mcheadcase's Full Review: Us [Digipak] * by Brother Ali
Brother Ali is one of the most unique characters in rap music today. He's a legally-blind white albino Muslim who grew up identifying with black people more than those of his own race, which led to him resenting the praise he got from white fans. Now Ali could choose to take that scenario and turn it into a gimmick to build his name off of, but he doesn't need to. And that's because he can rap his ass off. So even though he claims he's neither black nor white (according to him, race is a made up thing, and he doesn't believe in it), it felt like he was the next best candidate to cover for my White Rapper Series.
For a good while now, Ali has been hailed as one of the best indie rappers out due to his lyrical technique and consistent evolution as an artist, though I personally didn't take notice until I saw him open for Rakim in September 2006. Thankfully, that one set alone won me over and made me a fan of his music. I say 'thankfully' because then, when his next album "The Undisputed Truth" came out the next year, its critical success didn't come as a shock to me. While the records that preceeded it ("Shadows on the Sun" and "Champion EP") were also critically acclaimed, "The Undisputed Truth" was praised even more as Ali's landmark. It was his most focused release yet -- a compelling mixture of political commentary, dope braggadocio raps, and personal introspection, with the the latter of the three being the album's high points. And while I felt it slightly fell short of the 'classic' status that many fans gave it right out the gate, it still showed a talented emcee at his absolute best. But Ali couldn't possibly keep it up, could he? I mean, he would've had to have faltered in some way by the time he put out his next record, right?
Thankfully for all parties involved, that wasn't the case. In fact, I'm hard pressed to say that his new album, "Us", isn't only his best album yet, but the magnum opus that "The Undisputed Truth" slightly fell short of becoming.
Coming off the heels of the " Truth is Here EP" that came out earlier this year, "Us" continues to show Brother Ali's growth as an artist. Whereas the majority of "The Undisputed Truth" was heavily inspired by his own personal trials and tribulations, "Us" finds Ali going beyond the autobiographical scope to chronicle all the different people he's known or met over the years, and telling their stories from his perspective. In the albums liner notes, Ali says the album was made about the people who shaped him into his current self. And much like the recent albums from fellow label mates Atmosphere, we find him accomplishing even more when he doesn't just focus on himself. By broadening his storytelling abilities, he's able to relate to a lot more people than before. Once again backed by the production of Atmosphere's Ant, he plays the role of the street preacher, using each tale to offer his opinion on the state of humanity, showing us what truly connects us. Some of them are positive, some of them are negative, but they're all from his heart.
Ali speaks on a multitude of issues and not one of them sound out of place. From victims of sexual abuse ("Babygirl") to latchkey teens that are forced to live double lives ("Tight Rope") to the emotional end of a relationship ("You Say (Puppy Love)"), Ali is able to cover these subjects masterfully without missing a step. On the organ-laced highlight "Games", he discusses hustlers and drug dealers and, in contrast with most rappers nowadays, hollers them down. He does this to show people that you don't have to result to that lifestyle to make a living. He goes even further with the subject on Slippin' Away, a heart-wrenching tale of a childhood friend who wasn't able to escape the ways of the streets with his life intact. However, the album's strongest and most moving effort is "The Travelers", a pull-no-punches account of the Middle Passage, seen from the perspective of the slaves in the first verse and then the decedents of the oppressors in the second. It certainly isn't the first time Ali has discussed the subject of race (see "Daylight" and "Uncle Sam Goddamn" from his last album), but never before has he been able to sum everything up so perfectly. The song brilliantly shows the negative effect that these historical events have had on ALL society, not just a certain group of people: "This is actually true / now stop and imagine that's you / now stop imagining, unravel the truth / and ask just who is it happening to? / everything that the passenger do / the driver experienced too / so if humanity is one, then we all get burned / when its Hell that we're traveling through".
But, like many other emcees have done, Ali definitely leaves room to let his ego run rampant. He once joked on record that his favorite subject is himself, and some of these braggadocio songs can definitely show that. On "Crown Jewel" he uses vivid metaphoric imagery to portray himself as some sort of Godlike figure, while "Bad Muhfucker Part II" humorously paints a picture of him as a badass who simply can't be touched in any way, shape, or form. Now for some people, these arrogant depictions of himself can be an issue, since they're in direct conflict with his humble street preacher persona. Thankfully, I'm able to separate the message from the music, and enjoy them for what they are: shit-talking sessions. He seems to make a combination of the two on the album's opening track, "The Preacher", where he effortlessly rhymes over a triumphant mix of powerful trumpets and electric guitar. He shows that he's out to tell his stories but is out to show his lyrical dominance as well: "Me I'm an artist, all y'all are acts / that's why my heart bleed all on the track / tell me what the fuck's wrong with that? / Y'all foreplay and I'm raw doggin' that / I lead the way cause y'all lost the path".
But not all of it is self-aggrandizing brag rap: check out "Fresh Air", a direct sequel of "Ear to Ear", the triumphant closing track of "The Undisputed Truth". Like "Ear to Ear", we find his speaking on how much his life has improved, but in this case, it's even more so: he's bought his own house, gotten remarried, and fathered a baby daughter, and now likes to spend his weekends cooking pancakes and listening to Al Green records. Ali's rhymes and flow are good enough, but what really makes it stand out is Ant's production, which incorporates the funky groove of Sly and the Family Stone to give it that feel good atmosphere (Oh! Ya see what I did there?).
Hip-Hop pioneer Chuck D sums it up best on the Gospel-inspired intro, where he refers to Ali as "a soldier in the war for love". And that's what makes "Us" such a riveting experience. It's very a layered piece of work, both emotionally and musically (is it just me or does Ant's production just keeps getting better?). While the messages of "The Undisputed Truth" were straightforward, it'll take "Us" a few listens to really take it all in -- I know that's how it was for me. But once it finally clicked for me how amazing this album is, I didn't want to put it down. And that's what makes it an overall rewarding listen, much more so than his previous album. Ali bares his heart and soul on every track, a refreshing change from what I normally see come out of Hip-Hop nowadays. To summarize, Ali bridges the gaps between all the different people with this powerful music, uniting humanity and proving that in the end, there really is no me and no you ... just us.
FINAL RATING: 5 Stars
Track listing: 1. Brothers and Sisters feat. Chuck D and Stokley Williams (NOT RATED) 2. The Preacher (5 Stars) 3. Crown Jewel (4 1/2 Stars) 4. House Keys (4 Stars) 5. Fresh Air (5 Stars) 6. Tight Rope (5 Stars) 7. Breakin' Dawn (5 Stars) 8. The Travelers (5 Stars) 9. Babygirl (5 Stars) 10. 'Round Here (4 Stars) 11. Bad Mufucker Pt. II (4 Stars) 12. Best@it feat. Freeway and Joell Ortiz (5 Stars) 13. Games (5 Stars) 14. Slippin' Away (5 Stars) 15. You Say (Puppy Love) (4 Stars) 16. Us (5 Stars)
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
![Us [Digipak] * by Brother Ali](http://di2.shopping.com/images1/pi/6a/0c/42/2049209878-177x150-0-0.jpg)
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.