Oddisee is not yet a household name, but the MC/Producer is one of the most talented artists in Hip-Hop, currently. His 2015 album, The Good Fight, stood with the best of the year, and his stunning videos and performances only built on the narrative. Now, he returns with a new EP and an announcement of an extensive tour and a full album to be released in the Fall.

According to a statement on Oddisee’s Bandcamp page, Al­Wasta, his new EP, “takes its title from the Arabic colloquial term used to mean (to use colloquial English) ‘the plug.’ The term “wasta” comes from the Arabic word ‘wasat,’ meaning ‘middle’ or ‘middleman,’ and describes a member of the community who acts as a connector using their wealth of social currency. Understanding the value of social currency & how to use it (for better or worse) is what Amir Elkhalifa aka Oddisee focused on as the primary inspiration for his writings.”

Like The Good Fight, AlWasta is packed with lush instrumental tracks and Oddisee’s thought-provoking and dense lyricism. He has made the entire project available for free stream, with the confidence that hearing the product will inspire a purchase. Take a listen to AlWasta below and see the dates and locations for his upcoming tour with his band, Good Compny.

Oddisee & Good Compny Tour Dates

3/26/16 Treefort Festival – Boise, ID
5/3/2016 Middle East Downstairs – Boston, MA
5/6/16 Mainstage – Morgantown, WV
5/7/16 Strange Matter – Richmond, VA
5/8/16 Kings Barcade – Raleigh, NC
5/11/16 Jack Rabbits – Jacksonville, FL
5/13/16 Orpheum – Tampa, FL
5/14/16 Backbooth – Orlando, FL
5/15/16 Side Bar – Tallahassee, FL
5/16/16 Parish @ HOB – New Orleans, LA
5/20/16 Foundry at SLS – Las Vegas, NV
5/21/16 El Rey Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
5/22/16 Constellation Room – Santa Ana, CA
5/24/16 Soda Bar – San Diego, CA
5/26/16 The Independent – San Francisco, CA
5/30/16 Sasquatch Festival – Seattle, WA
6/4/16 Bunbury Festival – Cincinnatti, OH
6/12/16 Northside Festival – Brooklyn, NY
6/25/16 Glastonbury Festival – Pilton, UK
6/27/16 O2 Academy – Oxford, UK
7/7/16 Les Ardentes Festival – Leige, Belgium
7/8/16 North Sea Jazz Festival – Rotterdam, Netherlands
7/9/16 Open Source Festival – Dusseldorf, Germany
7/10/16 Cactus Festival – Bruges, Belgium
7/16/16 Melt! Festival – Gräfenhainichen, Germany
7/19/16 Valkhof Festival – Nijmegen, Netherlands
7/23/16 Hip Hop Open Festival – Vienna, Austria
7/27/16 Blue Balls Festival – Lucerne, Switzerland
7/29/16 Appletree Gardens Festival – Diepholz, DE
7/30/16 Stuttgart Festival – Stuttgart, DE

Related: Oddisee Delivers One of Hip-Hop’s Standout Performances in 2015. This Is Special (Video)