Brother Ali - Us

This album leaked a few days ago. I haven't given it many listens, just twice through, but it's definitely another strong album. Too early to know where it stands in his catalog, but I can say he's building himself a great discography, and I think Ant continues to get more diverse in his sound. I already prefer this to Jay and Raekwon.

Tracklist:
1. Brothers And Sisters (Feat. Chuck D. & Stokley Williams)
2. The Preacher
3. Crown Jewel
4. House Keys
5. Fresh Air
6. Tight Rope
7. Breakin’ Dawn
8. The Travelers
9. Babygirl
10. ‘Round Here
11. Bad Mufucker Pt. II
12. Best @ it (Feat. Freeway & Joell Ortiz)
13. Games
14. Slippin’ Away
15. You Say (Puppy Love)
16. US (Feat. Stokley Williams)

I'll be disappointed if it's less than 4.5 stars, but there is no way it will be less than 4 stars. Ali has set the bar that high.

gas cost more than .47 cents hoe...

i cant believe people with such a discerning ear for hiphop would like this joker.

to me he is straight t-r-a-s-h

I don't like him either.. but terry was being a hoe so I had to chin check him

2Pac's Ghost wrote:

i cant believe people with such a discerning ear for hiphop would like this joker.

to me he is straight t-r-a-s-h

We all know the only white rappers you like are blond hair and blue eyed pretty boys.

I'm expecting this to be top 5 material of '09.

Al, as a big fan of Ali, this isn't the classic shit I've come to expect from Ali & Ant. Still dope, but in the 4-4.5 area for me.

N3ro wrote:

Al, as a big fan of Ali, this isn't the classic shit I've come to expect from Ali & Ant. Still dope, but in the 4-4.5 area for me.

Not bad....

Was the new EP 4.5-5 star material to you? I still have that at 5 personally....though it does rank lower on my overall '09 list because it's an EP in a sea of LPs. Anyway...

I'm doing a blind buy on this one. I probably initially gave "Undisputed Truth" 4 stars at first as well, but it even hit me more over the next 1-2 years after...I give it 4.5 now. I'll try to keep my expectations in check though. lol

Alan wrote:

2Pac's Ghost wrote:

i cant believe people with such a discerning ear for hiphop would like this joker.

to me he is straight t-r-a-s-h

We all know the only white rappers you like are blond hair and blue eyed pretty boys.

I'm expecting this to be top 5 material of '09.

sorry i dont make it a point to pay every shitty generic midwesterns rappers rent.

2Pac's Ghost wrote:

Alan wrote:

2Pac's Ghost wrote:

i cant believe people with such a discerning ear for hiphop would like this joker.

to me he is straight t-r-a-s-h

We all know the only white rappers you like are blond hair and blue eyed pretty boys.

I'm expecting this to be top 5 material of '09.

sorry i dont make it a point to pay every shitty generic midwesterns rappers rent.

You listen to a bunch of stuff I find generic and boring as well. Different strokes...

A lot of people dig Ali...

The ONLY complaints I had with the EP was Palm The Joker was too short and the album itself was too short. This new album didn't hit with me. I agree about his last album being 4 stars til you listen to it a few times. The Champion EP was similar to me as well in that regard, but I don't know if this album will grow on me. Only time will tell.

N3ro wrote:

The ONLY complaints I had with the EP was Palm The Joker was too short and the album itself was too short.

But it's actually pretty length for an EP. Most EP's are shorter.

It's nice to see more than an album's worth of material from Ali in one year though. The gap between Shadows and Undisputed was 4 years (and 3 years from the first EP).

Yeah I'm cool and honestly even the songs containing subjects I didn't care for (a song about a woman breaking into her old apartment, slavery) could have worked better if Ant had been more on his shit. Truthfully this new style of samples over old-school keyboard basslines wears thin after half the album. It's dope, again, don't get me wrong but I was just surprised because it seems like stuff that could have been fixed rather easily. It's much more like a "collection of songs" than "album" when I expect the latter from these two. I digress.

