Ali Newman (born Jason Newman, July 30, 1977), better known by his stage name Brother Ali, is an American hip hop artist signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment.[1]
Personal life [edit]
Brother Ali was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and spent his early childhood moving from city to city in the Midwest (mostly in Michigan). Ali's family settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1992. He attended Robbinsdale Cooper High School in New Hope, Minnesota. He converted to Islam at age 15 and followed Imam Warith Deen Mohammed. During this time, Ali was selected to join a group of students who went to visit Malaysia to study the way that a more liberal Islamic society could have this peaceful coexistence between different religions.[2]
He has a son, Faheem, from his first marriage, and remarried in 2008.[citation needed] The song "Real as Can Be" off his EP The Truth Is Here says he also has a daughter on the way. In the song "Fresh Air" on his September 2009 album Us, he goes on to say "Just got married last year/ treated so good that it ain't even fair/ already got a boy now the baby girl's here/ Bought us a house like the Berenstein Bears."[citation needed]
Ali was born with the rare genetic condition of albinism, a disorder characterized by a lack of pigment in skin, eyes, and hair. Brother Ali often makes fun of the media's constant urge to mention his condition in the first lines of their reviews or newspaper articles. He is also legally blind which is caused by his albinism.[3]
While Brother Ali's family is white, he has often described a childhood marked by cruelty and exclusion by his white classmates as a result of his physical abnormality. He has often explained that, from an early age, he felt "most at home amongst African Americans."[4]
Television appearances [edit]
On August 13, 2007, Brother Ali appeared on The Late Late Show and performed his single "Uncle Sam Goddamn" from The Undisputed Truth. On October 19, 2007, Ali appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and performed "Take Me Home" from The Undisputed Truth.[5] On December 16, 2009 Ali appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and was featured with late night band The Roots.
Inspirations [edit]
Brother Ali has said many times in interviews that he finds much of his inspiration in the late 1980s rappers of the golden age of hip hop, especially KRS-One and Rakim.[6][7]
In an interview in early 2007, Ali responded to a question about the response to his and his label's music and the current music industry:
Controversy [edit]
Brother Ali has been under pressure from the recording industry due to lyrics from his song "Uncle Sam Goddamn", claiming creative interference from "somebody I don't wanna name, but some of you probably has their cell phones." The unnamed corporation ultimately withdrew its sponsorship of Ali, causing him to truncate parts of his 2007 tour.[8][9] Furthermore, on the song "Second Time Around" with Benzi and Wale, Ali makes references to being kicked off a tour followed by the line "Verizon dissed me too, cuz I was too political." The song is notably critical of the United States government, with accusations that the political system is addicted to war.
Discography [edit]
Studio albums [edit]
| Year |
Album |
Peak chart positions[10][11] |
| US |
US R&B |
US Rap |
US Indie |
| 2000 |
Rites of Passage
|
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 2003 |
Shadows on the Sun
- Released: May 2, 2003
- Label: Rhymesayers
- Format: CD, Digital Download
|
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 2007 |
The Undisputed Truth
- Released: April 10, 2007
- Label: Rhymesayers, Warner Music Group
- Format: CD, Digital Download
|
69 |
48 |
— |
6 |
| 2009 |
Us
- Released: September 22, 2009
- Label: Rhymesayers, Warner Music Group
- Format: CD, Digital Download
|
56 |
29 |
14 |
6 |
| 2012 |
Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color
- Released: September 18, 2012
- Label: Rhymesayers, Warner Music Group
- Format: CD, Digital Download
|
44 |
6 |
5 |
10 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
| Year |
Album |
Peak chart positions[10][11] |
| US |
US R&B |
US Indie |
| 2004 |
Champion EP
- Released: May 11, 2004
- Label: Rhymesayers
- Format: CD, Digital Download
|
— |
— |
— |
| 2009 |
The Truth Is Here
- Released: March 12, 2009
- Label: Rhymesayers, Warner Music Group
- Format: CD, Digital Download
|
119 |
69 |
18 |
| 2012 |
The Bite Marked Heart
- Released: February 13, 2012
- Label: Rhymesayers
- Format: Free Digital Download
|
— |
— |
— |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
Singles [edit]
| Year |
Song |
Album |
| 2003 |
"Room With a View" |
Shadows on the Sun |
| "Star Quality'" |
| "Bitchslap!" |
| 2004 |
"Champion (Remix)" |
Champion EP |
| 2007 |
"Truth Is" |
The Undisputed Truth |
| "Uncle Sam Goddamn" |
| 2009 |
"Fresh Air" |
Us |
| 2012 |
"Writer's Block" |
Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color |
| "Not a Day Goes By" |
| "Mourning in America" |
References [edit]
- ^ "Brother Ali". Rhymesayers Entertainment. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
- ^ Neda Ulaby, Brother Ali: An Honest Act Of Worship, NPR, October 05, 2009, accessed April 8, 2013.
- ^ Ulaby, Neda (October 5, 2009). "Brother Ali: An Honest Act Of Worship". NPR. Archived from the original on February 28, 2012.
- ^ Template:Http://www.smileyandwest.com/uncategorized/thanksgiving-special-brother-ali
- ^ "Late Night with Conan O'Brien". tv.com.
- ^ Rhymesayers Entertainment. "Brother Ali Biography". Retrieved May 23, 2007.
- ^ Brother Ali on Myspace
- ^ Nuntida. Brother Ali interview with Barber Shop Hip Hop. YouTube.
- ^ Brother Ali. Truth Is - Live in Portland. YouTube.
- ^ a b "Brother Ali: Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
- ^ a b "Brother Ali: Billboard Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
External links [edit]
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Brother Ali
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| Persondata |
| Name |
Brother Ali |
| Alternative names |
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| Short description |
American rapper |
| Date of birth |
July 30, 1977 |
| Place of birth |
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| Date of death |
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| Place of death |
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