Since the mid-60’s the legendary twin brothers, Albert and Arthur Allen, now known as Taharqa and Tunde Ra Aleem have been making Rock, Blues, R&B, dance and Rap music. They have established their place in music history as artists (The Fantastic Aleems, Prana People, Us), writers (“Hooked On Your Love”, “Confusion”, “Love’s On Fire” etc.) and independent record label pioneers (Nia Records). Their status as collaborators with Jimi Hendrix, Rick James, Kashif, Technetronic, New Kids on the Block, GraveDiggas , and recognizers of major music talent (Luthur Vandross, WuTang Clan etc.) has propelled them to the Hall of Fame attention and, in particular, recognition in the world of black music.

Tunde-Ra (keyboards, vocalist,) and Taharqa (guitar, vocalist) began their careers working, traveling and socializing with such icons of rhythm & blues as Big Mabelle, Bobby Womack, Sam Cook, Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, Clarence "Blowfly" Reid. They then learned the inner workings of the music industry through their close association and friendship with Harlem legend Fat Jack Taylor, owner of the infamous independent label Ro-Jack Records. They would later establish the famous “Harlem World Club” with Taylor, which was ground-zero for a large number of musicians and acts.

While working with Fat Jack, the Aleems met and became close friends with a brilliant guitarist named Johnny Allen Hendrix, while Jimmy was still a side-man playing and touring with some of the lead R&B acts of their generation like Little Richard and The Isley Brothers. It was during this period Tunde-Ra, Taharqa and Jimi shared an apartment in Manhattan's Park West Village and formed the bond which would indelibly shape theirs as well as Jimi's life and career.

The story of Jimi’s disappearance from the Harlem scene and his finding incredible success and acclaim in England is well known, as is the Aleems subsequent work with Hendrix as back-up singers and accomplices. It is during this period that Tunde Ra and Taharqa began to call themselves GhettoFighters. The Aleems have Gold Albums for their GhettoFighter vocal contributions to three of Jimi’s albums “Cry of Love”, “Rainbow Bridge” and “War Heroes”, in addition to their own projects.

In mid-1969 the Aleems became aware of Jimi’s growing frustrations with his management and his lack of connection with the Black Community and in order to begin to remedy this situation they organized the famous street concert for him in Harlem to benefit the charity Biafra Calls. This appearance would, unfortunately, prove to be Jimi’s only appearance “uptown” and it was a smash success. It was also during this period that Hendrix established his own production and publishing company with the Aleems as well as contributing guitar leads to the songs the Aleems had produced for the GhettoFighter Album they all were working on.

After Jimi’s all-to-soon passing in September 1970 the Aleems decided to put the GhettoFighter Album project and group aside and the tape went into their vault. They then wisely decided move onto the next phase in their careers and in the process changed their names from Allen to Aleem.

Soon thereafter Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, the New York Knickerbockers basketball star and music enthusiast, met the Aleems and with them established his music business career. Together they founded two record labels, Pretty Pearl and In Your Face. During this period the Aleems recorded "The Ostrich," using the name Prana People. It was recorded by Monroe's production company and released on Prelude Records in 1977.

In 1984 the Aleems wrote, produced and recorded "Release Yourself" for Nia and formally set-up a music organization with Earl Monroe's old partner, Dick Scott, who had formerly been an assistant to Motown Record chief Berry Gordy. Dick would later become the manager of the group New Kids On The Block and enlist the Aleems songwriting and production skills for their second album, Step By Step. The Aleems and Nia Records now became fully immersed in a new genre of urban music : Rap, and their decision to use the upcoming DJ Marley Marl to do a special mix for the b-side of their "Release Yourself," single would prove to be highly innovative. Many music writers and critics have regarded this move as an important step in the acceptance of rap music in its ongoing influence on R&B.

In 1985, Marl recorded the groundbreaking "Marley Marl Scratch" with MC Shan for the Nia label. These decisions propelled the Aleems to the forefront of recorded rap and Nia was seen by many as the label leading the way. The Aleems recognized the important contribution female rappers could and would make in this field and they used Nia to record and distribute MC Sparky D. It was her duo with the upcoming DJ Red Alert, another Nia artist, which produced “Sparky's Turn” (Roxanne You're Through), her ‘answer’ record which fired the legendary MC battle with Roxanne Shante. Shante recorded for another black-owned independent label, Pop Art, located in Philadelphia and, incidently, also owned by two brothers Lawrence and Dana Goodman. The Aleem and the Goodman brothers realized the business opportunity this ‘battle craze’ presented and together they created a new label, Spin Records, to record the phenomenon. “The Battle” is now seen as an innovative step in female rap and hip hop music.

During the early 90’s the Aleems decided to concentrate their attentions on writing, production and engineering and they withdrew from distribution and performing. They established Konkrete Recording Studios and they wrote and produced a song on New Kids On The Block second album “Step By Step”. They also worked with acts like Rick James, Kashif and Technetronic at Konkrete. But perhaps the most significant project developed during this period was the founding of a non-profit organization The Reconstruction of Black Civilization (ROBC) to affirm their strong commitment and ties with the Black Community. ROBC produced and sponsored a trip by the Ethiopian Royal Family to New York and the Aleems personally organized several events with black music and art in Harlem for the Royal Family. In 1996/1997 the Aleems were producing for the rap group Gravedigaz, a Wu-Tang Clan offshoot. This relationship with the Wu-Tang Clan began at Konkrete studios where the Clan's “36 Chambers” album was partially recorded. The Aleems also ventured back into independent distribution with the Wu-Tang Clan's first single "Protect Ya Neck". During this time period until the present, the Aleems have been occupied with their GhettoFighter tapes and they have enlisted contributions from Jimi’s former bandmembers Buddy Miles and Juma Sultan in this effort.