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.
Overall Score: 91/100
