Brother Ali : 'Us'
Released: Out Now!!!
Label: Rhymesayers Entertainment
It is seldom in hip hop that you get an artist more full of honesty, intrigue and consideration as Brother Ali. With his fascinating back story and a voice that ingrains on the memory, his new album Us a frank look at life as he sees it, beautifully crafted into tracks that never fail to captivate.
With a voice of such a rich and distinct tone, it is easy to assume the ethnicity of Brother Ali without much thought. Yet a look into the rapper's life reveals he is in fact white, and a sufferer of the skin condition Albinism. Such a revelation is a shock, especially with such a well rounded sound not often accomplished by a man of his background. Tracks like “Fresh Air” are a testament to his talents, his voice gliding over a well constructed melody with lucid intelligence and fluidity.
Despite not being in focus a lot of the time, it is the instrumentation that provides Ali with an extra slice of uniqueness and charm. Once again “Fresh Air”, despite having a medium paced vocal melody boasts a funk intro, slap bass throughout and soulful group vocals that provide an excellent chorus for an excellent track. Similarly “Crown Jewel” boasts trumpets and a Motown–esque melody, slotting perfectly amongst Ali's rhymes despite the stark contrast.
Yet it arguably the lyrics that make Brother Ali the honest, well rounded musician he is. Even with his evidently sound musical understanding and eclectic tastes, he certainly does not shy away from the truth. Tackling issues including sexuality, drugs and his own condition, Ali is often shocking, yet admirably frank. “House Keys” tells the story of life tinged with crime, with “walked upstairs and helped myself to the whole thing/half a pound of weed a big coke stash a new 45 and a little stack of cash” the startling reality. Yet whilst shocking, it is often left simply to his talent with words to portray his feelings. “The Preacher” shows Ali at his lyrical best, providing a heartfelt assessment of his life. “If you know me, you know I, love my family, love my God/before I knew either I loved my art, so I'm married to the pen till death do us part” Aside from being respectably open, his way with words is something to marvel upon, and yet another talent to mark down for him.
With a virtual plethora of talents and tracks to leave the listener in awe, Us is a truly impressive album from a truly impressive artist. With varying influences and contrasting elements, it certainly is no ordinary hip hop album. But then again, Brother Ali certainly is no ordinary hip hop artist.
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