Brother Ali: Us

I usually compare Brother Ali to Roy Halladay (Toronto Blue Jays pitcher, arguably best pitcher in baseball). Roy is [one of] the best at what he does, but doesn’t really get the credit for it as much as he should. He’s good enough to be on every writer’s “Top Pitcher” list and every fan’s “Best Pitcher” discussion, but he isn’t. Halladay is overlooked, underappreciated, and will consistently be amazing at what he does. The same can be said for Brother Ali, who is unjustly left out of many conversations regarding some of the best hip hop emcees of this era. Three outstanding LPs, two near perfect EPs, various show stealing features (including “Second Time Around” from last year), a marvelous live show, varying word play ranging from blunt to clever to outrageous. The list goes on. If that isn’t enough ass-kissing for the moment, be prepared for more, because Brother Ali continues to do no wrong with his fourth LP, Us.

To anyone new to Brother Ali, you are in for hip hop treat. Possibly one of the best pairings of this genre in this decade, Ant of Atmosphere alongside Ali deliver a one-two producer-emcee punch rivaling the chemistry of Pete Rock and CL Smooth and Erick and Parrish. Moreover, this unofficial duo has dropped consistently great tracks over the span of the last four projects. Us is no different, as it offers up a barrage of flavour ranging from boom-bap to soul to militant to laid back to high tempo. The additional beauty of all of this? Ant uses live instruments to create his craft throughout.

What listeners get from Brother Ali on Us matches that of Ant’s production: versatility in every sense of the word. Look to the gospelic “The Preacher” to hear the Brother rap the word according to Ali over intense electric guitars and amped horns. Watch as Ali goes effortlessly from passionate reverend to relaxed hedonist on “Fresh Air” then goes on to be an optimistic (or pessimistic?) bonfire-storyteller on the racially focused “Breaking Dawn.” One of the show-stopping moments is on “Best@it” featuring Joell Ortiz and Freeway. What is undoubtedly a lyrical murder by all three wordsmiths turns out to be a platform for Ali to let loose like a semi-automatic all over the track for 3 minutes speaking about earning your status in hip hop and receiving justly praise as “the best.” The transition Ali makes halfway through his verse is a smooth momentum shifter, and furthermore, the transitions he has made on this one album rival the amount some of hip hop’s finest have made during their entire career.

There’s plenty of good to say about each and every song on this album. If there is one misstep on Us, it’s that it may not equal the peaks Shadows of the Sun and The Undisputed Truth do hold. At this point, great material from Ali is expected and encountered on the daily, and like Halladay, if he isn’t throwing 1-hitters and going a full 9 innings, something isn’t right. So simply put, Ali’s flaw? He’s too damn good.

Us may be too in-depth and “serious” for some listeners to be able to have a fun listen with it; it’s more of an Oscar contender than it is a summer blockbuster. Whereas the previous two LPs and EPs gave listeners that option to explore some popcorn for our ears. Still, Ali gives you “Bad Mufucker Pt.2,” “Crown Jewel,” and “Round Here” to show you that he’s still a battle rapper no one should mess with.

But I’d be damned if I said songs like “You Say (Puppy Love)” and “Slippin’ Away” didn’t make even the most stone cold heart and most hardheaded drug-dealer sit back and think retrospectively. For that, it takes a very special emcee to deliver mind-and-soul changing moments. Ali is that emcee. He is that emcee that takes every element of life and completes it to make the puzzle that is us.

91/100

Best@it

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Tight Rope

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The Preacher

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.