In spring of 2000, Ali dropped a sixty-minute story telling and thought sharing album titled, Rites of Passage on Rhymesayers Entertainment. The self-produced cassette-only anthology introduced Brother Ali's beat making muscles and extensive writing skills. He played the congas, beat-boxed and still found time to lay out his views on the music industry, religion and urban life in America.
On stage with only a DJ, Ali's magical gift for capturing the imagination of his audience has been compared to that of a gospel preacher. His voice, large stature and albino features make him a unique and commanding presence. Brother Ali has perfected the live performance, having played countless shows with: Guru, Mos Def, De La Soul, El-P, Aceyalone, Souls of Mischief and Living Legends just to name a few. From September through November 2002, Ali earned his final road-dog tags showcasing his individual skills performing 63 shows in 71 days with Atmosphere and Murs covering North America.
Brother Ali has maintained credibility over time with guest appearances on many such projects as: DJ Abilities', For Persons With DJ Abilities, BK One's, For the Love of Music, The Phoenix with Musab on the Twin Cities Music Year Book 2001 CD, producing six songs on Musab's, Respect The Life album and battling in the 2000 and 2001 finals in the annual Scribble Jam MC Battles (Ali is featured on three of the Scribble Jam videos: Scribble Jam 2000, Scribble Jam 2001 and the Best of Scribble Jam).
Ali joined producer Ant (of Atmosphere fame) and went to work creating an intensely powerful album that promised to be one of the foremost efforts of 2003. Shadows on the Sun is an eighteen-song album produced by Ant, written by Brother Ali and featuring a guest appearance by Slug (also of Atmosphere). Shadows on the Sun is a testament of Ali's depth, range and growth as an artist.
Following the release of Champion in the spring of 2004, Ali ran into a number of roadblocks that halted his usually steady recording process. This included him parting ways with his wife, being homeless, and trying to secure custody of his son. Armed with a wave of stories to share, Ali recorded The Undisputed Truth, once again with Ant in his corner. In 2009 he released Us, his fourth studio album. Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color, his fifth studio album, was released on September 18, 2012.
Take Me Home
Brother Ali Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I promise if I take you home,
I'll sing you a song
Never leave me alone
Said c'mon baby throw me a bone,
I'll sing you a song
Never leave me alone,
And I promise if you take me home,
Never leave me alone
Said c'mon baby throw me a bone,
I'll sing you a song,
Never leave you alone
I'm a tell you something about me
That's my favourite subject,
I don't know whether you picked up on that yet or not
I never said I had a business mind
I just don't believe that quitting time exists,
Ain't no finish line to this
You got to give me mine, I really shine,
My given time is this
Live and die by the grind driven by the fist
Where do you place my name
If I never played your game
We don't race the same,
I don't run inside no painted lane
Plus ya'll pace is strange,
Ya'll either stop or you sprint
Run if it's sunny and hide if it change to rain
I would be half the Ali that I am
If I slowed myself up
And tried competing with these people fam
I'm every bit as unconcerned as they are unprepared
Market flooded needles to say I wasn't scared
Let's all drop they same day,
I don't fuckin' care
Put listening stations in the store
And let the public hear
Better yet, let's have an in store performance
Make it oranges to oranges, me dwarfing your endurance
After that we'll shoot the shit with our supporters
And see how many more discs of yours
The Indy stores order
Shit you already knew I out rap em'
On the low we out work, out think,
And out class em'
[Chorus]
Nobody's doing this thing exactly like we do
They do it, they just ain't doing it like us,
You know what I'm sayin'
Sucker ass mother fuckers
My personal pedigree's so bonafide
Cause a man of my stature ain't born overnight
The undisputed king of where poor folks reside
Because everytime I speak it be hope vocalised
And you sit and bitch
With your chickens about it isn't fair
The sound system ain't shit but I was crystal clear
We first name basis,
Sound men, we give em' beer
Plus I tipped em' 50 last semester when the click was here
Listen here, I ain't gonna give you all my secrets
Just these few examples
Help me illustrate my pretense
Our strength is unrelated to your weakness
Cause you'll never be a worthy pool
Of peers to be competed with
I see my shit with Son House and Syl Johnson
And always loose, I done lost face too
But I'm sporting their shoes
So let me remind you,
Them little kicks you trying to fit, we out grew
Them shits in high school man
[Chorus]
I don't think I'm arrogant man, I think I just
You know, I do's what the fuck I does man if that's just
Kiss my ass for all I care
It's of foremost importance there is none like unto the brother
Out this mother fucker regardless
So stop all the nonsense, you seem me lounging,
