Brother Ali is truly amazing. Not only has he released what is likely the best rap album of the year so far, but now he’s released the best mixtape of the year as well! Apparently, though, there’s no way to get your hands on it unless you were lucky enough to get one of the preshipped copied of Ali’s official release, The Undisputed Truth, which had a copy of this bonus CD with it. I only got to hear it ’cause a buddy had it.
Off the Record is cuts that didn’t make Ali’s Champion EP or Undisputed Truth album, and many of them are even better than his album cuts. This guy just can not spit a bad line.
For example, Live From The Chippie Bun Club is the best tribute to veterans I’ve heard in years. It talks about a man who was killed at “killing strangers” but can’t support his family. He’s plagued by the past and his loved ones are as hurt as he is. “She didn’t need to hear about the fire and bombs, and how his friend died in his arms.” Who is writing stuff like this nowadays? Doomage (featuring Slug) is indeed the same cut from the Adult Swim, Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid, DangerDOOM release, only here we hear Ali instead of MF Doom. “They treat me like LL for artfucks,” he snarls the “damage” chant from Cool J’s Mama Said Knock You Out, and then Ali “makes the planet move.”
If you can get a hold of this, however you can, you must. This is simply one of the most amazing artists alive, at the top of his game over cuts produced by ANT, Mr. Dibbs, and many others.
