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Thanks to my brother from another blogging mother, Ivan, over at Hip-Hop Is Read, I lined up an interview with Minneapolis’ own Brother Ali the day after he, Evidence and Toki Wright, played Canes in San Diego while on the Fresh Air Tour – a show that I’ve got more than enough reasons not to forget. Hit the jump for some Q&A with the Good Brother on playing in San Diego, his touring plans and some music he’s looking forward to hearing.

– The show at Canes was fantastic, all three of you guys absolutely killed your sets. How do you like playing San Diego?

Brother Ali - I’ve performed in San Diego before; probably four or five times. There is always a lot of really good energy there and aside from it being a beautiful place, the people are always really good to us.

– Is there anyone you’ve found or listen to that’s from San Diego?

Brother Ali - Yeah, Kahlee, a San Diego rapper.

– Since US came out what’s been your take on the response your fans and critics have given?

Brother Ali - Great, pretty much everyone seems to like it.

– So the album’s out. What’s next?

Brother Ali – Well, with the album out we start a two year tour through Europe, Canada, Autstralia. Bunch of places.

– How does a tour like that affect your home life?

Brother Ali – It’s really rough; I try to set up times where we [the family] can have some good quality time together but there’s no way around the fact that I’m just gone.

– The show at Canes really showcased the sample-based stuff that you’re using and have used but for fans who have followed your career I’m sure there’s been a transition in sound and content since Rites of Passage in 2000 to US eight years later.

Brother Ali – You just challenge yourself, you know. Just dig deeper to find new things to bring out in the writing, new things about yourself, new things about the world, give your own unique perspective. Musically, we’ve gone from sampling to more and more live musicians.

– How do you and Ant work together when you’re in the studio? What’s that dynamic like?

Brother Ali – Me and Ant are partners, anything we do is collaborative.

– I know you just started touring, and during the show at Canes Evidence was talking about how he was using the time on the road to write some material for his next album. Are you doing the same?

Brother Ali – I’ve got a few ideas for the next album but for me being on the road isn’t the easiest place to work on it.

– How is touring with Toki Wright and Evidence?

Brother Ali – Me and Toki have been touring for a few years now. Evidence is someone that I’ve respected and listened to his music for a long time and now that we’ve been on tour for a month we’re great friends. Our music is a little different, he’s a little more traditional like some boom-bap hip-hop.

– So if Evidence is boom-bap how would you describe your own sound?

Brother Ali – I won’t do that. It’s corny.

– Fair enough. What do you listen to regularly? I know just from listening to you that soul music has got to be on your iPod.

Brother Ali – Soul music is really big, a lot of blues, a lot of older hip-hop. Nina Simone, Donny Hathaway, Public Enemy, Stevie Wonder.

– Whose projects are you looking forward to hearing?

Brother Ali – The new Mos Def album he’s making with The Black Keys and that’s called Black Rock.