Abdullah Saeed

Abdullah Saeed was born on May 18, 1984, in Hanover, New Hampshire, to a Pakistani family. He spent his formative years growing up in Thailand, where his father worked at a college campus and his mother was a nurse. Saeed began his career as a music journalist and DJ, with a focus on hip hop and electronic music. During this period, he conducted interviews with notable artists such as DJ Shadow, El-P, and Flying Lotus, establishing himself within the music journalism scene.

His career expanded into television production and journalism with Vice Media, where he produced and hosted several TV shows and documentaries. From 2012 to 2014, Saeed wrote a weekly online column titled “Weediquette” and later produced and hosted the inaugural episode of the web series of the same name. He was the host of the James Beard Award-nominated series “Bong Appétit,” for which he also composed the theme song. Additionally, he hosted the limited series “Vice Does America” on Viceland and the Webby Award-winning documentary “Mad Honey.” Saeed ceased his work with Vice Media in 2017 due to concerns over the company’s workplace culture.

In 2019, Saeed received recognition from the Associated Press Television and Radio Association for his investigative reporting on underground cannabis markets in Los Angeles for KCRW. He has also been involved in music as a former member of the bands The Kominas and Sunny Ali & the Kid, and is currently a member of GOD$. Saeed contributed as a writer and actor to the HBO series “High Maintenance” and co-wrote a film with Ben Sinclair for Fox Searchlight and New Regency. In 2022, Onyx Collective ordered a pilot for “Deli Boys,” a series Saeed created, which was picked up to series in May 2023, starring Asif Ali, Saagar Shaikh, Alfie Fuller, and Poorna Jagannathan. He is an outspoken advocate for cannabis liberalization and education.