Brother Ali indignantly invokes Rhymesayers DIY-ethic on
Undisputed Truth opener "Whatcha Got":
Y'all ain't heard nothin', I gave you ya first lesson/ for
what you discussin' over the percussion/ You'll ne'er compare to
me...repeating what you hear flyin' through the airwaves
carelessly/ The meaning gets lost in translation/ You a copy of the
author's first page/ Tryin' ta get money, only get it in small
denomination/ You'll never be dominant, face it, ya imitation/
Equals saccharine, cheap-ass generic aspirin/ Fructose corn syrup,
similak-in'/ ...
To supplement the two
part
interview with Ali:
I've previously linked to Sacha's ode to The
Undisputed Truth--but another visually-inclined member of
the Oh Word crew cooked up
this "Truth Is" remix, if you thought the original instrumental
sounded too chipper. I looped this while logged working in a dimly
lit corner ...
No matter the intended audience, Brother Ali's "Take Me Home" is
'07 rap's greatest personal ad. Maybe the hook's begging for
companionship--"I promise if you me take home, i'll sing you a
song, never leave you alone... come' on baby throw me a bone"--but
the verses brim with matter-of-fact braggadocio and self-regard: "I
ain't waitin' on patiently persevering, I see greatness in the
mirror very clearly--and that's why I take this seriously."
====
Ali's fundamental appeal lies ...
One of my favorite moments of Pop Fest, along with the verse he
ripped over the "Mind Playin' Tricks" instrumental, found Brother
Ali stoically handling his own bouncing duties: rapping while
assertively--but somehow gently--stiff-arming a fan off the stage.
Well before the student (dreaded like Sideshow Bob-in-full-bloom)
"supervisor" moved a muscle.
Madisonians have another chance to see Ali flex his rhyme and
crowd-management skills April 20th @ the High Noon. And
yes, I'll be posting ...
