Brother Ali is a life-long fan of hip hop. What began as break dancing on street corners in the late ‘80s spawned three albums and a chance to tour with rap pioneer Rakim. Before performing Tuesday at The Bluebird as part of the “Hip-Hop Live Tour” with Ghostface Killah, Rakim and the Rhythm Roots Allstars, Brother Ali talked to the Indiana Daily Student via cell phone from his tour bus.
IDS: So you are on the same tour bus with Rakim?\nBrother Ali: This tour I’m fortunate enough that Rakim opened his arms to us and we are on his bus. So that means we are on his schedule too. This tour is like a dream come true for me. I get on stage and do my thing first, then I get to chill with the fans and watch Rakim.
IDS: How did you get turned on to Rakim and hip-hop in general?\nBA: I was a B-boy when I was a kid; I was a break dancer. The kids on my block, that’s what they did. More and more, as I got older, I listened more to more to the music. The lyricism of the music really drew me in, and then the different things that people would sample got me listening to other types of music. I started listening to R and B, soul and blues music. Guys like Rakim, KRS-ONE, and Slick Rick elevated the lyricism aspect of (hip hop). I just always grew with it; it’s what I’ve always done; it’s what I am known for. I got more and more serious the older I got.
IDS: As a fan of hip-hop, how is it watching Rakim perform every night?\nBA: It’s incredible. I always make sure I am in the crowd because the songs he does are pretty much his greatest hits. He’s not selfish, he understands how much people love him and he knows how much he means to people who really love hip hop and that really love the art of it. Rakim is wise and he knows the songs he made changed rap forever so he does those songs and lets everyone be a witness to that. It’s great to watch somebody perform 15 of the greatest songs ever written.
IDS: Ghostface?\nBA: Ghostface is a really great dude. He and I bonded quickly. He’s real. I think that both of us respect people that are really who they are and sincere. Both of us make our music based on that. Both of our music has emotional shit. Ghostface is a real street dude, but there are times on his shit when you will hear him about to cry and lots of emotion in his voice. It confirmed a lot of what I already believe (about him). These dudes that are extra tough in the industry right now, they’re fake, they always seem fake to me. But for him to be himself is something.
IDS: How would you describe your sound and your flow?\nBA: I think it is a combination of the Golden Age of Hip-hop that inspired me so much, soul and blues music and a lot of my own personality.
IDS: And what is the Golden Age of Hip-hop?\nBA: The ‘ 80s period to me. I was talking about that with Ghostface yesterday, and he was saying how free our music was then. The music industry didn’t know what hip-hop music was yet, and they didn’t know the power it had yet and so they didn’t know how to pimp us yet. So they stole our money from us but they could not control our creativity in those years. The rappers of that time were a lot more free.
IDS: On record, the emotions behind your lyrics provide an authenticity to the words. Performing live, how do you keep that same raw, emotion al authenticity in your songs?\nBA: Because the way that I write them is so deep. My way to write those songs is to be very detailed and explanatory. So it’s not just the emotion, but I really explain to you how I got to that point and why I feel the way I feel. I think that’s the reason I enjoy the songs. And so, I’m kind of reliving (the emotion) every time I perform it.
IDS: Is there anything you want to say to the students reading this?\nBA: Just come prepared to listen to everybody. I am assuming if you are reading this you are one of my listeners or supporters. If you listen to me, me and my peers, if you are into that, it is important to us that you see why we love this so much. A lot of people that listen to us are new to hip-hop. We want them to know what it is to witness Rakim. Come prepared to really listen and take it in.
