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Oddisee Explains Why He’s NOT Underrated Or Underground

Oddisee Explains Why He’s NOT Underrated Or Underground

Oddisee has spent the 2010s making some of the most cohesive and thoughtful albums in Hip-Hop. 2012's People Hear What They See, 2015's The Good Fight, and 2017's The Iceberg are a three-album run as formidable as any in Rap. Meanwhile, the artist born Amir Mohamed el Khalifa has showered his fans with handfuls... Read more
April 10, 2019 Fresh
In 2008, Posdnuos, Oddisee, & J-Live Came Together To Upgrade Hip-Hop

In 2008, Posdnuos, Oddisee, & J-Live Came Together To Upgrade Hip-Hop

Twenty years ago, MC/producer/DJ J-Live was putting the finishing touches on his debut album, The Best Part. During that time, the talented artist was heard on DJ Premier's New York Reality Check 101 compilation. The Brooklyn, New York-based English teacher was also putting in acclaimed work with Prince Paul and... Read more
January 17, 2019 Do Remember
Who Had The Best Rap Album Of 2017 (Battle 6): Brother Ali vs. Oddisee

Who Had The Best Rap Album Of 2017 (Battle 6): Brother Ali vs. Oddisee

We have our opinions on the best albums of 2017, but rather than simply list them, we thought it would be more interesting to hear what you, the readers, believe is the Best Rap Album of 2017. With that in mind, we decided to make our Best Rap Albums Of... Read more
December 23, 2017 Best Rap Album 2017
Oddisee Is In Amazing Stride. He Pops His Collar On A New Single (Audio)

Oddisee Is In Amazing Stride. He Pops His Collar On A New Single (Audio)

Oddisee has been mostly self-contained in 2017. He produces, he raps, and he does not do a ton of guest vocal features in modern times. Rather, attention is deserved on the Diamond District member's albums, most recently The Iceberg. Oddisee Is Having The Best Year Of His Career & The... Read more
September 13, 2017 Audio
Oddisee Is Having The Best Year Of His Career & The Great Music Keeps Coming (Audio)

Oddisee Is Having The Best Year Of His Career & The Great Music Keeps Coming (Audio)

In February, Oddisee's The Iceberg (below) helped forecast a great year for Hip-Hop. One of Mello Music Group's flagship artists followed up the stellar 2015 effort The Good Fight with another conversation piece about self-care, race relations, and the modern American immigrant family experience. The 15-plus-year veteran multi-threat shows that... Read more
September 6, 2017 Audio
Oddisee May Be Hip-Hop’s Most Underrated MC. His New Album Is Just The Tip Of The Iceberg (Audio)

Oddisee May Be Hip-Hop’s Most Underrated MC. His New Album Is Just The Tip Of The Iceberg (Audio)

If you count collaborative works, Oddisee has released 11 albums since 2008. That does not account for the litany of mixtapes, plethora of compilation work, and four EPs from the Mello Music Group mainstay. While so many contemporary independent artists can often recklessly release product to see what sticks, the... Read more
February 25, 2017 Audio
Red Pill Joins Blu For A Song About The Strife Life On A Soothing Oddisse Beat (Audio)

Red Pill Joins Blu For A Song About The Strife Life On A Soothing Oddisse Beat (Audio)

Michigan MC Red Pill is gifted in putting the circumstances of everyday twenty-something living. He makes songs about recreational alcoholism, a generational chasm, and going in on some junk food. But whatever the topic, the Mello Music Group MC comes with a sincerity and soul that's hard to replicate. For... Read more
November 25, 2015 Audio
Oddisee Shows Why He’s One of the Best Out Right Now With This Freestyle (Video)

Oddisee Shows Why He’s One of the Best Out Right Now With This Freestyle (Video)

Praised for his productions, Oddisee is nice with the gift of gab. While this year's The Good Fight standout may appear more about substance than style in places, the Diamond District keystone can easily flip to fast. Appearing in Tim Westwood's Cribs sessions, the Prince George County, Maryland multi-threat shows... Read more
September 16, 2015 Video
Oddisee Produced Finale’s Odds & Ends In Its Entirely (Album Stream)

