{"id":6020,"date":"2012-12-21T19:02:45","date_gmt":"2012-12-21T19:02:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stylusmagazine.ca\/?p=6020"},"modified":"2012-12-21T19:02:45","modified_gmt":"2012-12-21T19:02:45","slug":"nonstophiphop-brother-ali-talks-latest-record","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/2012\/12\/21\/nonstophiphop-brother-ali-talks-latest-record\/","title":{"rendered":"nonstophiphop – Brother Ali talks latest record"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

\nby Harrison Samphir<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re now rocking with the champion\u201d<\/p>\n

Hip hop is a fascinating medium, not only because it lends a voice to the voiceless, but because it exhumes a political consciousness from below; from the hearts and minds of its listeners who are motivated and enlivened by the music\u2019s revolutionary potential.
\n
\nFor Minneapolis-based Brother Ali–a decorated emcee signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment–fifteen years in the rap game has equipped the artist with revolutionary tools of his own, providing pointed social commentary through hip hop that continually maintains an independent ethic and sound without losing sight of the fans that make it possible.<\/p>\n

Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Ali spent his early childhood and formative years in the American midwest, finally settling in Minneapolis, Minnesota to begin a career in music that has since spawned five LPs, three extended plays, and an assembly of features and singles with other artists.<\/p>\n

After recently completing an exhausting 40-city tour across North America, the veteran emcee spoke with Stylus<\/em> and discussed his latest album, Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color<\/em>, and how his career and music have evolved from an autobiographical to societal focus.<\/p>\n

\u201cCompared to other albums, this one is about society and its current state,\u201d said Ali of his latest disc, released on September 18, 2012 to critical acclaim.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn terms of the project and the music, I\u2019m really happy with it. I feel as though I was able to put in words what I wanted to, and that makes me feel good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Long since Ali\u2019s seminal 2003 release Shadows on the Sun<\/em>, which was characterized by raucous lyrical intensity and audacious bravado, Mourning in America<\/em> is a more reflective and sincere effort that blends political commentary with themes of change, family and love.<\/p>\n

If ever there was one, the album\u2019s first track, entitled \u201cLetter to My Countrymen,\u201d<\/a> is a stirring proclamation and call to arms that features Princeton University professor Dr. Cornel West–and it sets the stage for the following thirteen tracks.<\/p>\n

Over a smoothed-out, xylophone-punctuated beat, Ali lays down a turn of phrase that seems to crystallize his mission and purpose: \u201cThey tell me I\u2019m a dreamer, they ridicule\/They feel defeated, old, bitter and cynical\/Excuse me but I see it from a different view\/I still believe in what a driven few could really do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, Ali\u2019s introduction is laced with symbolic references to twenty-first century American life, but it also beckons the listener\u2019s active involvement in his music.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to make an album that forced the listener to make a true and honest assessment of our society and who we are,\u201d said Ali. \u201cThere are buddings of a very strong social movement (in the United States), and we need to hold onto that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amidst turbulent economic and social conditions presently coagulating in the US, Mourning in America<\/em> is far from a eulogy; it is a wake-up call to fans and heads alike that the same alternative voice they seek in their music must be desired in their politics.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of activism right now,\u201d reminds Ali. \u201cPeople are doing really cool things… but I\u2019m not as excited about the presidential stuff. When Obama does something \u2018good,\u2019 it seems weak and anemic. It doesn\u2019t appear he\u2019s trying to fight for virtue.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt goes along with other trends in our society,\u201d he continues. \u201cI have already been tracked by Homeland Security. The Patriot Act gives the government the power to target me because of my music, and that\u2019s a serious problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite this theme of overarching uncertainty and disillusionment, Mourning in America<\/em> is not just concerned with ideas about society and political participation. It\u2019s also filled with magnificent break beats courtesy of Seattle producer Jake One and some anthemic jams like \u201cNeed a Knot,\u201d<\/a> featuring Bun B of UGK fame.<\/p>\n

Ali even extends the narrative of a 2007 track titled \u201cFaheem\u201d<\/a> (the name of his son) on \u201cAll You Need,\u201d<\/a> where his reflections on fatherhood sound more nuanced and ruminative than they have in the past.<\/p>\n

For the independent hip hop industry, Mourning in America<\/em> is emblematic of an ambitious midwest scene that continues to grow while fostering new artists. Rhymesayers Entertainment, the label that has supported Ali throughout his career, is a constant inspiration to the 35 year old.<\/p>\n

\u201cRhymesayers and Atmosphere are the leaders for underground hip hop in general,\u201d remarked Ali. \u201cI follow what they do… seeing them continue to grow gives me a lot of hope that I won\u2019t need to think about quitting any time soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

A prominent symbol of this growth is Soundset, a Rhymesayers-hosted one-day festival held each May since 2008 in Minneapolis.<\/p>\n

In Ali\u2019s words, \u201cSoundset shows the power of the underground movement. It\u2019s a testament to the work Rhymesayers puts in. We feature a wide variety of artists; young brand new, and guys we look up to and respect.\u201d<\/p>\n

The festival is slated for Sunday May 26, 2013, and Brother Ali will certainly constitute a major part of the experience, both musically and for the fans. To this emcee, the continued success of hip hop music rests in the hands (and ears) of listeners who fuel success with energy and support.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important for fans to be the ambassadors of the culture and for the movement of hip hop,\u201d concluded a soft-spoken Ali. \u201cPeople need to maintain it and stay in the driver\u2019s seat.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Harrison Samphir \u201cYou\u2019re now rocking with the champion\u201d Hip hop is a fascinating medium, not only because it lends a voice to the voiceless, but because it exhumes a political consciousness from below; from the hearts and minds of its listeners who are motivated and enlivened by the music\u2019s revolutionary potential.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[147,434,617,675],"class_list":["post-6020","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-columns","tag-brother-ali","tag-hip-hop","tag-minneapolis","tag-nonstophiphop"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6020","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6020"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6020\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6020"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6020"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6020"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}