Critical Praise for D.Black:
“Like any artist with a passion, Black embraces that passion and puts it on full display. For that reason alone, this record is worth hearing at least once. What will bring you back for more listens, though, will be the beats, which are worth drooling over.” – PopMatters.com
“Whether it be the strength in his vocals itself or the power behind the metaphorically constructed lyrics, D. Black harmonizes with the beat, rather than against it bringing his vivacity full-circle.” – KevinNottingham.com
“Where other rappers have attempted and failed with these types of records, D.Black succeeds because of his sincere delivery.” – HipHopDX.com
Ali’Yah featured as one of Amazon’s Outstanding 2009 Albums You Might Have Missed.
The Video:
D.Black’s sophomore album Ali’Yah is a highly conscious record, full of life lessons and perspective from the emcee’s own experiences. Once more rough around the edges, D.Black now prioritizes positivity as a result of his discovery of Messianic Judaism. On “Yesterday,” the album’s first video, his past, his future, and his faith are all on display.
Set underneath a freeway overpass (perhaps the road that separates heaven and hell?), the video depicts an epic chess game for D.Black’s soul. Light and dark versions of the emcee face off against each other, with supporters shrouding and encouraging each player. The video’s lesson is to allow yourself to leave things, especially negative things, in your past. He combines this message with smooth, flowing rhymes and a classic soul feel, set over warm production by B. Brown and D. Black himself.
As he frequently does, D. Black connected the “Yesterday’s” meaning to his faith when asked about it. “On a more spiritual level, it means to not look back, by which you’d be giving life again to the evil nature that works contrary to pure spirit.”
The chorus closes with the phrase, “We don’t know what tomorrow brings,” emphasizing the positive, heartfelt, and forward-looking message of the track. D. Black is clearly a man at peace with his past as well as his future, and the video for “Yesterday” is a concrete example of just how bright D. Black’s future is.
Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvvX_ruZjT4
MP3: http://media.audibletreats.com/D_Black_Yesterday_FINAL.mp3