“Don’t you know you’re in the presence of greatness, bwoi?” Brother

Ali snarls from the pulpit on “Original King,” shortly before

launching into a brief refresher-course/sermon for the uninitiated

over a beat that sounds like Earth Wind and Fire on crack: “I bring it

like it never been brung/Swing it like it never been swung/I’m second

to none.” And he really isn’t. If Rhymesayers is a family, Ali is its

preacher, a fire-and-brimstone man of the word from the old school who

over the course of a pawful of albums has proven himself to be one of

the fiercest unsung MCs in the game. He’s got a powerful delivery that

rattles the stain-glass and drops worshippers to their knees. To his

credit, Ali always asks them to stand back up. With Abstract Dude,

Toki Wright and BK-One. 925 E. Pike St. 709-9467. 8 p.m. $13. KEVIN

CAPP

Listen to a sample of Brother Ali’s “Take Me Home.”

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Mon., March 10, 8 p.m., 2008