Ali Tabatabaee () is an Iranian-American musician who is one of two main vocalists in the American band
Zebrahead
Zebrahead is an American rap-punk band from La Habra, California. Formed in 1996, the band has released thirteen studio albums to date.
History
1996–2001: Formation and early years
Zebrahead was formed in La Habra, California in summe ...
.
Background
Before joining
Zebrahead
Zebrahead is an American rap-punk band from La Habra, California. Formed in 1996, the band has released thirteen studio albums to date.
History
1996–2001: Formation and early years
Zebrahead was formed in La Habra, California in summe ...
, Tabatabaee was a pre-med student at
UC Irvine
UC may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* '' University Challenge'', a popular British quiz programme airing on BBC Two
** ''University Challenge (New Zealand)'', the New Zealand version of the British programme
* Universal Century, one of the t ...
majoring in Biology and minoring in Theater. After graduating, he decided to take a year off from school to take the
MCAT
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT; ) is a computer-based standardized examination for prospective medical students (both Allopathic M.D. and Ostepathic D.O.) in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Caribbean Islands. It is desig ...
and to apply to medical school. It was during this time that he started singing with the other members of Zebrahead. After a year away from school he was accepted into the University of Chicago Medical School. However, due to Zebrahead's early success, he deferred acceptance for one year. "I didn't expect music to go anywhere. I thought I'd do it for a year and then I'd leave, and in a week's period, I got an acceptance to med school and we were supposed to do a showcase and the label was going to fly us to New York and I had to tell the school; they wanted to know. So I deferred for a year and then decided that I didn't want to go back after a year.... I think usic isthe ultimate way to express culture. To do that for a living? Everybody should aspire to do that." Tabatabaee cites some of his favorite bands as
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip ,
System of a Down
System of a Down (also known as SoaD or simply System) is an Armenian-American heavy metal band formed in Glendale, California, in 1994. Since 1997, the band has consisted of Serj Tankian (lead vocals, keyboards); Daron Malakian (guitar, v ...
, and N.W.A.
In 1999, while on the Warped Tour, Tabatabaee was diagnosed with
Hodgkin's Disease
Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a type of lymphoma, in which cancer originates from a specific type of white blood cell called lymphocytes, where multinucleated Reed–Sternberg cells (RS cells) are present in the patient's lymph nodes. The condition ...
, a type of cancer, which he underwent chemo therapy and radiation therapy to cure. While being treated, he continued to work with his bandmates in writing songs for their album, '' Playmate of the Year'', and a few months before the album's release, he completed his therapy. He claims that because of what he was going through, some of the songs from that album are very special to him.
Career
He is featured on the
Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish is an American ska punk band from Orange County, California. The band gained mainstream recognition in the mid-to-late 1990s during the third wave of ska with the release of the gold-certified album '' Turn the Radio Off''. Soon ...
DVD ''You're All In This Together'' on the song "Unity" (originally by
Operation Ivy
Operation Ivy was the eighth series of American nuclear tests, coming after '' Tumbler-Snapper'' and before '' Upshot–Knothole''. The two explosions were staged in late 1952 at Enewetak Atoll in the Pacific Proving Ground in the Marshall Is ...
).
Due to Zebrahead's growing popularity in Japan, Tabatabaee and Zebrahead bandmate Matty Lewis were asked by Sega to record vocals for a new theme song, titled " His World", which appears in the 2006 game ''
Sonic The Hedgehog
is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformer ...
''. Tabatabaee also composes most of the songs that Zebrahead performs.