Using struggle to build character personally and professionally, Minnesota’s Brother Ali has defied the odds stacked against him to become a long-running underground success story. Not only is he a Hip Hop outlier due to albinism, xenophobia within America’s society automatically renders him a menace because of a teenage conversion to Islam. Refusing to be anyone’s victim, he vents his burdens with stories highly resonant to those sharing his vision for a more progressive world. Generally known for taking his time between releases, with All the Beauty in This Whole Life Ali returns to a climate that has drastically changed since his last full-length outing virtually five years ago.
Having gone on record honoring esteemed freedom fighters from the past, Brother Ali continues to add pages to his audio autobiography while focusing on effecting social change. The album also marks a reunion with Rhymesayers co-founder and Atmosphere beatsmith, Ant, who has exclusively produced the bulk of Brother’s discography in the past. On the forceful “Pen to Paper,” a passionate sermon that brings Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” to mind (white rapper connotation doesn’t apply here) is delivered as he explains that his destiny was within writing rhymes since a child. Surely a troubled time that he doesn’t recall fondly, Ali speaks of developmental years where he was teased regarding his pigmentation condition on the introspective “Pray For Me.” Here his past pleas for empathy surface over a surprisingly light-hearted beat, a concept parallel to the stark reality check of “Dear Black Son,” as his bleak outlook stems from raising an innocent child to be greater than internalizing the fear and twisted beliefs of those perceiving his skin’s color as problematic.
Where Brother Ali has yet to find a feasible solution to race relations, his existence within the greater culture centers around a determination to become an agent of change. Faced with what seems to be insurmountable levels of discrimination (if not all out combat), on All the Beauty…, Ali takes a number of approaches towards conflict resolution. Getting to the root of domestic intolerance, “Before They Called You White” takes a rather educational look at how colonization was birthed centuries ago from impoverished Europeans. At his most rational, “It Ain’t Easy” has him making the effort to be a better man by braving the daunting task of looking past political differences on social media.
No matter how hard he strives to survive the wake of our 45th president’s election, “Uncle Usi Taught Me” proves his efforts are nearly futile as he can only laugh at the absurdity of how his career is received globally. Here he can’t seem to win for losing, as a trip to Iran went awry due to the country’s anti-Hip Hop sentiment, with the subsequent discovery that he’s on a high-risk terrorist watch list upon landing home. Moments like this demonstrate a willingness to take on a progressive and enlightened perspective despite having to tackle the ugliness of bigotry head on.
With All the Beauty in This Whole Life, Brother Ali steadily tries to reach a place of zen despite life’s unavoidable chaos. Urgent and impactful as always, his heartfelt music succeeds at balancing out traditional drum programming with original music composition. Though Ali is skilled at emceeing, his primary drawbacks are a trademark sing-song delivery and abstract form of rhyming, both acquired tastes that could keep curious yet impatient newcomers with short attention spans away. Fortunately, what he lacks in universal appeal is balanced out by his messages full of honesty and conviction, making his art a worthwhile investment for anyone looking to him as a shining beacon of humanity.
“Out of Here” is my fave jammy on the album. Very powerful music.
His super preachy style is getting super old and stale at this point. He is commenting on social ills and what not, but he comes across super contrived and like he’s elevated himself to some esteemed pedestal where he is the source for all wisdom regarding protest and everything about it. He’s really pushing the edge of sounding REALLY corny at this point. He’s rapping about the same shit people were rapping about in the 90’s and isn’t really doing it in a new way. Ali should find a way to put his own NEW spin on the whole backpack rapper thing.
Fuck outta here with that this is grown up music, go listen to ur favorite trap/mumble microwave popcorn ass music that u kids listen to. This shit is relevant to today.
3.9/5?! That’s blasphemous to me, but opinions are opinions I suppose.
But why is the headline comparing this to Logic’s album? Guess they came out around the same time, but so did like 10 other projects
Here’s a 1
The combination of Ant and Ali is such a soulful mix, song concepts are deeply moving and the project feels cohesive.
ya’ll really gonna post an MGK review on the same day with a higher rating than brother ali? shameful shit. this is maybe their(ant and ali) best album to date. and to the dude below we maybe read up a little on brother ali’s life. he speaks this way because of his personal experiences. he’s rapping about the same shit that happened in the 90s because the SAME shit is still happening bruh
This album was even better than I was expecting! 5/5
Best hip hop album thus far (2017)
Way better than I expected. As real as it gets, dude is and has been the truth. Touching on subject matter that hip hop needs to explore more often. Outta here is chilling and will help anyone who has dealt with suicide issues themselves or within their circle. That song could actually save someone’s life! That’s incredibly powerful. Shameful that this is rated 3.9, every time I’ve listened to this I do so from start to finish. That’s pretty rare, they don’t make albums like this much anymore. Brother Ali should be celebrated, he has passed the upper echelon of those who inspired him! Ants production has reached a whole other level here as well. Incredible what these 2 have accomplished with this album.
Brother Ali has delivered an impeccable album from beginning to end.
Please people Reading and trusting these Reviews. I’ll tell you. I listen to about 70 new albums per year and these Reviews, is to be honest out of Control. In this case, Brother Ali has had the best album out yet in 2017. Now way this is 3,9. I’m not even sure wy imreading these reviews anymore, probably to help others not trusting these BS articles.
Brother Ali always puts out awesome albums
Every album Ali has put out is a classic or close to being a classic
Not bad… His a alright artist.
3 point fucking 9?
GTFOH
I’ve been playing this album nonstop since the first listen. It feels real good to hear a true Hip Hop album within the ignorance and fuckery that goes on these years. Very raw and heart-hitting, that’s true music when it can do that. Glad I bought this.
How the fuck you gonna give BoB new album a higher score than this!?
3.9?! Are you mad?! Love Ali s delivery. Great album, can’t think of many better from 2017. Worth waiting for.
RAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.
Wait, so “his primary drawbacks” of “a trademark sing-song delivery and abstract form of rhyming” knock this album down to a 3.9? What the fuck kind of sense does that make?
An abstract form of rhyming is a weakness? (Maybe this is why you guys love Young Thug and other simple-minded rhyme styles).
And a trademark sing-song delivery is a weakness?
Neither of these are actually criticisms with any substance whatsoever.
This album is fire. This reviewer is fired (in my world).
Best album of 2017