The Real Real Jeru wrote:

gas cost more than .47 cents hoe...

Y'all are some cheap ass ho's. Kev ordered the last Bro Ali when it came out and he never got it. He had to listen to everyone talk about how dope it was, and there wasn't a whole lot he could do. I just don't understand why someone would order online when they can walk into any Best Buy and have it in hand for the same price. SMH, you shouldn't even be talking about saving gas considering you drive all the way across Texas every other weekend for some pussy.

Kev deserved it for talking shit on the sly.

i've only heard his first album, hes dope i might be checking this out

This album is dope as fuck IMO.

4.5 stars after 2 listens.

Hmmm... so a 3.5 for 7.99 - I don't know if I will go for it this time - maybe - but I might want to hit up some of Brother Ali's better work first.

Big disappointment. Should've spent my 7.99 toward the new Children of Bodom.

Best Buy has a horrible hip-hop selection.

On "Us"... Just flat. Ali does what he does, but Ant absolutely does not deliver.

I am a fan of Shadows and Undisputed. Us fucking blows.

Kid Joe wrote:

Big disappointment. Should've spent my 7.99 toward the new Children of Bodom.

Best Buy has a horrible hip-hop selection.

On "Us"... Just flat. Ali does what he does, but Ant absolutely does not deliver.

I am a fan of Shadows and Undisputed. Us fucking blows.

Really Parker? This is some of Ant's best work period IMO. Gotta say I already like it more than Undisputed Truth as well. Both Ali & Ant stepped it up iMO.

EDIT: But I don't like it more than "Shadows On The Sun". That will probably always be my favorite.

None of these tracks pop the way those albums do.

I co-sign Parker. I think it's a decent enough album, but none of the material strikes me as much as anything on his previous albums.

I think the common consensus is that that Ali does his thing on the album. If you like the direction Any is going with his beats, you will love the album. If not, you will be disappointed. I am one of the people who like Ant's direction as of late. the album's sitting around 4.5 stars to me.

It floats back and forth between 3.5 and 4 stars for me, so 3.75 stars in my book.

It's a dope album. Regurgitated dope, but still dope nonetheless...

I think Ant and Ali are better on this than on Undisputed Truth. Ant's been getting more diverse and creative with his production, and while Ali might never match the emotional power of Shadows on the Sun, just because of where he was in life and his career at that point, his overall songwriting and delivery are at their peak here.

Just got it and can't wait to listen to it. Ali always comes with solid material.

Kid Joe wrote:

Big disappointment. Should've spent my 7.99 toward the new Children of Bodom.
Best Buy has a horrible hip-hop selection.

On "Us"... Just flat. Ali does what he does, but Ant absolutely does not deliver.

I am a fan of Shadows and Undisputed. Us fucking blows.

Lol......no, instead go buy Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear....I'm not usually into indie rock shit I'll make an exception here. They played the album live on the Radiohead tour in 08 (i went to the Radiohead concert in Cleveland by the way) and boy did it sound good. But if you really need some metal get Remission by Mastodon or Jane Doe by Converge.

T. Myers wrote:

I think the common consensus is that that Ali does his thing on the album. If you like the direction Any is going with his beats, you will love the album. If not, you will be disappointed. I am one of the people who like Ant's direction as of late. the album's sitting around 4.5 stars to me.

I'm not sure what's not to like about Ant's production.

Still a solid 4.5 stars after like 15 spins. Could reach a higher rating IMO. I don't skip anything, where I skipped about 3 tracks on Undisputed Truth. Still not quite as strong as "Shadows" IMO, but easily his 2nd best so far IMO.

Alan wrote:

T. Myers wrote:

I think the common consensus is that that Ali does his thing on the album. If you like the direction Any is going with his beats, you will love the album. If not, you will be disappointed. I am one of the people who like Ant's direction as of late. the album's sitting around 4.5 stars to me.

I'm not sure what's not to like about Ant's production.

Still a solid 4.5 stars after like 15 spins. Could reach a higher rating IMO. I don't skip anything, where I skipped about 3 tracks on Undisputed Truth. Still not quite as strong as "Shadows" IMO, but easily his 2nd best so far IMO.

