Since hitting the underground rap scene nine years ago, hip-hop's most notable albino, Brother Ali, has faced a number of misconceptions.
Misconception No. 1: He is black.
Ali is in fact, Caucasian, but got himself into some hot water for declining to answer questions about his race early in his career. He is on the record as saying that his albinism caused him to feel like a minority growing up.
Misconception No. 2: He is a political rapper.
While a few of his songs have had a political bent, most notably 2007's "Uncle Sam Goddamn," most do not.
"I'm not really concerned with how I'm viewed as much I used to be. If people say that's a political rapper, that's fine. Whatever. I've been called all kinds of (expletive)," Ali said via phone last week from his home in Minneapolis. "None of those really represent me fully."
Misconception No. 3: He dislikes major label rap.
While he holds it down for indie stalwarts Atmosphere and Murs, Ali said he enjoys and respects popular commercial rapper Lil Wayne.
"Lil Wayne is not a pop artist. Lil Wayne is the real thing. Some people are like 'I love Murs, but I hate Lil Wayne.' I'm happy that there's Lil Wayne, and I'm happy that there's Murs," he said. "I'm glad that rap has taken over the radio even if I don't love all the stuff on the radio. If anyone is going to make bad pop music, I'm glad it's us."
Ali said he wants Alaska fans to know he hasn't forgotten them since performing three years ago in Anchorage and Girdwood.
"People had been waiting for us to come up. When we got there, they just rolled out the welcome mat for us. We loved Alaska so much we wanted to come back earlier," Ali said.
This trip, Ali performed with DJ BK One on Thursday at Anchor Pub & Club, and he will perform tonight at Club Millennium. Since those 2006 Alaska shows with Rhymesayers label mates Atmosphere, Ali has taken his career into the mainstream, while maintaining his underground credibility. His third album, "The Undisputed Truth," was distributed by Warner Brothers Music and reached 69 on the Billboard 200, powered by singles "Truth Is" and "Uncle Sam Goddamn."
Appearances on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" and "The Late Late Show" followed, as did a "Hip Hop Quotable" and interview in Source Magazine. Rolling Stone even jumped on the bandwagon and named him a "New Artist to Watch."
But don't expect Ali to go full-on mainstream. He still fancies himself an outsider and a revolutionary with no plans to be silenced. He said watching his friend Murs struggle with the transition was telling.
"He's gotta do big label (expletive). If you try to change the system from within you have to operate within the system. Murs is the same as Obama to me," Ali said. "Obama's not Jesus Christ. Him becoming president was and is an amazing thing, but he's not a radical or a revolutionary. He's a really great human being, who is the first president ever that cares about some of the things that I care about and who knows them intimately. But he's a Democrat. He's part of the system."
The Murs-Obama corollary shouldn't come as a surprise to followers of Ali's career. He hasn't avoided speaking his mind on topics other artists flee from; the plight of the Palestinian people, the Iraq War and the prison-industrial complex in the U.S. But Ali doesn't see an end to his political forays with the exit of President Bush from the White House.
" 'Uncle Sam Goddamn' wasn't about the Bush administration specifically. It was about the untold history of America. It's a beautiful place, you know, it really is amazing for a lot of people," Ali said. "But there are a lot of people who are never talked about, who suffer so that this country can be great for the middle and upper classes. These themes will still exist."
Ali is currently in the midst of finishing his fourth full-length album "Street Preacher," with producer Ant of Atmosphere. While he will undoubtedly continue to shed light on serious topics, when he hits the stage in Alaska he's got other things on the agenda. Like having a good time with Alaska fans he's missed since his first trip north.
"These shows are less about a message and more about having a party together. Independent artists have to work to find fans and the fans have to work to find the music," Ali said. "So we're celebrating that this is our time to have together. I can't wait."
Brother Ali and DJ BK One 9 tonight at Club Millennium. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, Groovetickets.com.
By Barry Piser
Daily News correspondent