Brother Ali Biography

Originally, influenced by Earth Wind and Fire and born into Hip Hop through break dancing, Brother Ali has been one with the mic since he first heard KRS-ONE on record. A student of Hip-Hop's golden age, Ali's music ranges from purpose to passionate, yet always soulful and true to the boastful heritage of our culture. An emcee, producer, host and overall party-starter, Brother Ali's talents are a well-defined addition to the Rhymesayers family.

In spring of 2000, Ali dropped a sixty-minute story telling and thought sharing album titled, "Rites of Passage" on Rhymesayers Entertainment. The self-produced cassette-only anthology introduced Brother Ali's beat making muscles and extensive writing skills. He played the congas, beat-boxed and still found time to lay out his views on the music industry, religion and urban life in America.

"Rites of Passage is an impressive feat, especially since most of today's rappers focus solely on their rhymes. Ali's tempos and samples are reminiscent of the street-funk swagger of Gangstarr and the menace of thug rappers Mobb Deep." -St. Paul Pioneer Press

"The Rhymesayers don't do shows", announced Brother Ali from the stage of Manhattan's SOB's. "We throw parties."

On stage with only a DJ, Ali's magical gift for capturing the imagination of his audience has been compared to that of a gospel preacher. His voice, large stature and albino features make him a unique and commanding presence. Brother Ali has perfected the live performance, having played countless shows with: Guru, Mos Def, De La Soul, El P, Aceyalone, Souls of Mischief and Living Legends just to name a few. From September through November 2002, Ali earned his final road-dog tags showcasing his individual skills performing 63 shows in 71 days with Atmosphere and Murs covering North America.

Brother Ali has maintained credibility over time with guest appearances on such projects as: DJ Abilities', "For Persons With DJ Abilities", BK One's, "For the Love of Music", "The Phoenix" with Musab on the Twin Cities Music Year Book 2001 cd, producing six songs on Musab's, "Respect The Life" album and battling in the 2000 and 2001 finals in the annual Scribble Jam MC Battles (Ali is featured on three of the Scribble Jam videos: Scribble Jam 2000, Scribble Jam 2001 and the Best of Scribble Jam).

"Battling and making good albums are two different things. Battling live is about thinking well on your feet and capturing the moment. The kind of lines and sh*t that make a good battle don't translate well to a record because they're catered to a particular situation. Songs and albums should be timeless." -Brother Ali (interview from HipHopInfinity.com)

Ali joined producer Ant (of Atmosphere fame) and went to work creating an intensely powerful album that was one of the foremost efforts of 2003. "Shadows on the Sun" is an eighteen-song album produced by ANT, written by Brother Ali and features guest appearances by Slug of Atmosphere. "Shadows on the Sun' is a testament of Ali's depth, range and growth as an artist. In 2004 he released "Champion EP" with 9 new and unreleased tracks, including a remix of "Champion".

Brother Ali is currently putting the finishing touches on his new album "The Undisputed Truth" with production by Ant, coming in 2006.