Also in this Issue
- The Apocalypse? Bring It On! Acid Mothers Temple sing a swan song for the land of the setting sun (Music)
- Are You There, God? It's Us, The Rockers From the 700 Club to the 400 Bar, The Glad Version struggle with their faith (Music)
- Vast Aire: Look Mom...No Hands (CD Review)
- Thelonious Monster: California Clam Chowder (CD Review)
- Willie Walker and the Butanes: Right Where I Belong (CD Review)
- More articles from this issue...
More CD Review Articles
- Brad Mehldau: Anything Goes ; Frank Kimbrough: Lullabluebye (May 19, 2004)
- Lansing-Dreiden: The Incomplete Triangle (May 19, 2004)
- Glenn Branca: Lesson No. 1 (May 19, 2004)
- Ghostface: The Pretty Toney Album (May 19, 2004)
- J-Kwon: Hood Hop (May 12, 2004)
- Judas Priest: Metalogy (May 12, 2004)
- The Vestals: The Vestals (May 12, 2004)
- Felix da Housecat: Devin Dazzle and the Neon Fever (May 12, 2004)
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Brother Ali: Champion EP
Champion EP
Rhymesayers Entertainment
Brother Ali has so much national momentum right now that he's already rapping his apologies to family and ummah for not spending enough time with them--and this is only his second CD, a tide-me-over between 2003'sShadows on the Sun and whatever comes next. Good thing Minneapolis's palest hip-hop breakout has enough material to roll all gold here. He leverages his credibility as a devout Muslim to assert the dignity of McDonald's employees and the masculinity of expert cunnilingus. "Don't you know it's your biology to come?" he raps on "Heads Down (You Haven't Done That Yet)." "What separates the men from boys, masturbation from lovemaking, is making your woman really hum."
The producer, meanwhile, is humming like a muscle car: Ant somehow manages to evoke gospel without sampling it on the cut-time, hand-clapping funk number "Waheedah's Hands." The erstwhile silent partner of Atmosphere announces his intentions to outdo himself right off the bat with a reggae remix of the title track, which appeared on the debut and now seems to sample one record from each of Jamaican music's previous four decades simultaneously.
Only the repetitive "Self Taught" feels boilerplate--I'm reasonably sure fans know better than to dis Ali at this point. "Fuck rapping, I sing off key," spits our hero. But I think he should reconsider: If ever a rapper had a singer's natural resonance, it's Brother Ali. "Champion," "Sleepwalker," and other tracks argue for hitting notes as a way to stomp all over Lyric's Born's gravel, just as Ant has put a foot in Kanye West's soul.
About Peter S. Scholtes
From the Archive
- The Origin of Madvillain! (Music - May 19, 2004)
- What's That in Your Shirt Pocket? The Rev. Al Green talks about his spirit and what happened when God found his stash (Music - Mar 24, 2004)
- Built to Last 'My Architect' director Nathaniel Kahn talks about finding his father in the monuments he left behind (Film - Mar 24, 2004)
- Eyedea and Abilities: E&A (CD Review - Mar 17, 2004)
- Doomsday! From the garbage house to the club with P.O.S. and his Doomtree crew (Cover Story - Mar 3, 2004)
- Ode to Joy Looking for an independent station on the FM dial where passionate DJs pick all their own songs? Guess what: It's been around for 82 years. (Arts Feature - Feb 18, 2004)
- Habib Koité and Bamada (CD Review - Feb 18, 2004)
- Mason Jennings: Use Your Voice (CD Review - Feb 11, 2004)
- More articles from the Peter S. Scholtes Archive...
