ITEM#: 12217294
Personnel: Joe Mabbott (vocals, organ, drums, percussion) John Harrison, Stokley Williams, Mankwe Ndosi (vocals) Dustin Kiel (guitar, slide guitar, banjo) Nate Collis, Nate Collis (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, sitar, background vocals) Dustin Sorensen (strings, horns) Erick Anderson (piano, organ, keyboards, talk box) Steve Roehm (vibraphone) Brian Macleod (drums) Anthony Davis (scratches). Audio Mixer: Joe Mabbott. US, Brother Ali's second record in the 2009 calendar year, finds the prolific MC and Rhymesayer mainstay as reflective (and effortlessly poignant) as ever. He's also as musically bipolar as ever, basking in his newfound life as a father while name-dropping the Bearenstain Bears on one track ("Fresh Air"), while bemoaning the mixed-up, messed-up state of the world on the next ("Tight Rope"). He also remains one of rap's premier creator of character sketches as on the sitar blues of "Breakin' Dawn." The production on US is as top notch as ever, slipping from golden age glory to intricate pop montages.