Call the Rhymesayers office
I've officially lost it
They say my reputation precedes me
I don't know the meaning of off season,
I ain't taking it easy
Ain't taking a day off, never had an off night
Never been laid off, I live on the job site
It all pays off though when I squint in the spotlight
And see your lips are moving to the true shit that I write
And we gon' be alright every night of my life
It's my night cause I view the future like it's hindsight
I ain't waiting, I'm patiently persevering
I see greatness in the person in the mirror very clearly
And that's why I take this seriously
Baby come near to me and truly, truly hear me
[Chorus]
Brother Ali's song Take Me Home is about the artist's success and his journey to achieving it. The choruses embody a promise that either Brother Ali or his potential significant other will remain connected through music. The song is an ode to the struggle that the artist has gone through, and the hurdles he has cleared to get where he is now.
The song's verses showcase Brother Ali's pride in his eccentricity and his disdain for conforming to any preexisting norms. Ali contrasts himself with others who are constrained by barriers created by themselves or society. He is proud of his success but also acknowledges where he has come from and the work that he still needs to put in to maintain his place.
The song represents the struggle to both maintain a sense of individuality while still overcoming societal obstacles. The song is a celebration of the artist's achievements, while still maintaining the struggle for the audience to connect, regardless of cultural baggage.
Line by Line Meaning
And I promise if I take you home,
I assure you that if I bring you back to my place,
I'll sing you a song
I will serenade you with music,
Never leave me alone
I don't want to be left by myself,
Said c'mon baby throw me a bone,
Come on, baby, give me a chance,
And I promise if you take me home,
And if you invite me back to your home,
I'll sing you a song
I will sing for you,
Never leave me alone
I won't want to be by myself,
Said c'mon baby throw me a bone,
So please give me a chance,
I'll sing you a song,
I'll sing a tune,
Never leave you alone
I won't leave you alone
I'm a tell you something about me
Let me share something about myself with you,
That's my favourite subject,
I enjoy talking about myself,
I don't know whether you picked up on that yet or not
I don't know if you've noticed this about me yet
I never said I had a business mind
I don't claim to know much about business,
I just don't believe that quitting time exists,
I don't believe in stopping work for the day,
Ain't no finish line to this
There's no end to the work we have to do,
You got to give me mine,
I expect to receive what is rightfully mine
I really shine,
I'm particularly good at what I do,
My given time is this
This is what I devote my time to,
Live and die by the grind driven by the fist
I am dedicated to hard work and won't quit until my goals are met
Where do you place my name
What do you think of me?
If I never played your game
If I didn't play by your rules,
We don't race the same,
We have different ways of doing things,
I don't run inside no painted lane
I don't conform to societal expectations or norms,
Plus ya'll pace is strange,
Your pace is unfamiliar to me,
Ya'll either stop or you sprint
You either give up or go all out
Run if it's sunny and hide if it change to rain
You only work when the going is easy and don't when it's challenging
I would be half the Ali that I am
I wouldn't be my true self,
If I slowed myself up
If I held back my dedication and motivation,
And tried competing with these people fam
And tried to compete with others on their terms
I'm every bit as unconcerned as they are unprepared
I'm just as unconcerned with them as they are unprepared for me,
Market flooded needles to say I wasn't scared
I wasn't scared even though the market was flooded with competitors
Let's all drop they same day,
Let's release our music all at once
I don't fuckin' care
I don't give a damn about what anyone thinks
Put listening stations in the store
Let's have music available to listen in the store,
And let the public hear
And let people hear and judge the music for themselves
Better yet, let's have an in store performance
Let's have a live performance in the store, even better
Make it oranges to oranges, me dwarfing your endurance
We'll make it fair, though I'll likely outperform you
After that we'll shoot the shit with our supporters
Then let's chat with our fans and see how much more music they'll buy
And see how many more discs of yours
Let's see how many more copies of your music,
The Indy stores order
The independent record stores order
Shit you already knew I out rap em'
You already know I'm a better rapper than them
On the low we out work, out think, and out class em'
We work harder, think smarter, and are more refined than them
Nobody's doing this thing exactly like we do
We have a unique style that nobody else has
They do it, they just ain't doing it like us,
Others may do something similar, but they don't do it as well as we do
You know what I'm sayin'
Do you understand what I'm saying?
