Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color
| type = studio
| artist = Brother Ali
| cover = Brother-ali-mourning-in-america-dreaming-in-colour.jpg
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|2012|09|18}}
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Hip hop
| length = {{Duration|m=51|s=41}}
{{Duration|m=59|s=24}} (Deluxe Version)
| label = Rhymesayers Entertainment
| producer = Jake One
| prev_title = The Bite Marked Heart
| prev_year = 2012
| next_title = Left in the Deck
| next_year = 2013
}}
{{Music ratings
| MC = 80/100{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/mourning-in-america-and-dreaming-in-color/brother-ali|title=Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color - Brother Ali|work=Metacritic|publisher=CBS Interactive|accessdate=October 19, 2014}}
| rev1 = Alarm
| rev2 = AllMusic
| rev2score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|last=Jeffries|first=David|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/mourning-in-america-and-dreaming-in-color-mw0002289467 |title=Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color - Brother Ali : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards|work=AllMusic|date=September 18, 2012|accessdate=September 26, 2012}}
| rev3 = Consequence of Sound
| rev3score = C+{{cite web|url=http://consequenceofsound.net/2012/09/album-review-brother-ali-mourning-in-america-and-dreaming-in-color/|title=Brother Ali – Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color|work=Consequence of Sound|first=Nick|last=Freed|date=September 17, 2012|accessdate=December 4, 2015}}
| rev4 = The Guardian
| rev4score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite news|first=Paul|last=MacInne|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/aug/30/brother-ali-mourning-america-review|title=Brother Ali: Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color – review | Music|work=The Guardian|date=August 30, 2012|accessdate=September 26, 2012|location=London}}
| rev5 = HipHopDX
| rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|last=Fairfax|first=Jesse|url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/album-reviews/id.1959/title.brother-ali-mourning-in-america-and-dreaming-in-color|title=Brother Ali - Mourning In America and Dreaming In Color | Read Hip Hop Reviews, Rap Reviews & Hip Hop Album Reviews|work=HipHopDX|date=September 19, 2012|accessdate=September 26, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927081152/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/album-reviews/id.1959/title.brother-ali-mourning-in-america-and-dreaming-in-color|archive-date=September 27, 2013|url-status=dead}}
| rev6 = Pitchfork
| rev6score = 7.9/10{{cite web|url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16941-brother-ali-mourning-in-america-and-dreaming-in-color|title=Brother Ali: Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color | Album Reviews |work=Pitchfork|first=Nate|last=Patrin|date=September 19, 2012|accessdate=September 26, 2012}}
| rev7 = PopMatters
| rev7score = {{Rating|7|10}}{{cite web|url=http://www.popmatters.com/review/163425-brother-ali-mourning-in-america-and-dreaming-in-color/|title=Brother Ali: Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color|work=PopMatters|first=David|last=Grossman|date=October 7, 2012|accessdate=December 4, 2015}}
| rev8 = XXL
| rev8score = XL{{cite web|url=http://www.xxlmag.com/rap-music/reviews/2012/09/brother-ali-mourning-in-america-and-dreaming-in-color/|title=Brother Ali, Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color|work=XXL|first=Jaeki|last=Cho|date=September 20, 2012|accessdate=November 26, 2014}}
}}
Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color is the fifth studio album by American rapper Brother Ali.{{cite web|url=http://www.complex.com/music/2012/09/watch-brother-alis-full-album-music-video|title=Album Stream: Brother Ali "Mourning In America and Dreaming In Color"|work=Complex|first=Sam|last=Weiss|date=September 19, 2012|accessdate=December 4, 2015}} It was released via Rhymesayers Entertainment on September 18, 2012.{{cite web|url=http://rhymesayers.com/brotherali/|title=Rhymesayers Entertainment :: Brother Ali|work=Rhymesayers Entertainment|date=September 18, 2012|accessdate=September 26, 2012}} Entirely produced by Jake One, it includes a guest appearance from Dr. Cornel West.{{cite web|url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.20154/title.brother-ali-mourning-in-america-and-dreaming-in-color-album-stream|title=Brother Ali "Mourning In America And Dreaming In Color" Album Stream|work=HipHopDX|first=Steven J.|last=Horowitz|date=September 19, 2012|accessdate=December 4, 2015}} It reached number 44 on the Billboard 200 chart.{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7736708/brother-ali-donald-trump-injustice-all-the-beauty-in-this-whole-life-album|title=Brother Ali Talks Donald Trump, Injustice & Creating 'All the Beauty in This Whole Life'|work=Billboard|first=Andres|last=Tardio|date=March 27, 2017|accessdate=June 11, 2017}} It sold 10,000 copies in its first week of release.{{cite web|url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.21300/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-9-23-2012|title=Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 9/23/2012|work=HipHopDX|first=Jake|last=Paine|date=September 26, 2012|accessdate=December 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927081108/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.21300/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-9-23-2012|archive-date=September 27, 2013|url-status=dead}}
Critical reception
At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color received an average score of 80% based on 11 reviews.
