Brother Ali releases phenomenal EP

Religion plays a large role on the release.

By Jon Ingram

Published March 12, 2009

Aren't rappers supposed to be gun-toting criminals with a permanent stench of marijuana and more cars in their garage than GM sold in 2008? If they are, then Brother Ali must not have gotten the memo. The Minneapolis-based rapper, who just released his latest EP The Truth is Here, is not only Caucasian, but also albino and legally blind. Although obviously not the prototypical rap artist, Brother Ali has stapled himself as not only one of hip-hop's more intriguing characters, but also one of the underground scene's most respected lyricists. This release of this EP isn't the first hip-hop vibration made by Brother Ali. The Undisputed Truth, Ali's sophomore album released in 2007, was his claim to fame. He gained acceptance by ever-picky hip-hop scholars with tracks such as "Forest Whitaker" and "Daylight." Many of the tracks on the album contained subjects focusing on the difficulty of gaining acceptance throughout his life because of both his albinism and Muslim religious beliefs. Although his lyrical skills have never been questioned, he has had to deal with constant questions about his true skin color and faith. For some time he refused to speak on these subjects, but with the release of The Undisputed Truth he revealed his past through his pure and honest lyrical content.

The Truth is Here is a follow-up to that mentality, and it has never worked better for Brother Ali. It seems as if each track is more confidently produced than the next, and his lyrical content spews through speakers in a vicious and unforgiving fashion that is more unique than his pigment-less skin. His primary focus on this album seems to be his Muslim religion, with full songs such as "Good Lord" and "The Believers" dedicated to showing that he is not taking his faith lightly. He rarely swears, and he frequently raps about his choice not to engage in alcohol or drugs. However, while his religious loyalty is present on much of the album, there is still a good deal of music that is as raw as anything in hip-hop.

For example, the track "Little Rodney" begins with an Arabic rant and then proceeds to develop into one of the most fluid flows that I have heard rapped to a beat in a long time. He switches between political, religious and tongue-twisting lyrics that truly make for an incredible track that is undoubtedly his best work to date. But it is not his lyrics that make this track a stand-out. There is something that he put into this track that no critic can put on paper. He simply sounds more confident, energetic and fine tuned than ever put out by him before. What makes this song phenomenal is the no-looking-back attitude that seems to be racing through Ali's head while recording this "Little Rodney." Regardless of what it is that makes this track special, one thing is for sure: Brother Ali has found his niche and is quite sure he's headed down the right path, not only in his rapping career but his life.

Brother Ali has the talent to become a mainstream artist, but he has been an active member of the underground community for some time now, and it seems that he is not willing to become a sellout to become famous. He is a genuine rapper who should definitely be experimented on by rap fans everywhere. Look for an official album to be released later this year, and if it is anything like this nine-track EP, it will be worth a listen.