If Brother Ali has anything to offer, it's his ability to draw you into his world on his latest release, Champion EP, a thirty-nine minute adventure with producer Ant (of Atmosphere fame) that's both fun and captivating. There are only eight tracks of new material, since Champion (Remix) is a re-interpretation of the Shadows on the Sun track of the same name. But for all intents and purposes, it's a brand new song — Ant totally flips the track, this time providing a summer reggae vibe for Ali's potent "can't fuck with my style" rhymes, re-recorded specifically for the new production. Brother Ali's flow has also very notably improved on this version of the track, his emphasis on certain rhyme stanzas make for a wonderful new experience.

If the original Champion was a great track, then Champion (Remix) is truly a fantastic one, and a testament of how new recordings can improve old ideas when done right. In fact, if Ant was a pinch hitter for some major league baseball team, you could say that he really stepped up his game for the Champion EP. The production Brother Ali is blessed with perfectly compliments his approach to emceeing; it's simple but not too simple. Ant knows what works and makes sure the beats are melodic but not overbearing or distracting. The real attraction here is Brother Ali.

The production on Bad Ma Fucka helps set the aura for Ali's militant mindset. Ant manages to have a country twang and hard rock guitar licks coexist peacefully (why doesn't Slug get this kind of production on Atmosphere albums?). He also shows his skillful aptitudes in the art of sped-up samples on Love On Display notably.

The soulful vocal samples on Heads Down (You Haven't Done That Yet) are exquisite, and appropriate for Brother Ali’s lecture on proper lovemaking. It sounds like a poor concept on paper, but the guy pulls it off remarkably well. The happily married man preaches the finer points to pleasing a woman. It’s a charming and, dare I say, romantic track. Chain Link is a touching commentary on problems and hardships in today's society. Utilizing a softer, more emotive delivery, Brother Ali lets us into his life. The struggles that he endures should sound awfully familiar to anyone: growing up in a cynical world, being broke, wondering what you want to do with your life, and watching the world speed by as if you "put your time in".

These are real topics that real people can identify with. It's this kind of sincerity that makes Brother Ali so appealing, both as a hip-hop emcee and as a musician in general. The magnum opus that ends the EP, Rain Water, is practically a full-blown confession where Ali tackles the issues of faith, life, death and parenting. As dark as that sounds, it's a rather uplifting and entertaining track.

Brother Ali has a vision. While other rappers are concerned with selling inane amounts of records and producing more Billboard hits than the next rapper, Brother Ali is content with creating wonderful music. Exciting music. Fun music. Touching music. Spiritual music. Ali's life isn't perfect, and he knows it. He has flaws, but that's what makes him human. It's what makes us all human. He tries to make the best of every situation, and understands that life is full of obstacles and hurdles. That understanding helps him make great music.