Brother Ali is a local hip-hop icon who's been in the game for over a decade. He began his career with the small-circulation tape Rites of Passage, but it was his second studio album Shadows on the Sun that first earned him widespread acclaim. He solidified his reputation as a smart, vital voice in hip-hop with The Undisputed Truth in 2007 and Us in 2009.

Now, he's returned with Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color, released today on (of course) Ali's longtime label Rhymesayers Entertainment. The album features soulful production from one of Rhymesayers' in-house producers, Jake One, and offers an especially incendiary take on Ali's trademark blend of the fiercely political and the deeply personal.

Brother Ali stopped by The Current studio to chat with Barb Abney about the new album and play a few songs.

Songs played: "Only Life I Know," "Fajr" and "Mourning in America."

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