy could. This was at a time when there were growing tensions against Muslims in the Netherlands. It was noted that Ali B was so popular across different cultures that even politicians who were often critical of Moroccan-Dutch figures never criticized him.

In 2020, Ali B started "Ik Wil Groeien" (I Want to Grow). This was an online platform for coaching and self-help. In 2021, he released a book called De Ali B-Methode (The Ali B Method). The book shared 12 life lessons from him.

Following serious accusations in 2022, many companies stopped working with Ali B. Maven Publishing stopped printing and selling his book The Ali B Method. LikeMeat removed his "Mocro Flavour" vegetarian chicken brand from stores. A big investor also canceled a planned investment in an invention Ali B was promoting. RTL Nederland removed Ali B as a judge from all its TV shows. NPO 1 announced it would no longer play Ali B's songs on the radio. Many Dutch celebrities also stopped following him on Instagram.

Television Career

Ali B is also well-known for his work on television. In 2011, he got his own TV show on the TROS station called Ali B op volle toeren. On this show, young rappers and famous artists from other music styles would cover each other's songs. In 2013, he was a mentor on X Factor. From 2013 to 2022, Ali B was a coach on The Voice of Holland and The Voice Kids. In 2020, he was a judge on Holland's Got Talent. In 2016, Ali B released a song with his long-time friend Brace and popular reggae artist Kenny B. He also served as a judge in 2020 and 2021 on the singing talent show We Want More.

In 2017, he started acting in the Belgian movie Patser, which came out in early 2018.

After the serious events in 2024, AVROTROS removed all TV programs they had made with Ali B from their online platforms. The public broadcaster had already taken down the TV program Ali B en de Muziekkaravaan.

Personal Life

Ali Bouali is married to Breghje Kommers. She is the half-sister of professional football player Abel Tamata. Ali B and Breghje have three sons together. His cousin is Yes-R, who is also a rapper and TV personality.

Legal Matters

In January 2022, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service received reports about Ali Bouali. These reports were about serious misconduct. This happened while he was working as a judge on The Voice of Holland. The Dutch YouTube show BOOS reported on these accusations in an episode called "This is the Voice." Bouali denied all the claims. In March 2023, he was charged with serious offenses involving three different people. These incidents were said to have happened between 2014 and 2018 in Morocco, Amsterdam, and Heiloo. Singer Ellen ten Damme made an accusation against Bouali. Another accusation came from The Voice of Holland contestant Jill Helena.

On 12 July 2024, Bouali was found responsible for one serious incident and an attempt at another. He was given a two-year prison sentence. The court stated that it could not be proven that he was responsible for the incident involving Ten Damme in 2014, but it was proven that he had attempted to be. Even though the court believed the other accusations were reliable, Bouali was not found responsible for them due to a lack of supporting evidence. Both Ali B's lawyers and the prosecution said they would appeal the decision. A first hearing for the appeal was held at the Amsterdam Court of Appeal on 17 April 2025. The case against Bouali is set to continue in January 2026.

Discography

Albums

Singles

Featured in

Awards and Nominations