Daytrotter's Best 15 Albums of 2007: No. 10 Brother Ali's "The Undisputed Truth"
Jan 9, 2008
Words by Sean Moeller
Illustration by Josh Johnson
A prelude initiates "Walking Away," the most personal song on Brother Ali’s latest and greatest album _The Undisputed Truth_. It’s a message to his divorced wife. He says, "I’ll go ahead and wager you’ll never listen to another song of mine/I can’t say I blame you either cause if you made records, you aren’t gonna catch me listening to that shit/But if you do, I just want you to know I didn’t make this to hurt you/God knows you done hurt enough/I’m just...I don’t know, trying to make some real shit, you know?" It’s just Ali talking over the first few couplets of instrumental tracks and beats and it’s that last fragment that cuts deep into the personality of Ali 24 hours a day and this record in general. "Truth Is" was the best hip-hop song that no one recognized this year. Nothing in the mainstream of cold, forced and concocted drivel could hold a candle to the gorgeous, no-holds barred reality of Ali at his finest. He’s been through a lot in his days - though he’s no Cage yet - but it’s his strong beliefs in articulation and genuine thoughtfulness, not half-assed or stuffy posing/play acting that make this an album that will 10 years from now still be a great representation of a young man who feels that the government of the Bush administration and all its long-reaching corrupt fingers have let him down and in the gutter.
*What was previously said about Ali and _The Undisputed Truth_ right here on the glowing pages of Daytrotter:*
"Funnily enough, a song about good ol’ money-having and broad-nailing appeals universally to the white boys, the black boys, the white girls, the black girls, the Mexicans, the rich and the poor, so those songs continue to perpetuate themselves like gremlins at the doom’s hour. After a big meal, who can stop them? The capitalism takes the reigns and it’s a smooth ass ride to the sweaty flesh-on-flesh demographic that has all the expendable income. Brother Ali, the brilliant and big (small fridge-sized MC), Albino from Minneapolis is one of the many Rhymesayers crew members who believe that hip-hop can still be about the things that really matter. He believes that the actualities of life are worthy of song and when hip-hop doesn’t address them - who else the fuck will?"
*Daytrotter's Best 15 Albums of 2007*
15. John Vanderslice -- _Emerald City_
14. The National -- _Boxer_
13. These United States -- _The Forest and the Garden_
12. The Teeth -- _You're My Lover Now_
11. Dr. Dog -- _We All Belong_
10. Brother Ali -- _The Undisputed Truth_
"Brother Ali Daytrotter Session":http://www.daytrotter.com/article/645/free-songs-brother-ali
"Brother Ali":http://www.myspace.com/brotherali
"Rhymesayers Entertainment":http://www.rhymesayers.com
