Posted August 30, 2012 by shamz 4 comments

Video: Brother Ali “Mourning In America”

Brother Ali Mourning

Well the audio for this one certainly stirred up enough conversation, now we’ve got some powerful visuals to match with Brother Ali‘s title track, “Mourning In America.” Check out the video below and get some words about it from Ali himself. Video directed by Todd Angkasuwan. Mourning In America and Dreaming in Color will be out September 18th via Rhymesayers (pre-order).

This is the title track to my new album, Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color. The first half of the album highlights and critiques the dire situation in which we live. The second half outlines the tremendous opportunity we have to re-imagine and reform our society. This song is an observation and a critique of our culture of death and murder. From actual war zones around the world to our own inner cities where this summer’s death rates rival war zones. I also address our national hypocrisy regarding violence. We have a zero tolerance policy of violence committed against us, but we’re a lot more lenient and patient when it comes to the violence we commit. “A life is a life and a killer is a killer”.

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Comments

DJ Idlhnds

Thank you Ali. That is all.
JB

First off- Jake One’s beats are sick. But…..Tight flow or not, I don’t care to get preached at by Muslims, or any other member of the three major patriarchal dictatorships we’ve seen supress women and gays by indoctrinating the children, and vulneralable. The idea that Islam is a peaceful religion hikacked by extremists is a dangerous fantasy- deluding ourselfves with euphemisisms is keeping us from having a frank conversation. It is not at all clear how we should proceed in our dialogue with the Muslim world- It appears to be a truism in forgein policy circles that real reform within the Muslim world cannot be imposed from the outside. But it is important to know why this is- it is so because the Muslim world is utterly deranged bt its violent religious tribalism. In confronting the religious literalism and ignorance within the Muslim world, we must appreciate how terrifyingly isolated Muslims have become in intellectual terms. Our journalists, as well as our rappers who are moved passionately by social issue,s as Brother Ali so clearly is, should report on the terryfying state of discourse in the Middle Eastern, and especially Arab press, exposing the degree to ehich it is a tissue of lies, conspiracy theories and exhortations to recapture the the savage glories of the seventh century- where cartoonists who doodle Muhammad killed in the street, young couples stoned to death for living out of wedlock, and the practice by fathers of selling their young women into sex slavery ( they call it “arranged marriages” ). That’s Islam- so pardon me when I see an American Muslim rapping like he’s not a major part of the fucking problem. Whigger, please.
- Bryce
  
  First of all, you need to edit your writing. Your point seems to focus on this song not looking at the complete perspective of U.S. and Middle East, but your very point does not look at the entire issue (i.e. Fox News). I do not think that Brother Ali’s song was stating that the Middle East does not have its own issues, but rather that the U.S. needs to stay out of other countries problems through creating support by using the propaganda of Democracy and freedom. The U.S. has its own issues to clean up before trying to meddle in other countries affairs (i.e. the historical suppression of minority groups in America). The worst part of your ignorant tirade is that most Americans feel that way. You probably think that Iraqi’s bombed the twin towers due to their jealousy of our freedom! Then for you to talk about “frank conversation,” and to end your tirade with “Whigger, please.” that does not create an avenue for frank conversation (Mr. aggressive in internet land), but usually creates an aggressive reaction!
- Ronin
  
  Way to disqualify yourself with your last two words, JB.
  
  So sad, that you wiped away your intellectual discourse and validity with some same-ol’-same-ol’ internet name calling.
  Clearly with your presumptions and prejudice, YOU are part of the problem, not the solution.