The Undisputed Truth is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Brother Ali, his second major release. It was released on April 10, 2007 on Rhymesayers Entertainment. The album is produced entirely by Ant of Atmosphere. The first single, "Truth Is", was released on January 5, 2007.[10] The second single is "Uncle Sam Goddamn" which was released on May 4, 2007.
| The Undisputed Truth | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 10, 2007 | |||
| Recorded | 2006–2007 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 61:20 | |||
| Label | Rhymesayers Entertainment/ Warner Music Group | |||
| Producer | Ant | |||
| Brother Ali chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from The Undisputed Truth | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| About |   [1] |
| Allmusic |  [2] |
| The A.V. Club | B+[3] |
| DJBooth | B+[4] |
| HipHopDX | [5] |
| Pitchfork Media | (6.6/10)[6] |
| PopMatters | (6/10)[7] |
| Rapreviews | (9/10)[8] |
| Stylus Magazine | B+[9] |
Promotion
editIn the period of promotion before the release of the album, several videos were released of various hip hop icons talking about Brother Ali and this upcoming album. In one video, Slug from Atmosphere is shown getting a tattoo while praising Ali and the new album; at the end of the video, the camera reveals that he has just had the title of the album tattooed in large letters across the side of his neck. (the tattoo however was not real, since it does not appear on his neck in interviews or live performances following the release of that video)
Popular culture
editThe song "Whatcha Got" is featured in the EA Sports video game Madden 08.[11]
Controversy
editBefore the preparation for touring for the album, Brother Ali was invited to a Verizon sponsored tour with Gym Class Heroes.[12] However, Brother Ali then released the music video for "Uncle Sam Goddamn". Due to the song's content, which included him being critical of the United States government, Verizon ultimately withdrew its sponsorship of Ali, causing him to truncate parts of his 2007 tour.[13][14]
Sales
editThe album debuted at number 69 on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling about 11,000 copies in its first week.[15]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Whatcha' Got" | 4:33 |
| 2. | "Lookin' at Me Sideways" | 4:05 |
| 3. | "Truth Is" | 4:20 |
| 4. | "The Puzzle" | 3:24 |
| 5. | "Pedigree" | 3:36 |
| 6. | "Daylight" | 4:01 |
| 7. | "Freedom Ain't Free" | 3:36 |
| 8. | "Letter from the Government" | 4:02 |
| 9. | "Here" | 4:00 |
| 10. | "Listen Up" (featuring Whipper Whip) | 5:03 |
| 11. | "Take Me Home" | 5:01 |
| 12. | "Uncle Sam Goddamn" | 4:57 |
| 13. | "Walking Away" | 3:58 |
| 14. | "Faheem" | 2:49 |
| 15. | "Ear to Ear" | 3:47 |
Awards
edit- 2007 HipHopDX Awards
- "Slept On Album of the Year" (nominated)[16]
References
edit- ^ About review
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ The A.V. Club review
- ^ DJBooth review
- ^ HipHopDX review
- ^ Stylus Magazine review
- ^ PopMatters review
- ^ RapReviews review
- ^ Stylus Magazine review
- ^ The Undisputed Truth album information at Rhymesayers Entertainment
- ^ Magrino, Tom (2007-06-29). "Madden 08 drafts song list". GameSpot. Retrieved 2007-07-01.
- ^ "Brother Ali: The Truth Teller". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
- ^ Nuntida. Brother Ali interview with Barber Shop Hip Hop. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14.
- ^ Brother Ali. Truth Is - Live in Portland. YouTube. Archived from the original on 2013-07-30.
- ^ Katie Hasty, "'NOW' Remains No. 1 As Bright Eyes Debuts High", Billboard.com, April 18, 2007.
- ^ "2007 HipHopDX Awards | Rappers Talk Hip Hop Beef & Old School Hip Hop". HipHop DX. 2007-12-31. Retrieved 2012-03-12.