As Rolling Stone once gushed about Slug, "This Minneapolis indie rap hero has potential to spare, delivering taut, complex rhyme narratives with everyman earnestness". Or as the Village Voice once wrote of Ant, "His dusty grooves are hooky and R&B-informed, and even when they back up Slug's most maniacally depressed rhymes, they never feel heavy-handed".
Brother Ali has no reservations in saying that he's "trying to be one of the greatest of all time". Inspired by golden era legends like KRS-One and Rakim, this undisputed Master of Ceremony began rapping as a means of survival. Growing up albino (colorless hair, skin and eyes, poor vision, and extreme sensitivity to the sun) in a world of cruel kids made it strikingly obvious to Ali that he needed a high-powered way to earn some respect and prestige among his peers.
Though he initially produced his own material, Brother Ali turned to Ant to produce his first two major releases on Rhymesayers. The albums immediately proved popular with fans who had largely been introduced to Ali when he opened for Atmosphere on their national tour for the God Loves Ugly album. Ant's funk and soul inflected beats often matched the gravitas of Ali's rhymes, and now they are finally on stage together in the UK!
On the night there is support from Kidz In The Hall. Kidz In The Hall, the sons of the Golden Era of Hip Hop now take the reigns at the forefront of the next great Hip Hop dynasty. Call 'em elitests, call 'em smart asses or arrogant, but they are definitely one thing for certain, DOPE.
And with more support acts tbc, it's going to be the hip-hop show of the summer.
