As soon as I heard the song "Writer's Block", I knew there was something special about it – something wickedly candid. This is perhaps one of the most beautiful songs I have heard in a while, and I'm very thankful to have stumbled upon it. In "Writer's Block," produced by Jake One, Brother Ali takes you through the tribulations of being an artist– in this case, a writer.
The song opens with Brother Ali feeling backed into a corner, feeling stuck and ambivalent. On one hand, he doesn't want to put out songs just to put out songs; he wants to put out venerable material that he himself, as an artist, feels connected to, feels is worth more than the dollars that come associated with the product. Unfortunately, on the other hand, he also understands that there are bills to be paid, mouths to be fed, and a family to support. The plight of the artist is enough to break your heart. Later in the song, Brother Ali delves into a more dark place, contemplating committing suicide as he stands looking over Seattle from his 23rd floor hotel room window.
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With a mind racing, full of the terrors that haunt him, he decides to step back and close the window, only to go and write another song. It's terribly honest, really, and a heartbreaking reality that us audience members often overlook. As a person who often finds himself feeling slightly apathetic, I give it to Ali for making my face slouch like a sad puppy's. Bump this track and I'm sure you'll understand where I'm coming from.
