Brother Ali

He may be as pale as white powder but Brother Ali is brilliant. He’s also Albino, Muslim and for several years now he’s been unleashing a verbal tongue-lashing from Minneapolis. At the end of his whip sit corrupt governments, the devil and those who squander their time on Earth. His left-right combo of philosophy and politics will conspire to keep most from ever hearing this, which is too bad. "Letter From The Government” targets the U.S. military with a battery of anti-America rhetoric. Over Ant’s swirling production, Ali attacks a system that never gave a damn about him. Ant contributes butter-smooth, vintage ’70s soul/R&B production throughout, but most noticeably on "Take Me Home,” with its crisp samples of sly electric guitars and harmonised choirs, and "Lookin’ At Me Sideways.” Ali reveals his soul’s scars in a way that’s easy to digest and hard to resist. He’s one of few rappers who rhyme about things you might want to listen to.