80-35 Preview - Brother Ali
Written by Andy Duffelmeyer   
Tuesday, 16 June 2009 15:44
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ImageBrother Ali, a Midwestern-raised underground rapper who has garnered all sorts of critical acclaim over the last several years, will rock the mic this summer in Des Moines. Ali has two full-length records to his name, most recently 2007’s “The Undisputed Truth.” His latest work is EP “The Truth is Here,” which dropped in May 2009. Rhymesayers Entertainment, home to Minneapolis hip-hop group Atmosphere, is also home to Brother Ali.

Ali raps about society, religion and family, but it seems all of his rhymes come back to his experience as an albino. According to Ali’s MySpace page , he began composing lyrics as a way of earning respect and defending himself from school-yard teasing.

A refreshing aspect of Ali’s work is his desire to make his records coherent and musical. Although he is of course the star of every track, the backing beats and loops aren’t lacking some punch of their own. Some favorite cuts are “Uncle Sam Goddamn” and “The Truth.”

Brother Ali will perform Saturday, July 4 at 8 p.m. on the Mediacom East Stage. Expect the fireworks to come out a little early when Ali brings his energetic performance to Des Moines.
 
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