Brother Ali, Ant, Dee-1

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Joel Moriasi

A close-up of Brother Ali.

Brother Ali

Over two decades and eight albums, hip-hop artist Brother Ali has used the mic to amplify his intense messages that bounce between provocation and peace. Even though he’s a veteran of showcases like Coachella and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, he somehow manages to keep an underground appeal with each new release. With Ant, Dee-1.

media release: Brother Ali and Ant return with 17 new tracks of classic indie hip-hop.

While Ali has shined over music from multiple Grammy-winning beat makers, long-time fans hold that his most classic material comes from collaborations with the legendary producer Ant (of Atmosphere).

“Satisfied Soul” will be released by Travelers Media and Mello Music Group next February, but you can stream the first 5 songs and pre-order the album on vinyl, cassette, and CD right now!

Anthony Davis, AKA Ant, the producer half of the legendary, pioneering hip-hop group Atmosphere, has released Collection of Sounds: Volume 2,  the second installment in his four-volume series of instrumentals. In addition to his work with Atmosphere, Ant’s production credits also include tracks for Brother Ali, MF DOOM, Murs, Felt, Rav, The Grouch & Eligh, Sage Francis, Dynospectrum and more. 

The album consists of unreleased material from his vault, offering a new window into his decades-long career and pushing his artistry to the center. The vinyl packaging features a 12” matte die-cut jacket with a custom translucent yellow plastic window, a printed euro-sleeve with artwork by Saber, and custom yellow opaque vinyl. Order Collection of Sounds: Volume 2 vinyl and cassettes at  rhymesayers.com.

Ant’s production is known for its rich, textured soundscapes that blend vintage and soulful elements with deep emotional resonance. The second installment of his instrumental series, Collection of Sounds: Volume 2, features smooth beats, intricate sampling, and lush, jazzy layers that create an immersive atmosphere. He masterfully incorporates sly riffs and funk-laden grooves, stirring sentimentality and highlighting his ability to craft emotive, engaging music. The result is a sonically complex album where Ant blends funk, soul, classic R&B, and hip-hop influences, evoking a nostalgic sense of bygone eras.

Collections of Sounds: Volume 2 follows the recently released Collection of Sounds: Volume 1. 

The son of a military family, Ant grew up bouncing between locales: Texas, California, New York, Colorado, even as far away as Germany. While moving every couple of years presented plenty of challenges, it also exposed Ant to a wide array of different people and cultures. It also helped nurture his burgeoning love of music. Ant’s father, only 20 years his senior, was an avid record collector. “He was into funk and jazz and soul music and stuff,” Ant says. “When I’m ten years old, he’s only 30, and rap is out: he was listening to it, but he didn’t know the difference between Grandmaster Flash and Rick James. To him it was the same thing—this is all funk, this is all disco, this is just all music.” 

“There was always this weird dream in my head that I could get somewhere,” says Davis. As one half of Atmosphere, the longtime Minneapolis resident has carved out the type of career that aspiring musicians across the world imagine as they cut their teeth in home studios and on small stages. Yet while decades of sold-out tours and critical acclaim might have been, at one time, an abstract notion to the now 53-year-old, he always had a sense that he could spin his ingenuity behind turntables into a living. While the last 30 years serve as proof positive that he was right, his new four-volume collection of instrumental work, Collection of Sounds, illuminates the variety of styles and skills that made that inkling a reality. Order vinyl, cassettes, and exclusive merch at atmospheresucks.com and rhymesayers.com.