Ali B

 ( Official Website ) 

His 2004 collaboration with Marco Borsato, "Wat zou je doen", reached number one in the Netherlands with proceeds from sales going to the War Child charity organisation. He had further successful songs including "Leipe mocro flavor" and "Wij houden van Oranje", a remake of a football chant featuring original singer André Hazes.

In 2004, Ali B became the first rapper to receive a wax figure at Madame Tussauds Amsterdam. He collaborated with Akon on the international remix of his single "Ghetto". In 2006, Ali B was knighted as the "Baron of Ooit" in the children's theme park Land van Ooit and given a statue in the park's Main Street. He received the honor because the park felt that "he is committed to children in a special way." After hugging Queen Beatrix at the 2005 Koningsdag celebration, he was often called the "knuffelmarokkaan" (cuddly Moroccan), which at first he did not like because it suggested he was only cuddly because of the low standards applied to Moroccans. However, he tried to paint the phrase in a more positive light.

In 2015, The Economist noted how his "empathetic moments have probably done more to promote Dutch acceptance of Muslims than any policy could have achieved." This came amongst growing anti-Muslim tensions in the Netherlands owing to the rising popularity of far-right politician Geert Wilders and his Party for Freedom. It was noted that Ali B was such a cross-cultural icon that he "is the one prominent Moroccan-Dutch figure whom the PVV’s leaders never attack."

In 2017, Ali B's song "That is Money" caused controversy over the lyric "sits on money like a Jew." Ali B said that the lyric was not antisemitic because he was "calling them good businesspeople." He eventually apologised to the Central Jewish Organisation.

In 2020, Ali B started "Ik Wil Groeien" (I Want to Grow), an online coaching and self-help platform. In 2021, he published the book De Ali B-Methode (The Ali B Method), featuring 12 life lessons shared by him.

Following accusations of sexual assault and rape in 2022, two of which became criminal convictions in 2024, companies severed ties with Ali B. Maven Publishing ceased all printing and sales of his book The Ali B Method, and LikeMeat pulled his "Mocro Flavour" vegetarian chicken brand from shelves. Telecom magnate Jasper de Rooij scrapped his planned million-dollar investment into an Ali B-promoted invention. RTL Nederland removed Ali B as a judge from all its programs, NPO 1 announced it would no longer play Ali B songs on the radio, and many Dutch celebrities unfollowed him on Instagram.

In 2017 he made his acting debut in the Belgian movie Patser which premiered in early 2018.

After his rape conviction in 2024, AVROTROS took offline all TV programs that it had made in collaboration with Ali B. The public broadcaster had previously removed the TV program Ali B en de Muziekkaravaan.