Canadian performer
Ali Gatie makes emotive, womb-like R&B and SoundCloud rap.
Gatie initially broke through in 2017 after winning the RhymeStars song contest sponsored by online digital production marketplace BeatStars. A year later, he gained viral attention with his yearning single "Moonlight," which paved the way for his 2020 Top 20 Billboard R&B-charting debut,
YOU, and sophomore full-length, 2021's
The Idea of Her.
Born in 1997,
Gatie grew up in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, where he started listening to music at a young age. At 20 years old, he started posting tracks online, collaborating with producer/beatmakers like Shumxi and Phantum. He gained wider recognition in 2017 after winning the RhymeStars song contest, which was judged by
Joe Budden. Following his win, he released several tracks online that went viral, including the longing R&B ballad "Moonlight" and "I Can't Lie." In June 2019,
Gatie issued the single "It's You," which cracked the Top 30 of Billboard's Hot R&B Songs chart. He then consolidated his previously released singles into a full-length project, 2020's
YOU, which continued the emotionally driven R&B of his career thus far. The album cracked the Top 40 in Canada and reached number 17 on Billboard's Top Hip-Hop/R&B Albums chart. In early 2020, he issued the single "What if I Told You That I Love You," which made the Billboard Hot 100 chart, followed by a
Don Diablo remix of the track. He also released the song "Lie to Me" with
Tate McRae. Both songs were included on his 2021 sophomore full-length,
The Idea of Her, which entered the Top Heatseekers chart at number 14. The following year saw the release of the heartfelt ballad "Perfect." ~ Matt Collar