Brother Ali- he ain't no terrorist.

Brother Ali, Barfly, Camden, London (15th Sep 2009)

After a schizophrenic summer in London, where the sun shone sporadically, this concert, featuring Minnesota based Brother Ali, was prefaced by an all-day downpour, which, thankfully, didn't dampen the spirit of the sold-out crowd at the intimate Barfly.
Sporting a green Adidas tracksuit with gold stripes, contrasting with his highly publicised, but never exploited Albino skin, Brother Ali cut a stocky, cuddly figure as he took to the stage. Having a self-effacing, good-natured vibe about him, he got the crowd on side with tracks from his new album 'US' (Rymesayers Entertainment) which deals with such diverse subjects as his family ('Preacher', featuring an infectious drum and trumpet pattern); positive thinking and self-belief ('Crown Jewels'); poverty ('House Keys'); and the immigration experience ('The Travelers').
Equally diverse is the production from Ant, from underground rap group Atmosphere. Using DATS featuring funky trumpets, guitars, drums and pianos, Brother Ali took his audience on a journey of reflective, almost bluesy tranquillity- as if rap had finally grown up from its angry roots and successfully channelled its frustrations.
To balance the seriousness of some of his themes and rhymes Brother Ali knew when the time was right to show his sense of humour. He goofed off with some witty anecdotes and let his DJ BK-One show off his talents with a Latin American inspired, electrically funky mix of carefully thought out production and turntable wizardry.
Brother Ali is fast becoming a stalwart of a rap industry that falls between two stools: the conscious grafters who stay below the radar and the 'stars' who get the fame and fortune, but don't move the art form forward. If anything, the Lil Wayne’s of the rap world bring it back to its more vapid, party-orientated days. Not that I'm hating on the latter, but Brother Ali's blend of bluesy and intelligent hip-hop is a rare breed, even rarer for it to be heard live.
Going on the evidence tonight, Hip-hop has lost a lot of its angry, unfocused energy and managed to make 'golden age' generational fans proud, whilst picking up new heads along the way. Words like ‘edutainment’ have been absent in rap circles ever since KRS-1 lost his relevance; but Brother Ali's picked up the mantel and ran with it.
Ali’s paid homage to rappers like Public Enemy and Ice Cube and moved things on a pace. It has nothing to do with colour; it has everything to do with attitude. He’s the keeping-it-real face of mature hip-hop for cats that like to think beyond the blunt and the cheap fumble. Masta Ace once said: 'Take a Look Around.' -you couldn't have a better guide that Brother Ali.