Brother Ali - Shadows On the Sun

"Songs and albums should be timeless," Brother Ali said in an interview with hiphopinfinity.com, and that's just what "Shadows on the Sun" is, timeless. My man DJ A-Beats saw Ali when he came through VA with Murs recently, and he said the live show was real tight. If he's as good as his album is, then that would be a show that any true Hip Hop Head couldn't miss out on.

The Rhymesayers MC straight brings it, there's no other way to say it. The album starts off with the lead single, "Room With A View," where he goes through the various situations and scenes he sees when he looks out the window, as he hits on the ills of city life from a non-judgemental perspective, with lines like "Sister Regina from across the streets beautiful, but for fifty bucks ain't nothing she won't do to you." This is the song that got me checking the album, because I heard this and the high-energy Ant (of Atmosphere fame) is ridiculous and the flow and lyrics are absolutely crazy. Why this song isn't on Hot 97, MTV, BET, and everyone's radio is beyond me. "Champion" is one of the cocky tracks Ali did, but he can do that because he uses ill lines and he's not on some "I'm the best and I'll kill everyone" type shit that is bringing down the music.

"Star Quality" is one of the best tracks, if not the best, on the album. His humbleness and straight-living comes through loud and clear with lines like "There's only three reasons Ali would need a Ramada. One to move the bowels, two to steal the towels, and three to shave, shower and pray for my spiritual power."

Instead of reading a book or watching a movie, just check the track "Prince Charming." Ali constructs an ill story that is really funny, and he is a master of writing the way he built this song and had it flow from verse to verse. The last thing I am gonna do is give this song away, just know that you need to hear it for a good laugh. "Dorian" is another tight story, where Ali confronts a man who he knows is beating his wife and kids at night because he can hear him through his apartment walls. This is another one that I do not want to give away, just know that its dope and you'll be better off hearing it for yourself instead of me giving it away.

"Win Some Lose Some" is a track which shows Ali's courage and maturity as he recounts the story of when he got jumped in high school.

"When the Beat Comes In" is one of the best lyrical tracks I have heard in awhile. He drops the illest rhymes and one-liners here, as he rhymes about his Albino features with "I'm the Albino but y'all pale in comparison," and "If I had any more potential I'd have to be twins." There's also the dope Run-D.M.C. sample where they're saying "When the music comes in."

Slug comes through for a couple of appearances on "Blah Blah Blah" and "Missing Teeth." He's the only guest MC, and he comes through all right, but Brother Ali overshadows him. Brother Ali is not afraid to bare his soul, as he does on tracks like "Forest Whitiker" and "Picket Fence," and that's what separates Ali from other MC's. His maturity and lyrical ability have made this album one of my newest favorites. This stays in rotation and it gets better every time I hear it. The production and rhymes will still be relevant 25 years from now, and that's why this album is timeless.

By Brian Kayser