I think its because people grew accustomed to Ant's older production, and they're not really feeling his new production. I think it's among the best of his career.

T. Myers wrote:

Alan wrote:

T. Myers wrote:

I think the common consensus is that that Ali does his thing on the album. If you like the direction Any is going with his beats, you will love the album. If not, you will be disappointed. I am one of the people who like Ant's direction as of late. the album's sitting around 4.5 stars to me.

I'm not sure what's not to like about Ant's production.

Still a solid 4.5 stars after like 15 spins. Could reach a higher rating IMO. I don't skip anything, where I skipped about 3 tracks on Undisputed Truth. Still not quite as strong as "Shadows" IMO, but easily his 2nd best so far IMO.

I think its because people grew accustomed to Ant's older production, and they're not really feeling his new production. I think it's among the best of his career.

I mean, his shit was always funky. So I don't see the big change, really. If anything, it's more layered & complex (& engineered better).

I like it and I agree Alan that the album seems engineered or mixed down better, it has a real crisp sound. And it does not sound that much different from all his other albums I mean he is still kicking plenty of emotion in his rhymes, still touching on social subjects, and Ant still is bringing that bluesy funk beats I luv. Kinda like that RAL sound back in the day.

KRob86 wrote:

I like it and I agree Alan that the album seems engineered or mixed down better, it has a real crisp sound. And it does not sound that much different from all his other albums I mean he is still kicking plenty of emotion in his rhymes, still touching on social subjects, and Ant still is bringing that bluesy funk beats I luv. Kinda like that RAL sound back in the day.

I agree. It was mixed better and it shows (just like the EP that came before it). And I definitely think Ali is more focused lyrically than he was on Undisputed Truth. I think that's mostly because he's made it and has more time, money and resources to execute it all so quickly (as opposed to the 4 year wait between Shadows & Undisputed). He just had a clearer vision this time through IMO.

Kendrick Davis wrote:

Kid Joe wrote:

Big disappointment. Should've spent my 7.99 toward the new Children of Bodom.
Best Buy has a horrible hip-hop selection.

On "Us"... Just flat. Ali does what he does, but Ant absolutely does not deliver.

I am a fan of Shadows and Undisputed. Us fucking blows.

Lol......no, instead go buy Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear....I'm not usually into indie rock shit I'll make an exception here. They played the album live on the Radiohead tour in 08 (i went to the Radiohead concert in Cleveland by the way) and boy did it sound good. But if you really need some metal get Remission by Mastodon or Jane Doe by Converge.

That's not a bad suggestion, it's been a great year for indie rock and that's one of the best albums.

Jason wrote:

Kendrick Davis wrote:

Kid Joe wrote:

Big disappointment. Should've spent my 7.99 toward the new Children of Bodom.
Best Buy has a horrible hip-hop selection.

On "Us"... Just flat. Ali does what he does, but Ant absolutely does not deliver.

I am a fan of Shadows and Undisputed. Us fucking blows.

Lol......no, instead go buy Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear....I'm not usually into indie rock shit I'll make an exception here. They played the album live on the Radiohead tour in 08 (i went to the Radiohead concert in Cleveland by the way) and boy did it sound good. But if you really need some metal get Remission by Mastodon or Jane Doe by Converge.

That's not a bad suggestion, it's been a great year for indie rock and that's one of the best albums.

It's actually the best album of the year for me so far.

I have a hard time pinning down an absolute best, I have it at about even with albums by Camera Obscura, the Mountain Goats, the Love Language, Animal Collective, St. Vincent, Dirty Projectors, Joe Henry, the Antlers, Sunset Rubdown, Bowerbirds and the Big Pink.

Children Of Bodom>>>>>Grizzly Bear

4 star album after the 1st spin, not quite as good as his last two albums, but dope nonetheless.

Shaun wrote:

Children Of Bodom>>>>>Grizzly Bear

^ The above opinion is incorrect and does not represent the ideas of those with good musical taste.