On The Sonar : Oddisee

No ego and no real aim, no reason to massage other hip-hop or rap artists that surround him and only one clear goal, to create music whilst transferring his thoughts to the general public.Previously producing and performed 'Musik Lounge' for DJ Jazzy Jeff, born Washington DC but now hailing from Maryland,  Oddisee is highly influenced by soul, blues, gospel and bluegrass. He is his own man, slowly piercing the musical surface.


I had the same feeling way back when Drake released ‘So Far Gone’ that something so fresh can be the forward movement that hip-hop and rap had been waiting for, unfortunately money speaks and Drake went mainstream. The difference between Oddisee and Drake is the fact that Oddisee has no feel to be anything more than he is, speaking musically only about where he is from, what he has seen, what he wants to change in clear vision. 

The groundbreaker for Oddisee is recent release ‘People Hear What They See’ a strong early hip-hop influence, tangents of A Tribe Called Quest meeting a soul backdrop, James Brown does hip-hop. Stand out tracks ‘Ready To Rock’ ‘The Need Superficial’ and strong favourite ‘Let It Go’ catch me, hook, line and sinker.

Oddisee is up in the hip hop rankings, a star shining just bright enough without causing a fuss biding it’s time before a supernova of sorts.

Re-Issues : Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP

Re-Issue number 2, coming to you all in the form of Eminem with ‘The Marshall Mathers LP’.

I remember quite clearly that this was another copied CD that I was given, I also remember having a 2ft poster of the cover art right in front of you in my then bedroom. I wouldn't say I was ever over exposed to hip-hop or rap, I would say that Madness was probably the closest it came. This album becoming my first ever foray into hip-hop.

Everybody remembers hearing ‘The Real Slim Shady’ and the video that came with it, the controversy that it caused and the outrage of parents worldwide. I wouldn’t say it was the track that hooked me on the album, ‘Stan’ which features a vocal sample from Dido was. The relationship between artist and fan clearly written in word and music, the deep bond that music can create is highlighted from start to finish in separate verse. The complete darkness of the whole track which feels exactly the same even now.

For me the album was an escape, an angst ridden album which understood how I felt even if I was completely wrong. It was more about Eminem and his escape, how he felt and how he felt he wasn’t understood. This album launched him to exactly where he wanted to be. Probably his best album to date.

Other highlights for me are ‘Kim’, a song that scared me so much after I heard it the first time I had to skip for a few weeks after, but now I clearly understand why it was written. The obvious ‘The Real Slim Shady’ which is hilarious but equally serious and ‘The Kidz’ a laugh out loud approach to everything that is bad for you.