When it comes to dropping knowledge, wisdom, and broad worldviews, there's no one better than Brother Ali. The Madison, Wisconsin native has perfected this philosophical rap style over his 20+ year-long career and he's still not missing a beat today. The 47-year-old veteran continues to drop some of the most underrated best underground tapes, with his last effort coming in 2024. Love & Service saw him collaborate with producer unJUST for a full 13-song project with features from Quelle Chris, Roc Marciano, Aesop Rock, and more. It was met with fan and critical acclaim, and it dealt with uncomfortable topics and questions about the human race and how we continue to tear each other down. Similarly, Brother Ali is once again discussing societal trends on his new single, "Mysterious Things."
Here, he points out how we are extremely complex creatures, with life being just as such. Additionally, he touches on his relationship with his father and how it wasn't the most loving relationship. It's a very dense but enjoyable listen thanks to Ali's smooth and breezy vocal delivery. Ant, the producer on the track also plays a role with the jazzy and light boom-bap aesthetic he brings. Speaking of him, he's also producing the entirety of Ali's next album, Satisfied Soul. He announced it later last year and since the reveal, he's been extremely generous with the teaser tracks. This is now the seventh one so far out of 17 that are going to be on it. There are zero features this time through, and fans can expect it to hit streaming platforms on Valentine's Day.
"Mysterious Things" - Brother Ali & Ant