As of 2010 - when this mini-documentary was released - the 9 years prior Chi Ali was an inmate at Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, NY home. In 2000, he killed his former girlfriend’s brother and was captured a year later after being featured on America’s Most Wanted. This mini-documentary was shot sometime around 2009, and while it tells the story of a young kid who made a mistake, he's since paid his debt to the state and has been a free man since 2012. I met Chi-Ali in Atlanta some years back, I'm thinking it was October of 2012? I remember because the Skyzoo track "Jansport Strings" was out paying homage to Chi-Ali & fresh out on parole, Chi-Ali jumped on the Remix. A couple months after that, he was on a joint with Fat Joe called "Games & Things" too. If you believe in rehabilitation or redemption at all, you've gotta believe a full life is still ahead of that man, so I'm sure another documentary or at least an updated one will be done sooner or later.
"Chi Ali was the youngest member of The Native Tongues that included De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, The Jungle Brothers, The Beatnuts & more. He started rapping when he was 14, making guest appearances on songs by Black Sheep and De La Soul. His one and only album "The Fabulous Chi Ali" came out in 1992 when he was 16, and became an instant classic of the Golden Era. In 2000, he committed the crime of murdering his girlfriend's brother. He was on the run until he was caught and arrested in 2001 and began serving a 14-year sentence for the offense. He will be released in two years." Chi-Ali shares, "You don't wanna come to jail ... I mean ... it's like a whole other world." Heed the warning, and watch the rest of the mini-documentary below to hear his early story.