maybe a little hyperbolic here. i mean, it’s a very good album– everyone knows ali can spit and ant’s production style fits him well.

but man, some of those hooks need work. ali is a monster with a 16 (or longer), and shines on the concept songs, but quite a few of the tracks suffer from hooks that are either forgettable or really just kind of bad (fresh air, round here, crown jewel, etc.)

it might seem like a small gripe, but i think hooks are important. i’d have loved to have heard stokely on a couple more tracks.

and overall, it’s impossible to really hate on a brother ali album, but i AM walking away from this one a little unsatisfied. again, the concept songs are fresh, but everything is a little “been here, done that.” and possibly done better on previous ali albums. and for the record, “fresh air” is my least favorite ali song EVER. ain’t nobody want to hear how great your life is. haha.

all that being said, it’s still one of the top albums of the year, and ali is still one of the best emcees in the business. i just wanted to play devil’s advocate for a minute.