Comedian Ali Siddiq has a unique riff-style comedy that makes you feel like you're hanging out, cracking jokes with a friend, except all the jokes are crafted with perfection -- and hilarious.
But it didn't start that way.
Siddiq started his comedy career behind the walls of incarceration. He didn't always believe that the path to success would lead him to the stage of a comedy club -- but once he started performing, he knew he'd found his calling. While he was incarcerated, Siddiq discovered his knack for entertaining an audience and, after being released, began performing comedy across the country. Not every comedian knows what it's like to spend six years in prison, but Siddiq does, and as a former inmate, he brings a unique perspective and voice to his comedy.
In 2014, Siddiq's "Mexicans Got On Boots" bit on the Comedy Central series "This Is Not Happening" was viewed 15 million times. This ferociously hilarious and detailed story of a prison riot showcased Siddiq's penchant for delighting audiences with his storytelling talent.
Siddiq released his one-hour special, "It's Bigger Than These Bars," on Comedy Central in 2018. Performed at the Bell County Jail in Belton, Texas, the show was inspired by his time spent in prison.
Siddiq is known for being brutally honest and sharing his journey from prison to comedy. His unique style of storytelling has earned him acclaim all over the country. His performances are peppered with his personal experiences, observations and thought-provoking storytelling style focusing on social issues, current events and racism. He brings down the house with his signature blend of laughter and biting commentary, using his experiences as a former inmate to humanize the most controversial topics.
Siddiq touches on these topics as part of conversations he's had in his everyday life. While he has opinions, he doesn't tell the audience how they should think. Instead, Siddiq brings up these subjects to help us all consider how we can work together on them, making him not only a comedian, but a commentator and artist.
Siddiq has toured worldwide, with his work featured on Comedy Central, BET's "ComicView," HBO's "Def Comedy Jam 25," and "The Arsenio Hall Show."
Everywhere he goes, he is known for his ability to take audiences into the depths of his personal experiences and emerge with a punchline that leaves everyone laughing.