Mourning In America And Dreaming In Color

About

One of the underground's most consistently dope voices, Minneapolis emcee Brother Ali has been churning out higher-level hip-hop since 2000, when he debuted with the small-run <i>Rites of Passage</i>. Three years later, <i>Shadows on the Sun</i> appeared; he's been a mainstay on the global indie-rap scene ever since, renowned for his personal yet relatable lyricism, energetic delivery, and rambunctious live shows. <i>Mourning in America...</i> is his fifth full-length, which picks up where his recent EP <i>The Bite Marked Heart</i> left off. The title track dives into war's grim realities, with lines like "See the anguish of the parents/when they carrying the body of a baby that they cherish/when innocent people perish/it's a very thin line between a soldier and a terrorist." He explores the struggle of the working class on the soulful "Work Everyday," while "Say Amen" attacks wack rappers on both sides of the fence, over seriously raucous wah-wah guitars and thunderous live drums. Jake One's production is dope throughout, providing an unpredictable but always on-point backdrop to Ali's quality wordplay. Other standouts include "Namesake" and "Singing in Song."

via Apple Music