New Brother Ali album coming early next year --- produced by Ant (whoa!). On Mello.
They released a preview EP on streaming, haven't listened yet.
His album from earlier this year was solid, probably one of my most-listened to hip hop records of the year, but at the same time was missing something.
But something about this one has me hopeful that it's "All the Beauty..." tier --- we'll see.
Frank Mackey Member since May 23rd 2006 2938 posts
Mon Dec-09-24 02:56 PM
5. "I think it's gotten worse" In response to Reply # 3
Man, I WORE OUT Shadows On The Sun. Ali was arguably my favorite rapper at that point in time. All of the fun (Blah Blah Blah, Bitchslap, etc) that was a part of his repertoire is minimal, if not gone.
11. "He rapped about being "righteous Black man"" In response to Reply # 9
on one of his early releases. I don't think I had seen a picture of him until a few years later. All I knew was that he was albino. He eventually admitted to not being Black and explained this away by saying he was raised by/around Black people. That rubbed me the wrong way.
13. "its funny that a lot of people who" In response to Reply # 11
claim they only want authentic/real hip hop somehow lose all critical thinking on this subject.
Even if someone isn't offended or...you said it better, rubbed the wrong way...its also just corny AF.
>on one of his early releases. I don't think I had seen a >picture of him until a few years later. All I knew was that he >was albino. He eventually admitted to not being Black and >explained this away by saying he was raised by/around Black >people. That rubbed me the wrong way.
10. "The thing is, though, ya'll are selective with your hearing" In response to Reply # 3
That full bar is ""You lucky I'm a righteous Black man," You think I got issues now, I really had em back then"
He's telling you right in the song that he "had issues" to believe something like that. He's telling you in plenty of songs and interviews that when he was a kid, Black folks that took him in and loved him when white folks rejected him and this led to confusion in his identity for a while, before he ever started rapping.
He's talked about this in a number of interviews, on his podcast, and anytime he's been asked about it. But ya'll apparently stopped listening to the bar halfway through.
And I say this as a person who hasn't listened to any of his albums since "Morning in America..." I've listened to two episodes of his podcast (the one where he interviews Kiese Laymon, and the one where he talks about the Minneapolis uprising). I understand taking issue with the preacher voice, I understand taking issue with his name, but he "he said he's a black albino" shit is just factually incorrect.
--
"You can't beat white people. You can only knock them out."
He absolutely had people believing he was "black albino" and absolutely let people continue to believe that. Pretty sure there was fall out locally over it, but I could be wrong.
Either way
He called himself "Brother Ali" for christs sake and rapped about being a righteous black man.
That is clearly NOT the "issue" he was referring to in that song, also.
The fake preacher voice. All of that shit.
I get it..he doesn't seem like a bad dude and he made a pretty good album like 20 fucking years ago.
I just loathe the double standards.
I do appreciate you actually engaging on the subject, though. A few dudes who still listen to him on here just pretend none of this shit is even an issue or exists at all.
15. "When you say "fall out locally"" In response to Reply # 12
Do you mean Minneapolis? I'm from there. I live there. And it is the absolutely "the issue" he is talking about in that line specifically. That's a fact. If there's another song time he mentions being a righteous Black man, please link it. I'm unware of any other.
I can agree that he didn't do enough to dispel the rumor that he was a Black albino. And the lyric that we're referencing definitely is a huge part of that rumor proliferation (because people don't really listen). But you are intentionally misrepresenting the lyric.
--
"You can't beat white people. You can only knock them out."
16. "RE: I always assumed he was refferencing this" In response to Reply # 14
He was. And the line that follows it is essentially a parenthetical statement "You think I got issues now, I really had em back then." He's talking about his own confusion in understanding who he was. As a kid/teen, because he was rejected by white people, and embraced by black people. He thought he was this meant he was black. By the time he wrote that song, he knew this was completely wrong. He had issues to believe that.
I'm from the same city*, I know dude's story very well.
*Dude actually isn't from Minneapolis, he's from Madison Wisconsin and moved to Minneapolis at 14 or 15.
--
"You can't beat white people. You can only knock them out."
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