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Below the Fold [Podcast]: Brother Ali Wrestles With His Ego While Creating A New Album

Below the Fold [Podcast]: Brother Ali Wrestles With His Ego While Creating A New Album
Mon, 3/21/2016 - by Dennis Trainor, Jr.
This article originally appeared on Below the Fold

Hounded and harassed by Homeland Security after his song and video Uncle Sam Goddam went viral back in 2007, Brother Ali continues to be called one of raps most insightful and political artists. He called his album Mourning in America, Dreaming In Color (2012), a manifesto on the political, socioeconomic and cultural suffering in modern American life, as well as a declaration of hope and possibility for a brighter future.

Working on the follow up currently, Brother Ali is mindful and focused on creating work that does no harm. “The ego is such a ninja,” Brother Ali told me during a recent interview for this podcast. “The ego is so masterful in trying to destroy everything that we do. It can poison the work that we are doing in terms of thinking that my truth is the best and only truth. Even in being humble, the ego gets off on people saying ‘Oh man, I can’t believe how humble you are.’"

Listen to the full interview, where Brother Ali dishes on how far Homeland Security went to intimidate him, being a community organizer, the influence of his mentor Chuck D, and how Donald Trump’s racism has already made things much worse for his family.

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Article Tabs

Journalists have a responsibility to plainly tell the truth about how truly different the Democrats and the Republicans are today, especially with both democracy and the rule of law at stake this November.

From Hungary and Poland to Italy and Spain, today's anti-abortionist movements are feeding one another—while also driving a growing counter-movement.

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What remains unknown is whether post-truth Republicans will succeed in 2024 as the Nazis did in 1933.

Journalists have a responsibility to plainly tell the truth about how truly different the Democrats and the Republicans are today, especially with both democracy and the rule of law at stake this November.

From Hungary and Poland to Italy and Spain, today's anti-abortionist movements are feeding one another—while also driving a growing counter-movement.

Agriculture, the service economy, sexual exploitation, manufacturing, construction and domestic work drive today's enslavement around the world.

Thanks to the Electoral College, leftists have perhaps the final say this November over whether democracy can hold on for at least another four years, or if fascism will take root and infect all facets of the federal government for decades to come.

History shows there are no “one-day” dictatorships. When democracies fall, they typically fall completely.

Thanks to the Electoral College, leftists have perhaps the final say this November over whether democracy can hold on for at least another four years, or if fascism will take root and infect all facets of the federal government for decades to come.

Posted 3 weeks 1 day ago

What remains unknown is whether post-truth Republicans will succeed in 2024 as the Nazis did in 1933.

Posted 1 month 2 weeks ago

Agriculture, the service economy, sexual exploitation, manufacturing, construction and domestic work drive today's enslavement around the world.

Posted 2 weeks 1 day ago

History shows there are no “one-day” dictatorships. When democracies fall, they typically fall completely.

Posted 3 weeks 3 days ago

Journalists have a responsibility to plainly tell the truth about how truly different the Democrats and the Republicans are today, especially with both democracy and the rule of law at stake this November.

Posted 2 days 2 hours ago

Agriculture, the service economy, sexual exploitation, manufacturing, construction and domestic work drive today's enslavement around the world.

Thanks to the Electoral College, leftists have perhaps the final say this November over whether democracy can hold on for at least another four years, or if fascism will take root and infect all facets of the federal government for decades to come.

History shows there are no “one-day” dictatorships. When democracies fall, they typically fall completely.