Oddisee Produced Finale’s Odds & Ends In Its Entirely (Album Stream)

After more than six years between albums, Detroit, Michigan MC Finale just released Odds & Ends. The MC who previously boasted production by Flying Lotus and J Dilla, extends his working relationship with Oddisee. Following 2009's A Pipe Dream and A Promise, the 3-1-3 MC and the DMV producer (who... Read more
August 17, 2015 Audio
Oddisee’s Drum Programming Beautifully Accentuate Finale’s Encore (Audio)

Oddisee’s Drum Programming Beautifully Accentuate Finale’s Encore (Audio)

Heads may not be up on Finale. However, the Detroit, Michigan MC is worth every bit of your time. A former auto-plant worker, Finale's 2009 LP, A Pipe Dream And A Promise boasted beats by J Dilla, Flying Lotus, Black Milk, and Oddisee. Now finding a home at Mello Music... Read more
July 30, 2015 Audio
Oddisee Takes an Introspective Look at How We Fit Into the World (Video)

Oddisee Takes an Introspective Look at How We Fit Into the World (Video)

From its release, Oddisee's album The Good Fight has proven to be head and shoulders above many of this year's releases. The Mello Music Group LP's title applies both as a metaphor for Oddisee's more than 15-year career that is reaching new heights and as a representation of the life... Read more
July 27, 2015 Video
Oddisee Delivers One of Hip-Hop’s Standout Performances in 2015. This Is Special (Video)

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

Oddisee's The Good Fight is touted as one of 2015's most cohesive, relateable albums. Beyond simply Hip-Hop, the Diamond District member's latest solo outing dabbles in Jazz, R&B, and Spoken Word. Moreover, from the independent label of Mello Music Group, the mainstream is taking notice. The perfect example of that... Read more
June 27, 2015 Video
15 Amazing Hip-Hop Albums From 2015, So Far (Video)

15 Amazing Hip-Hop Albums From 2015, So Far (Video)

2015 is not even at its halfway mark, and already has proven to arguably be even more exciting than last year. Seemingly, we are living in the era of surprise. Drake dropped If You're Reading This It's Too Late on a whim, Kendrick Lamar advanced the release of To Pimp... Read more
June 1, 2015 Food for Thought, Video
Oddisee Reveals He’s Produced a Song for Kendrick Lamar & J. Cole (Video)

Oddisee Reveals He’s Produced a Song for Kendrick Lamar & J. Cole (Video)

Oddisee's The Good Fight is bringing a lot of attention to the Diamond District cofounder. Despite the fact that he's been making music on a large scale for more than a dozen years, Heads are still discovering the Mello Music Group mainstay. In an interview with Respect Due, Oddy' opens up... Read more
May 20, 2015 Video
Oddisee Is Out To Break The Mold In Every Way Possible (Audio)

Oddisee Is Out To Break The Mold In Every Way Possible (Audio)

At a time when bragging is really in vogue for a lot of artists, Oddisee refrains. Leading up to The Good Fight (May 5), the Diamond District co-founder uses "Belong To The World" to look within, and reflect on how being different is not only refreshing, but largely responsible for... Read more
April 15, 2015 Audio
Oddisee Goes Against Time In A Stimulating Visual (Video)

Oddisee Goes Against Time In A Stimulating Visual (Video)

Oddisee easily captures the viewers attention in his new video for his song, "CounterClockwise" which will be on his upcoming solo album, The Good Fight (May 5). The cut is about "being there for people, and them going against you as a result, which leads to you becoming the bearer... Read more
April 6, 2015 Video
Bumpy Knuckles & Big Daddy Kane Scorch Mics Over An Oddisee Beat (Audio)

Bumpy Knuckles & Big Daddy Kane Scorch Mics Over An Oddisee Beat (Audio)

