Brother Ali is one of the underground’s finest emcee’s, showmen and humans. From the jump, Jake One and Ant set the tone musically – one part romance, one part soul. Brother Ali is legendary atop chopped soul samples and has proved it time and again, especially when rapping to beats by Ant, Rhymesayers’ staple producer, and long time collaborator, Jake One. Brother Ali (and Johaz of Deep Rooted/Dag Savage) takes a calculated step with these timely gems available for free on a day when not much is free – Valentine’s Day. Shine On, featuring Nikki Jean (video HERE) is seamless! Brother Ali weaves a clever tale of boy meets girl and allows it to unravel at the end. It is followed up by the Jake One-produced, Electric Energy, Ali’s thoughts on the concept of chemistry between two people. I’ll Be Around features Phonte (of LittleBrother) and Stokley Williams (of Mint Condition, uh um, Pretty Brown Eyes) and is guaranteed to be a favorite among couples driving to and from their V-tine’s date – it may also be a favorite with nostalgic singles, dreaming of “the one”. Brother Ali gets serious with I Can’t Wait and sobers up the drunk in love listener with a bitter swig of how love can turn sour – and then sweet again, or not. Years is a bittersweet journey through a relationship, from dating to marriage and kids and on to an empty nest, an in depth look at the intricacies of love through a long relationship. Haunted Housbroken feat. Aby Wolf is dark and peeks into the wandering heart of a lover who has lost interest in his/her beloved. The title tracks closes the album in a calm and balanced fashion, touching on the good and the bad, the yin and the yang, that exist in love.
Brother Ali does a fine job of capturing elements of love and displaying them audibly. What a lovely Valentine’s Day gift.
Peace and (with the bittersweet kiss of) Love,
NathanAnthony
SOUL ANCHOR MEDIA 