Brother Ali is a prophet, plain and simple. Even if you're unmoved by his life story — being a legally-blind albino rejected by society who found identity through hip-hop and the Muslim faith — his music most certainly will move you.
And on the second single from his forthcoming album, All the Beauty in This Whole Life, he flexes his own divine prowess. "Never Learn" finds Ali contemplating spiritual manifestation with an ounce of metaphysical swag. Like the song, the video, directed by Kron, is a beautiful testament. It was shot at Dar Al Islam, a Muslim-built worship and healing center in New Mexico, the same location where Tupac Shakur's "I Wonder If Heaven Got a Ghetto" was filmed after his death. The video also features the synchronized choreography of Al Taw'am, twin dancers from the twin city of Minneapolis, whom Ali refers to as "royalty."
"Their movement speaks of their family legacy of dignified regality," Ali says in a statement released with the video. This focus on supreme beauty is one with the theme of the LP to be released May 5. It's a message that contrasts sharply with the times.
"This entire album is based on the reality that beauty is the splendor of truth," the Minneapolis-based MC says. "Every word and note of this album is intended to either reflect beauty, or expose the ugliness that blocks us from living lives of meaning."
To coincide with the album's release, Ali begins the first half of a tour this week.
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