Sucker ass mother fuckers
They're all fools and idiots
My personal pedigree's so bonafide
I have a notable background and reputation
Cause a man of my stature ain't born overnight
I had to work hard and build my credentials over time
The undisputed king of where poor folks reside
I'm the undisputed champion in the world of the impoverished
Because everytime I speak it be hope vocalised
My words inspire hope in others
And you sit and bitch
And you just complain
With your chickens about it isn't fair
About how life isn't fair
The sound system ain't shit but I was crystal clear
The sound system was poor, but my performance was still excellent
We first name basis,
We are on a first-name basis with the sound men,
Sound men, we give em' beer
We offer them beer as a sign of camaraderie
Plus I tipped em' 50 last semester when the click was here
I also tipped them generously after our last performance
Listen here, I ain't gonna give you all my secrets
I won't tell you all about my strategies for success
Just these few examples
Just some of what I shared here today
Help me illustrate my pretense
Highlight how I carry myself and my skills
Our strength is unrelated to your weakness
My strengths have nothing to do with your weaknesses
Cause you'll never be a worthy pool of peers to be competed with
You're not worthy of being my competition
I see my shit with Son House and Syl Johnson
I see myself alongside other great musicians like Son House and Syl Johnson
And always loose, I done lost face too
I've lost before, but it doesn't faze me
But I'm sporting their shoes
But I am inspired by their legacy and carry on their work
So let me remind you,
So let me reiterate,
Them little kicks you trying to fit, we out grew
The things you're trying to do are too small for us,
Them shits in high school man
Those are things we passed a long time ago
I don't think I'm arrogant man,
I don't think I'm arrogant,
I think I just
I simply
You know, I do's what the fuck I does man if that's just
I do what I do, that's just how it is
Kiss my ass for all I care
I don't care what you think about it
It's of foremost importance there is none like unto the brother
It's important to recognize that there is no one like me
Out this mother fucker regardless
I am who I am, no matter what anyone else says or thinks
So stop all the nonsense,
Stop with the foolishness
you seem me lounging,
You see me relaxing
Call the Rhymesayers office
Call my record label's office
I've officially lost it
I've gone crazy
They say my reputation precedes me
I've become famous for my skills and work
I don't know the meaning of off season,
I never take a break or stop working
I ain't taking it easy
I'm not slowing down or relaxing
Ain't taking a day off, never had an off night
I don't take days off or have bad performances
Never been laid off,
I've never been fired from a job
I live on the job site
My work is my life
It all pays off though when I squint in the spotlight
It's all worth it when I see my success and fame
And see your lips are moving to the true shit that I write
And see that people are truly enjoying the music I create
And we gon' be alright every night of my life
And I know everything will be okay every night of my life
It's my night cause I view the future like it's hindsight
I view the present like it's already the past and that things will always work out for me
I ain't waiting,
I'm not waiting around
I'm patiently persevering
I'm working hard and pushing through any obstacles
I see greatness in the person in the mirror very clearly
I believe in myself and my abilities
And that's why I take this seriously
And that's why I'm so dedicated to my work
Baby come near to me and truly, truly hear me
Come close to me and really listen to what I'm saying
[Chorus]
Lyrics © NAFSIN WAHEEDAH MUSIC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
George Urakov
"Take Me Home"
[Chorus:]
And I promise if I take you home, I'll sing you a song
Never leave me alone
Said c'mon baby throw me a bone, I'll sing you a song
Never leave me alone, and I promise if you take me home, I'll sing you a song
Never leave me alone
