Brother Ali

Brother Ali, an albino of Muslim faith, made his debut with 2003's Shadows on the Sun, which established him as a promising indie hip-hop artist and further cemented the reputation of Minneapolis' Rhymesayers Entertainment (also home to Atmosphere, MF Doom, and Soul Position).

Since then, life hasn't exactly been easy for Ali: he and his wife divorced and there was a custody battle for their son. These events obviously had marked effect on Ali's state of mind for his sophomore effort. "Walkin Away," a song to his ex, seems hopeful in spite of itself—Ali raps, “If you hadn't tried to kill me / I'd have stayed for the kid”—with its soulful guitar and Otis Redding-ish whistles. "Faheem," addressed to his son, takes a similar tack, apologizing for not making things work without getting overly sentimental.

In keeping with the reflective tenor of the album, Ali also addresses the current political climate. On "Uncle Sam Goddamn" he takes on America's legacy of brutality and degradation. For "Letter from the Government," he assumes the role of a U.S. soldier coerced by circumstances to enlist, now protesting getting called up, "You clinically crazy if you think you could pay me / a figure that could make me slay those innocent babies."

Aside from Ali's formidable talent, Atmosphere-producer ANT's beats play a subtle but key role on the record. Overall, the instrumentation has an easy, old-school vibe, with the incorporation of blues, soul, R&B, and reggae samples that provide a strong counterpoint to Ali's forceful delivery and presence. With The Undisputed Truth, Brother Ali rides out past setbacks with a renewed faith and the self-assured delivery of an MC who knows his pedigree.

- Justin Charles
04.11.07

Brother Ali, the albino MC signed to Rhymesayers, made a lot of noise when his debut, Shadows on the Sun, came out in 2004, and his follow-up, The Undisputed Truth, just proves that there was a reason for all the acclaim. Ali shows himself to be one of the most talented MCs in contemporary hip-hop, in both the underground or mainstream. Unlike other conscious rappers, he isn't so concerned about proselytizing, about making a point, that he forgets that an important part of hip-hop is having fun and dancing, at least for those few minutes, for those looped 16 bars. Producer Ant only helps complete this undertaking, making old-school-influenced musical beats that taste of funk and rock while still sounding current and accessible. It's a throwback to De La Soul's heyday, when smart, reflective rhymes were just as important as swagger and having fun. Even in the most vitriolic songs on the album (and it's long, clocking in at just over an hour with 15 tracks), Ali never comes across as heavy-handed or preachy. On the bitingly critical "Uncle Sam Goddamn," for example, the MC spits lines like "Talking bout you don't support a crackhead/What you think happens to the money from your taxes?/Sh*t the government's the addict" and "Three out of 12 months your salary pay for that madness" as warm, bouncy bluesy guitar and basslines -- traditional American music -- are picked out and repeated, while on the reggae-inspired "Freedom Ain't Free" he slows down his delivery, which lets the strength of his words come through without him having to sound angry or shout. Ali's a supremely honest rapper, and his sincerity is palpable as he talks about the problems he's faced, the struggles he's overcome, his hopes for the future, his confidence in his own talents. The Undisputed Truth is an album that proves unequivocally Brother Ali's verbal superiority, and the fact that his practiced, good-natured delivery, his intricate, intelligent rhymes, are among the best in the game. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide