Malik Big Mo Abdullah was born and raised on the South side of Chicago, IL, in 1962, during the age of expression, the civil rights movement, and the golden age of music.  As a child, he would regularly see musicians and music was always played around the house.

From the age of four, Malik has played some sort of instrument. His first was a guitar, a present, along with a phongraph record player, and several 45 rpm records, some of which were motown and later other records, blues, jazz, classical, whatever his mother could get her hands on. "She believed in me, even at that early age, more than I would know, even now."

She later enlisted nuns to teach him violin, which didn't last very long. In high school, he gravited towards the jocks and the music geeks. At Englewood High Shool, it had a reputation of having very talented, but troubled teens. He found friends, they formed a doo-wap group, and sang in the same halls as the great "Duke of Earl", Gene Chandler.

This is also where he fell in love with the bass guitar. From the performance with two of his best friends, very talented and scared, they performed at the "Silver Shadow" in Chicago, which later became, "Mr. Ricky's".

After a stint in the military, and a battle with hard luck, Malik ran into an old friend, Shirley King, Daughter of Blues legend, B.B. King, in chicago.  She had been performing everywhere, and was looking to put a band together. He joined, as an understudy, and eventually became her bandleader for five years.

After moving from chicago, to central illinois, again, Malik had to start over.

a few stints with his band, "big Mo and the Phat Groove", for a few years, and  now to this point, a solo project, "m4lik", with two album releases, "Man On Fire", and "The Groovemaker Returns..." a combination  of all of the influences that he's encountered, Blues, Funk, Jazz, Folk, and Soul music. It's worth a listen, and there's more to come. His live shows are what people are really excited about. He involves the audience, and takes them on a journey, and a party. So, if you see a post where M4LIK or Big Mo and the Phat Groove is playing, do not miss it. it's worth it.