Brother Ali Tells No Lies

Minneapolis MC Brother Ali is his own favorite subject. He candidly reveals more of his personal side than the majority of his musical peers, hip-hop or otherwise. But it's far from narcissism and more along the lines of Michel de Montaigne, the 16th-century French writer credited with introducing the personal essay to the literary world. "I myself am the subject of my book," Montaigne wrote in the introduction to Essais (Essays). Similarly, each song on Brother Ali's second full-length, The Undisputed Truth, burrows into the private life he's made public. There are struggles and triumphs, washed-up naysayers, and newly crowned heroes. From his own hip-hop come-up and finding faith in God to a messy divorce and finding love again, Ali balances narrating his experience with how it reflects larger ideas.

Not that Montaigne and Ali are twins. The former was a member of the bourgeoisie; Ali comes from a working-class family. And it's safe to say Montaigne never busted a flow. But what truly separates the writer from the rapper (aside from, oh, 400 years) is isolation. While Montaigne retired to a castle to ponder the world's details, Ali tackles them in front of anyone with a willing ear. You won't catch him leaning back in an ivory tower. He's a Rhymesayer, which means he hit the road the same day his new record came out for a yearlong international tour that will reach his fans across the United States, Europe, and Australia. Montaigne may have started the movement, but Brother Ali has the better distribution deal.

Ali's family moved around the Midwest before settling first in north Minneapolis and later in the suburb of New Hope. It was there that he first employed an eight-minute homemade tape, knowing live performance—not physical appearance—would ultimately distinguish his identity. After buttering up DJs who spun records at his high-school dances, Ali convinced them to let him perform his routine. No cussing, he promised. The tape began with a recognizable beat to draw people in and transitioned into his main act. He even included a crowd-participation segment. It didn't make Ali an overnight high-school heartthrob, but it set the stage for an MC who revels in connecting to his audience.

"I find my intrinsic vibe and I ride with it," Ali rhymes on "Daylight." "Fuck hearing me, I need you to feel like me." Other musicians, he says, may be able to filter their experience, but The Undisputed Truth is a literal journey. "I thought it would only be right to make this honestly," Ali says. "There's no other way."

He wastes no time getting introspective. "The Puzzle" is a hardened but gracious description of life's challenges, from the death of his mother to finding strength in fatherhood. "Lookin' at Me Sideways" is the type of knocking, shit-talking song every hip-hop album needs. "Walking Away" is a tribute to his ex-wife, but his voice is void of any leftover hatred: "I don't love you/I don't think I ever did/And if you hadn't tried to kill me/I would have stayed for the kid." Even with such brazen honesty, Brother Ali isn't worried about the reaction. "Everybody has heard those things from me, and in much stronger words," he laughs. "No one is surprised."

There's something to be said about omission. In the liner notes to "Here," Ali suggests we hide from others the most foul parts of ourselves, the parts we haven't dealt with yet. "I write about what I feel like I know how to approach," he says. Or as Montaigne put it, "What do I know?" But despite its hook ("Are you here to confuse me?"), "Here" is a love song that proves Ali's portfolio encompasses both thoughtful sentiment and the witty, crowd-winning punch lines he's known for.

But honesty doesn't always have to mean confessing the nastiest of secrets. Sometimes exposing yourself includes the happiest of moments, such as finding a new love, which Ali proudly displays on "Ear to Ear." The final song ends the turbulent (but cohesive) album on a high note, leaving the listener vicariously victorious. The trait of any successful essayist is intimately befriending the audience, and by the end of The Undisputed Truth, it's like you've known Brother Ali for years.

Listen to a sample of Brother Ali's "Freedom Ain't Free."