Transparency is something I always long for in the music that I absorb. There's nothing like a vividly painted account of a monumental event or someone's feelings. It always trumps superficial fluff. That's where my appreciation for Abdu Ali's music comes into play: he dabbles in different styles, doesn't shy away from turning himself inside-out for his listeners and seemingly has no grasp of censorship. "I'm trying to get more extraterrestrial with my music as far as how it sounds. I want it to sound like a nightmare and a dream at the same time. Also like fantasy meets real life and those two coexisting," is what he said when I recently sat down with him at his place for an intimate conversation about music, his bad habits and the state of Baltimore Club music. Shoutout to Dee, Keem (who shot the interview) and Deej for the impromptu questions. Watch it above and look out for more of these!

Follow Abdu on twitter: @AbduAli & listen to his mixtape, Push + Slay ! Subscribe to True Laurels on YouTube !