Brother Ali & Lyrics Born in Reno

Brother Ali is an American rapper closely associated with Minneapolis independent hip-hop and Rhymesayers Entertainment. He released his debut album, Rites of Passage, in 2000, followed by records including Shadows on the Sun, The Undisputed Truth and Us. His best-known songs include “Forest Whitiker” and “Uncle Sam Goddamn.” Brother Ali performed at Paid Dues in 2007 and later appeared at multiple editions of the Rhymesayers-founded Soundset festival. In 2018, NPR documented a compact performance of his catalog at the Tiny Desk in Washington, D.C.

Lyrics Born is a Japanese American rapper and producer born in Tokyo and closely associated with the San Francisco Bay Area hip-hop scene. He first became known as half of Latyrx with Lateef the Truthspeaker and as a member of the Quannum collective, then established a solo catalogue led by the album Later That Day... and tracks including “Callin’ Out” and “I Changed My Mind.” The 2006 album Overnite Encore: Lyrics Born Live! documented his concert repertoire after the release of his solo debut. He has performed his rhythm-driven rap material with a live band, and vocalist Joyo Velarde has been a recurring collaborator at Lyrics Born shows.