Said c'mon baby throw me a bone, I'll sing you a song, never leave you alone
I'm a tell you something about me
That's my favourite subject, I don't know whether you picked up on that yet or not
[Verse 1:]
I never said I had a business mind
I just don't believe that quitting time exists, ain't no finish line to this
You got to give me mine, I really shine, my given time is this
Live and die by the grind driven by the fist
Where do you place my name if I never played your game
We don't race the same, I don't run inside no painted lane
Plus ya'll pace is strange, ya'll either stop or you sprint
Run if it's sunny and hide if it change to rain
I would be half the Ali that I am
If I slowed myself up and tried competing with these people fam
I'm every bit as unconcerned as they are unprepared
Market flooded needles to say I wasn't scared
Let's all drop they same day, I don't fuckin care
Put listening stations in the store and let the public hear
Better yet, let's have an instore performance
Make it oranges to oranges, me dwarfing your indurance
After that we'll shoot the shit with our supporters
And see how many more discs of yours the Indy stores order
Shit you already knew I out rap em'
On the low we out work, out think, and out class em'
[Chorus]
Nobody's doing this thing exactly like we do
They do it, they just ain't doing it like us, you know what I'm sayin'
Sucker ass mother fuckers
[Verse 2:]
My personal pedigree's so bonafide
Cause a man of my stature ain't born overnight
The undisputed king of where poor folks reside
Because everytime I speak it be hope vocalised
And you sit and bitch with your chickens about it isn't fair
The sound system ain't shit but I was crystal clear
We first name basis, sound men - we give em' beer
Plus I tipped em' 50 last semester when the click was here
Listen here, I ain't gonna give you all my secrets
Just these few examples help me illustrate my pretense
Our strength is unrelated to your weakness
Cause you'll never be a worthy pool of peers to be competed with
I see my shit with Son House and Syl Johnson
And always loose, I done lost face too but I'm sporting their shoes
So let me remind you, them little kicks you trying to fit, we out grew
Them shits in high school man
[Chorus]
I don't think I'm arrogant man, I think I just
You know, I do's what the fuck I does man if that's just...
Kiss my ass for all I care
[Verse 3:]
It's of foremost importance there is none like unto the brother
Out this mother fucker regardless
So stop all the nonsense, you seem me lounging - call the Rhymesayers office
I've officially lost it
They say my reputation precedes me
I don't know the meaning of off season, I ain't taking it easy
Ain't taking a day off, never had an off night
Never been laid off, I live on the job site
It all pays off though when I squint in the spotlight
And see your lips are moving to the true shit that I write
And we gon' be alright every night of my life
It's my night cause I view the future like it's hindsight
I ain't waiting, I'm patiently persevering
I see greatness in the person in the mirror very clearly
And that's why I take this seriously
Baby come near to me and truly, truly hear me
[Chorus]
Sam
damn, brother ali is one of the most underrated artists of all time
Tyler Chapman
I love this guy! His music puts me in a good ass mood every time I listen to it!
ms b
😍 accidentally found his music on YouTube. What a happy accident! Love it.
Lumpy Foreskin
Same as me only i found him on SoundCloud 😀
Jordan Hawthorne
100% it’s crazy how I just came across him as we and this music should be all over the radio!!
matt melander
Now ya know! If you like this, check out other Mpls hip-hop, its scene was lethal back in the day.
SO-WHAT
This is crazy, I accidentally found this comment on a Brother Ali video. What a happy accident...
1zrg
realest man in the game right here.. saw him twice in concert and met him both times. stays after shows to talk to fans and real down to earth good person. and dope rapper i might add
Milpro
So much soul in this man's voice.
Christopher Mwaniki
I love how Brother Ali enjoys his work and still does it well. Keep at it Brother