Twin Cities Podcast

“I have these periods where I just live life and grow. I explore new things about life, and when I’m ready, I make an album about that.” Brother Ali (@BrotherAli) is best known as a hip-hop artist with the local record label Rhymesayers Entertainment, but those who only know Ali for his music are missing out on the entirety of this fascinating human being. “Music is not my undying love. It is one of many,” he said. Ali and I spent nearly three hours together and he spoke intelligently about several topics that spanned well beyond music. He expanded on his ideas and experiences that we normally sample in his well-crafted lyrics. Some of his more controversial songs have pointed harsh criticisms in the direction of the United States, dominant culture, and men. However, Ali notes that he never critiques a group that he is not apart of. “My critique is always in the mirror,” he said. Ali spoke about the importance of truth and reality. This was on full display when he provided an in-depth analysis of what h