by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Brother Ali - Truth Is (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Brother Ali - Original King (MP3)

"People think I'm in the independent category by choice."

Brother Ali is a minority, but not in the ways you might expect. First, he's a white rapper in a genre filled with mostly black artists. Second, Brother Ali is an albino.

Ali, who was born Jason Newman, converted to Islam when he was 15. He says that he felt like an outsider among white people, and has never identified with the word "white."

"I was taken in, early on, by black folks," he says. "Those are the people who taught me the things that I needed to know to survive being who and what I am." [NPR]

Brother Ali came up in the same midwest hip hop scene that birthed fellow indie b-boy and Rhymesayers co-owner Slug, making a name for himself through his self-produced and self-released debut Rites Of Passage. On the strength of Rites, Ali signed to Rhymesayers and dropped Shadows On The Sun, followed by the Champion EP and ultimately The Undisputed Truth in 2007. He's not strictly a "booth" rhymer either. He battled and triumphed over freestyle champ and Rhymesayers MC Eyedea at Scribble 2000, and he has logged more than 500 shows on four continents.

Brother Ali will be back in NYC to play a free show at South Street Seaport on Friday, August 1st (8 pm) with notorious DJ Crew The Rub (7 pm). We cornered Ali for a moment before that show as he dropped two pennies on working with Rhymesayers go-to guy Ant, the follow-up to The Undisputed Truth, and why he thinks 50 Cent is ill.

---

BrooklynVegan: Ant has produced each of your last few records. Is there something about Ant's production that you feel complements your own style/flow? Are there any plans on working with any other producers and if so, who?

Brother Ali: Ant and I have been working together for several years and he's one of my closest friends. Not only do I love his beats but we share a similar outlook on music and life. He's a true producer in the sense that he sees elements of the people he works with as human beings and creates musical beds that allow those things to come out in the work. He has an ability to read people and help them present themselves in a really raw and personal way. There are other producers that I like and respect but I just can't believe that I could have the same creative chemistry with someone I don't really know.

interview continued below...

Continue reading "an interview with BROTHER ALI + 2 MP3s & a free show"