Brother Ali

Is there anyone in hip-hop who knows better the value of an EP than Brother Ali does? While the Minnesota-birthed emcee certainly knows the power of the mixtape, too–hip hop's twitching, ADD-addled version of the EP, Ali dropped a gem with BK-One a couple of years ago–The Truth Is Here stands out as the second terrific EP in Ali's already deep catalogue, following up on 2004's Champion.

And just like Champion followed up the superlative Shadows on the Sun, The Truth Is Here follows up 2007's The Undisputed Truth. That particular release capitalized and built on all of Ali's strengths with aplomb–relatable lyrics that seamlessly combine the personal and political and a mellifluous, authoritative voice that feeds into a flow that can switch from studied to dumb-out in a St. Paul minute. Truth Is Here is more of the same (and that's a good thing), finding Ali tackling his life on the road, the Israel-Palestine conflict, and his would-be rap adversaries over the reliably soul-drenched beats of longtime collaborator Ant.

If there are two songs that serve to best capture the heat Ali brings on this album, though, they are "Palm the Joker" and "Philistine David." The former is a relentlessly poetic and depressing jaunt through the down-and-out caverns of Ali's nameless protagonists over a boisterous, horn-sweetened beat. It's a great piece of work, and serves as more than suitable fodder for some of Ali's best lyrical work ("I see a poor victim's face / Reflected on the pawn shop's glass pistol case / The breath make it foggy and then it gets clear / Now which metal here would fit best in the ear?").

"Philistine David," on the other hand, is one of Ali's most incendiary political anthems yet–adopting the persona of a Palestinian, Ali perfectly melds his political astuteness with heart-wrenching personal insights ("First time I ever broke the law / Was just being born in a zone that’s controlled by y'all"). It's terrific stuff, and serves as a reminder to why Ali has to put out EPs in between his full-lengths–he has to find a way to tide over his ravenous fan base before he drops another near classic on them.

While this EP will only whet the appetite of fans eager for his next full-length, its quality definitely indicates we're in for a treat when he finally decides to drop his follow-up to The Undisputed Truth. The truth is here, indeed.

—Matthew Mundy
03.22.09