Brother Ali performs at the Bottom Lounge
Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL, USA– 12/20/2019
by Brandy Gilliam
The crowd trickled in continuously eagerly awaiting for Brother Ali to hit the stage. DJ Last Word kept everyone rocking by playing a combination of beats and songs that easily fit into the mode of what you would expect from a Rhymer Sayer artist. Minneapolis rapper Nur-D was the opening act before Brother Ail took the stage. Nur-D’s performance was very impressive with high energy and inspirational songs such as Take My Picture and Glorious. After Nur-D’s set ended there was a ten-minute intermission. By this time the Bottom Lounge was full and people were starting to get antsy. DJ Last Word was back controlling the turntables at this time.
Then right on que DJ Last Word introduced Brother Ali and the show started. I would not necessarily call this a Brother Ali rap show or performance because that would downplay, weaken, and diminish what really took place at the Bottom Lounge. I would call it the Brother Ali Experience! Brother Ali’s stage show was a fusion of a Baptist preacher, motivational speaker, life coach, community activist, Islamic believer, Hip-Hop guru, and Hip-Hop B-Boy all wrapped up into one person. During his hour-plus set sometimes you didn’t know whether to cheer or to hug your neighbor. Every song he performed was delivered with passion and assertiveness something that is missing from Hip-Hop performances of today.
Brother Ali would often talk between songs to emphasize to the crowd to enjoy the “experience” and the importance of being on “one accord”. He also spoke about connecting with people through music and often thanked the crowd for supporting him and Rhyme Sayers. Brother Ali also explained that his vocal cords had been damaged so his voice was not at one hundred percent. I do not think anyone even noticed with the commanding performance that he gave.
Brother Ali performed songs from his earlier albums; Shadows on the Sun (2003),
The Undisputed Truth (2007), Us (2009), Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color (2012), and
All the Beauty in This Whole Life (2017). He also did a few songs off of his earlier EP’s. He made sure to hit the crowd with songs that are fan favorites such as Sensitive, Only Life I Know, It Ain’t Easy, and Work Every Day.
After nineteen years of being in the Hip-Hop game, Brother Ali still gives an A + performance and a rap clinic on how to interact with the crowd for a true Hip-Hop experience.
You must be logged in to post a comment.