All The Beauty In This Whole Life - Brother Ali (2017)
I came onto Brother Ali with his breakout 2007 record The Undisputed Truth. The sound of militant belief had never been so vulnerable and relatable to me. It wasn’t just bluster that Ali dealt in; it was an authentic yearning for things to change that appealed to me even more than the anger he expressed.
He’d keep working through those threads of positivity and action towards something better, and over the years he’s made more peace with his demons and shifted his message to a more immediate, engaged activism that’s less bluster and more genuine problem solving.
Born to white parents, Ali is albino. He tells a very compelling story of his early life, being mocked for his appearance but being more accepted by his black friends, who knew what it was like to be mocked for their appearance. He embraced hip hop culture and eventually Islam, particularly a strain of more liberal Islam that he reps eloquently and loudly.
As with many of his records, this one was produced by Ant, half of the duo Atmosphere and co-founder of Minneapolis hip hop powerhouse Rhymesayers Records. The music is always soulful, and always serves the lyrics without overshadowing.
This isn’t a casual listen but it’s one that’s worth putting in your head.
