Brother Ali has had one of the most recognizable voices in hip-hop since he became a mainstay with his breakthrough sophmore album in 2003, Shadows On The Sun. With the subsequent follow up albums in 2007 (Undisputed Truth) & 2009 (Us) Ali has remained a torch bearer in hip-hop music as someone who injects 100% truth into their music. With every new Brother Ali album, the feeling you get in anticipation is like getting a big gust of fresh air into your lungs after you have been stuck in a dark dingy basement for months on end. So yes, on we go with the album.... Mourning In America, Dreaming In Colour is Brother Ali's 5th studio album that finds the entire album produced by Seattle's heralded beatmaker, Jake One. While Ant has produced every single Brother Ali album on Rhymesayers so far, it is now Jake One that has taken the reigns for this album. Jake One is a top tier hip-hop producer who was responsible for crafting beats for some of mainstream hip-hop's biggest artists in 2012 (Dr. Dre, Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Wiz Khalifa..etc.) Jake One probably made more money just off all the placements he did this year than he would of working on the entire MIADC album. He worked on MIADIC because he wanted to. I believe there is a big difference in the end result of art when it's backed by a belief and desire because the cohesiveness between the Jake-One and Brother Ali is uncanny. Mourning In America, Dreaming In Colour is Brother Ali's masterpiece of reflective truth from a man who is clearly inspired to do what he can to make his mark on the world in positive ways. He knows that he has the attention and influence over a lot of people right now during such an important time im human history. It's crucial that we have music like this to counter balance all the pollution that is out there. Sonically and lyrically this album is breakfast, lunch, dinner and desert. When you get your hands on this one make sure you have a full stomach and lots of attention because this album deserves it. Take a listen to some of the highlights from the album below. Grab this on itunes right now.
Brother Ali