Ali Siddiq is a 52-year-old American stand-up comedian, public speaker, and writer, born and raised in Houston, Texas. He has been doing stand-up for 28 years, and his subject matter covers everyday life, politics in America, and race. Siddiq started gaining recognition when he appeared on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam in 2008, BET’s Comic View in 2012, and the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal, Canada in 2012. Further, he was named Comedy Central’s “#1 Comic to Watch” in 2013.
Outside his career, Saddiq is a proud family man, having been married to a beautiful African-American woman, with whom he shares 3 children, including his son Hassan and daughter Jaden. Moreover, he has managed to control to a bare minimum, what is publicly known about his wife.
Here is what we were able to gather on the Houston-based stand-up whose Mexicans Got On Boots, a captivating tale of a prison riot on ThIS IS NOT HAPPENING got over 15 million views on YouTube.
Ali Siddiq’s Biography
Ali Siddiq (52), was born on October 17, 1972, in Houston, Texas. His known siblings are two sisters and a younger brother who is a disc jokey and goes by the moniker Dj Done Deal.
While growing up Siddiq’s parents separated, and for a short period, his mother took of him and his siblings while living in the projects. Afterward, she sent him and his siblings to live with relatives in different places.
This pushed him to take up a dangerous lifestyle as a teen; from drug trafficking to running women, and being racist. He started selling drugs when he was about 14 or 15 years old, and by the time he turned 19 in 1991, he was sent to prison for trafficking cocaine.
Siddiq was handed a 15-year sentence for his drug trafficking crime and was sent to the Ruben M. Torres Unit in Hondo, Texas. It was here that he served 6 years of his sentence, and also got to discover his uncanny ability to make people laugh.
In 1997 when he was 25, he was released from prison. Since he discovered his talent for comedy behind prison walls, he decided to give it a shot.
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Siddiq’s Stand-up Comedy Career Took Off After His Release From Prison At 25
Most reports are indicating that the Houston-based stand-up comedian started doing stand-up in prison. However, he refuted the claim saying everybody had taken the “I started in jail” thing too far.
Siddiq stated further that he began doing start-up at Just Joking Comedy Cafe in Houston in 1997. He said that there is no comedy program or stage inside the prison. He was a just funny and jovial guy who could people around him laugh.
So, it is safe to say that Ali Siddiq started doing stand-up at the age of 25 after he was released from prison in 1997 as captured. His first stage appearance at the comedy club’s Apollo Night didn’t go so well because according to him, he turned up in a suit while the audience, mostly college students were dressed in shirts and jeans. He returned a few weeks later in a shirt and jeans and subsequently became a co-host of the show.
A decade later, Siddiq’s popularity grew when started appearing in some of the biggest comedy shows on TV. The first of his many TV appearances was on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam in 2008, followed by BET’s Comic View and Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal, Canada in 2012.
Siddiq got the first recognition of his career in 2013 when he name Comedy Central’s “#1 Comic to Watch.” The following year, he captured the heart of his audience and lovers of comedy with his compelling Mexican Got On Boots, a story of a prison riot on Comedy Central’s web and TV series This Is Not Happening. The video garnered over 15 million views on YouTube.
In 2016, he continued his stories with the release of his Half Hour special on Comedy Central. A year later, he was offered an hour special, Ali Siddiq: It’s Bigger Than This Bars by Comedy Central, where he was filmed performing live for inmates in a Texas jail.
Thereafter, he appeared in a couple of talk shows and comedy series, including The D.L. Hughley Show, Comedy Central’s This Week at the Comedy Cellar as well as NBC’s comedy completion series Bring the Funny, where he was one of the top 5 finalists.
To this day, the Houston-born stand-up comedian continuously shows his talent in various cities across the United States such as St. Louis (Missouri), Austin (Texas), Jacksonville (Florida), and Portland (Oregon).
Who Is Ali Siddiq’s Wife?
Ali Siddiq is a married man, and despite his popularity, he has managed to keep his wife’s name away from the public. Nevertheless, he has shared multiple images of her on his social media pages, especially Instagram, where he doesn’t shy away from expressing how much he loves his wife.
He often celebrates her on special occasions such as her birthdays and mother’s day commemoration for being the mother of his 3 children, including Hassan and Jaden.
Quick Facts About The Houston-Born Stand-up Comedian
- Siddiq’s discography includes his 6 comedy albums: Talking Loud Saying Something (2010), Freedom of Speech (2013), Enjoy Your Life (2013), Damaged Goods (2016), It’s Bigger Than These Bars (2019), and The Prison Manual (2019)
- The Houston-born has an estimated net worth of $1.5 million earned from his career; he is also involved in philanthropy having hosted shows to raise funds
- Ali Siddiq stands at 1.7m (5 feet 7 inches) tall and has a body weight of 74kg (163lbs)
- When he is not in front of the camera or before an audience, he spends his leisure time in the gym learning some boxing skills
