Review:
Brother Ali is one of the great independent hip hop artists. His fifth studio
album, Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color, comes on the heels of his
good EP The
Bite Marked Heart and the fantastic album Us.
Ali is very political in his
rhymes (being an activist when he is not touring), but his lyrics come from a
place of hope, speaking to what he imagines a better America could be like
while being frustrated with the way things are now. He is not just negatively
taking shots at easy targets. He addresses the real life that he faces every
day. Ali is not making millions (probably not even hundreds of thousands) from
his music career, which means when he talks about the hard life he faces he is
speaking from a place of honesty, making him and his lyrics very relatable and
poignant. He is among hip hops best storytellers, making light of some of the
inequities he sees in his life. Again, he wants a better tomorrow which is what
makes this album so powerful instead of merely just angry venting (which he
does on a few tracks).
Musically, the album is produced
completely by Jake One, who provides great beats for Ali. Jake One’s style
compliments Ali’s well (though, I do miss his great chemistry with his normal
producing partner Ant).
Brother Ali is far from a
commercial artist. The content and themes of his work, his religion (Muslim)
and his look (he is an albino) all work against him in terms of being relevant
in popular music (radio play, TV appearances, and so on). But, he tours like
crazy to get his music out. Fans of the ‘real’ hip hop sound and lyrics that
actually mean something will find a great artist in Ali. This album is not
flashy, but it is very good. 4/5
Essential Tracks:
2)
Letter to My Countrymen – Produced by Jake One,
featuring Dr. Cornel West
3)
Won More Hit – Produced by Jake One
