Ahmad Ali Lewis (born in 1976 in Los Angeles, California), is a West Coast hip hop performer. Credited simply as Ahmad, he is best known for his solitary hit single, 1994's "Back in the Day", a nostalgic song that has become somewhat of a clichéd signifier for nostalgia in hip-hop culture. Released when Ahmad was only 18, "Back in the Day" hit #26 on the US pop charts and #19 on the U.S. R&B charts on the strength of its catchy hook - a sample of the Teddy Pendergrass' "Love TKO" - and Ahmad's quirky vocal style, reminiscent of Fatlip of fellow West Coasters Pharcyde. It was the major single off his first and only album, Ahmad. Ahmad went on to found the rock/soul/hip-hop group 4th Avenue Jones.