Brother Ali tours at The Fox By Jason De Thomas UNC Connection March 3, 2008 Brother Ali is a 250 lb,

6-foot-2, albino Muslim rapper. Curious? A lot of people are, and as a result Brother Ali has skyrocketed to the forefront of rap. At age 29, Brother Ali, born Jason Newman (and changed to Ali Newman), already has four albums, six singles and a mix CD under his belt, and has done over 500 shows. He has been touring across the country and now he will end up in Boulder at the Fox theatre on March 6. Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, he moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota at 15home to the infamous ANT and Slug, headmen of the rap group Atmosphere. Ali calls Slug his big brother in his song Operation Push, and Ant now produces his albums. When Brother Ali started out, he had to first win the respect of other artists, which he did through rapping in groups, in rap-battles and the like. With his singularly tenacious voice and sharp mind, he quickly earned a thumbs-up from many doubters. To begin, he produced his own music starting with his Rites of Passage EP that came only on cassette tape. He submitted it to Rhymesayers Entertainment in 2000. The label was co-founded by Musab S'ad Ali, Brent Sayers, Derek Turner, Anthony Davis (ANT), and Sean Daley (Slug) in 1995. He was soon signed. Also on the label are popular artists/groups Atmosphere, Mac Lethal, BK-One, MF DOOM, Eyedea, Abstract Rude and Grayskul. Anthony Davis produced Brother Alis next two albums. The first was in 2003 (Shadows on the Sun) and the next one year later in 2004 (Champion EP). In reviewing Shadows on the Sun, Rollie Pemberton of Pitchfork Record Reviews wrote A Molotov cocktail of Nas' chippedtoothed storyteller, Slug's introspective emo-thug, and Common Sense's wordplay aficionado, Brother Ali has clearly studied the album structures of mid-90s masters. From the urine-soaked authenticity of his portrayal of inner city Minneapolis life ("Room with a View") to the staggering detail of a conflict with his wife-beating neighbor ("Dorian") to a bass monster spiritual alloy of The Legion's "Jingle Jangle" and Atmosphere's "Flesh", where he claims to be "a cross between John Gotti and Mahatma Gandhi" ("Bi*chslap"), Ali focuses his powerful delivery equally on reality-based depth charges and classic rap braggadocio. In this regard, Brother Ali truly is the bad motherf**ker his nom de plume ancestor was. A ferociously realistic review for a like-minded record, to be sure. Following the release of Champion, Brother Ali didnt come out with an album again for three years due to serious personal troubles,

such as struggling with divorce from his wife of 10 years, trials with homelessness, and the custody battle over his six-year-old son. However, he never stopped rhyming and despite not being able to get into a booth, much of what he developed came out in his most recent album The Undisputed Truth. Also produced by Davis, it was released in April 2007a month after its scheduled release. I wanted to make an album that gives you no choice but to feel what Im feeling at the time, says his MySpace bio. I made choices that sent me through a lot of struggle in the past few years and ANT and I have made music that really communicates the exact feeling of those situations, Because of his unique appearance, Brother Ali has been opposed to discussing race. Additionally, his appearance has caused him to be the subject of taunting, insults, and even physical violence throughout his life, which he responds to in his music. As such, it was initially reported that he was African American. However, he has since stated "I'm albino, my family is white, but I was really raised and taught my important life lessons by the black community," according to an interview by David Brusie. He feels that there is no such thing as racethat it is an invented concept only existing in the minds of those who use it to discriminate or make judgments. This interesting blend of backgrounds permeates his music, infusing it with jazzy tones, hip-hop melodies, intense emotional ranges, and funky vocab. A passionate musician, his music is volatile, emotional, and from his heart. According to his MySpace page, the Village Voice raved, When Ali rapsI cant do anything but sit and stare at my stereo, engrossed by the raw emotion and tricky wordplay. Introduced when he opened for Atmosphere on their God Loves Ugly tour, fans quickly grew to like his music. He has since become a star in his own right. He was featured in The Source magazine twice, Rolling Stone magazine, and did both the Late Late Show and The Late Show. Not all publicity has been good, however. On his album The Undisputed Truth there is a song titled Uncle Sam G*dd*mn that has been criticized for its highly controversial nature. Its a political song that discusses the United States and many issues concerning slavery, crack-cocaine, war, homelessness, etc. The words are harsh, graphic even, and cannot be put here, but if you would like to check them out or even listen to the song, you can go here: http://www.myspace.com/brotherali. Despite this negative publicity, many critics realize that this is but one aspect of a multi-faceted and extremely talented artist. Additionally, an artist who only says things that people want to hear is unoriginal, boring, and lacks significant dynamic appeal. After

all, "Music [is] the one incorporeal entrance into the higher world of knowledge which comprehends mankind but which mankind cannot comprehend, says the great Ludwig van Beethoven. With only 6 shows left in a 31 show tour, Brother Ali will be appearing alongside Abstract Rude, Toki Wright & BK-ONE when he hits Boulder. The show costs $13 ahead of time or $15 at the door. You can check out http://www.foxtheatre.com/ for more information. Brother Alis page is at http://www.brotherali.com/ or you can look him up on MySpace. Spread the wordrap is in full swing, and if Brother Ali has anything to say about it, hell be right at the top.