David Jeffries of AllMusic gave the album 4 stars out of 5, saying, "Layered viewpoints, bittersweet situations, and complicated anger flow out of this articulate effort, but the sweet trick of the album is how approachable it is, living up to its title with equal shares of Mourning and Dreaming." Nate Patrin of Pitchfork gave the album a 7.9 out of 10, saying, Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color is where the political agitation of The Undisputed Truth and the social humanism of Us'' intersect, and there's no vague platitudes or defeatist cynicism here."
Jaeki Cho of XXL said, "[Jake One's] distinguished soul production provides the necessary thump throughout, proving that one-producer-one-MC formula works superbly for this juncture."
Exclaim! named it as one of the most unappreciated albums of 2012.{{cite web|url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/exclaims_twenty_underappreciated_albums_of_2012|title=Exclaim's Most Unappreciated Albums of 2012 (Page 1 of 2)|work=Exclaim!|date=December 20, 2012|accessdate=June 11, 2017}} Potholes in My Blog placed it at number 41 on the "50 Best Albums of 2012" list.{{cite web|url=http://potholesinmyblog.com/the-50-best-albums-of-2012/2/|title=The 50 Best Albums of 2012 (2/6)|work=Potholes in My Blog|date=December 19, 2012|accessdate=June 11, 2017}}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| title1 = Letter to My Countrymen
| note1 = featuring Dr. Cornel West
| length1 = 4:04
| title2 = Only Life I Know
| length2 = 4:01
| title3 = Stop the Press
| length3 = 4:01
| title4 = Mourning in America
| length4 = 4:08
| title5 = Gather Round
| note5 = featuring Amir Sulaiman
| length5 = 4:39
| title6 = Work Everyday
| length6 = 3:45
| title7 = Need a Knot
| length7 = 2:45
| title8 = Won More Hit
| length8 = 3:43
| title9 = Say Amen
| length9 = 2:59
| title10 = Fajr
| length10 = 3:51
| title11 = Namesake
| length11 = 2:10
| title12 = All You Need
| length12 = 3:14
| title13 = My Beloved
| note13 = featuring Choklate & Tone Trezure
| length13 = 3:58
| title14 = Singing This Song
| length14 = 4:22
| total_length = 51:41
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = deluxe edition bonus tracks{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/mourning-in-america-and-dreaming-in-color-deluxe-version/555841680|title=iTunes - Music - Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color (Deluxe Version) by Brother Ali|work=iTunes|publisher=Apple Inc.|date=September 18, 2012|accessdate=September 26, 2012}}{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0095859YU|title=Amazon - Music - Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color (Deluxe Version) by Brother Ali|work=Amazon Music|publisher=Amazon.com, Inc.|date=September 18, 2012|accessdate=September 26, 2012}}
| title15 = Just Fine
| note15 =
| length15 = 4:18
| title16 = Dreaming in Color
| note16 =
| length16 = 3:25
| total_length = 59:24
}}
Notes
- The bonus tracks are only available digitally through iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Music and Google Play Music.
Charts
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- {{Discogs master|472233}}
{{Brother Ali}}
{{Authority control}}