For Heads paying attention, Bumpy Knuckles' Soundcloud page is the place to be. The Long Island, New York MC/producer regularly shares gems from his 29 years of catalog. From circa the mid-2000s, Freddie Foxxx shares a track ("The Fires Gettin' High") he made with his longtime friend Big Daddy Kane.... Read more
March 27, 2015 Audio
yU & Slimkat’s 1978ers Get Celestial While Tracking The Distance In Far (Video)

yU & Slimkat’s 1978ers Get Celestial While Tracking The Distance In Far (Video)

Diamond District is a heralded group with two celebrated studio albums, and a remix effort that excites as much as any in the last few calendars. However, outside the group, Oddisee, X.O., and yU beautifully exercise their individually. For the last of the three, yU, he regularly channels a Spoken... Read more
March 23, 2015 Video
Oddisee’s Songmaking Is Reaching New Levels. Mainstream, Take Notice… (Audio)

Oddisee’s Songmaking Is Reaching New Levels. Mainstream, Take Notice… (Audio)

Oddisee is more than 10 years deep in the music game. Still, the Diamond District front man always seems to put his most interesting sounds in the now. "That's Love" takes the expression commonly heard and often diluted and restores its essence. A love song, a life song, this funky... Read more
March 12, 2015 Audio
Here’s the Story of How Mello Music Group Defiantly Built a Haven for Real Hip-Hop (Interview)

Here’s the Story of How Mello Music Group Defiantly Built a Haven for Real Hip-Hop (Interview)

For the better part of the last decade, as independent label mainstays have been closing up their doors, going on hiatus, or reconfiguring their audience, Mello Music Group has secured a foundation. The Tucson, Arizona-based label has cultivated new voices, redeveloped lyrical legends, and built an industry model rooted in... Read more
March 10, 2015 Food for Thought
yU Gets A Mind-Melting Beat From Nottz & Gets To Storytellin’ (Audio)

yU Gets A Mind-Melting Beat From Nottz & Gets To Storytellin’ (Audio)

In an era when the compilation seems obsolete, Mello Music Group is focused on fighting the great fight. Following Phonte and Oddisee's deeply-compelling "Requiem," the upcoming Persona (March 10) sheds another captivating track. Diamond District's yU, who has released a series of strong solo albums with Mello, combines with fellow... Read more
January 30, 2015 Audio
Red Pill Goes To Work While Oddisee Goes Diggin’ (Audio)

Red Pill Goes To Work While Oddisee Goes Diggin’ (Audio)

Red Pill is moving fast with a battery in his back. After a few years of payin' dues (or as he says on "Smile," 10,000 hours), the Lansing, Michigan MC and Ugly Heroes member may have found the perfect home at Mello Music Group. Fresh off of speaking up about... Read more
January 20, 2015 Audio
Phonte & Oddisee Channel Pain Into Beautiful Art, Reacting To The World Today (Audio)

Phonte & Oddisee Channel Pain Into Beautiful Art, Reacting To The World Today (Audio)

In the wake of the 2014 murders of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and so many other Black men at the hands of law enforcement, there was a large outcry for artists to react, reflect, and somehow find the words we, the people, could not. Those expressions are indeed... Read more
January 13, 2015 Audio
Large Professor, Diamond D, Nottz & Black Milk Rework Diamond District’s LP (Album Stream)

Large Professor, Diamond D, Nottz & Black Milk Rework Diamond District’s LP (Album Stream)

In October, Diamond District delivered another potent album in March On Washington. An ode to their home city, Oddisee, yU, and X.O. maintained their level of range and consistentcy on the Mello Music Group release. Two months later, it's the Redux. Mello's in-house squad of Apollo Brown, Quelle Chris, and... Read more
December 16, 2014 Audio, Fresh
Black Milk, Large Professor, Nottz & Diamond D Are Remixing A 2014 LP, But Which? (Audio)

Black Milk, Large Professor, Nottz & Diamond D Are Remixing A 2014 LP, But Which? (Audio)

True remixes are a rarity these days. Remember the days when The Beatnuts might remix PMD, Diamond D might remix Outkast, or Marley Marl remix DJ Pooh? It's a little different in 2014. However, when Black Milk spins his take on an Oddisee-produced track, it's worth noting, and absolutely worth... Read more
December 1, 2014 Audio, Fresh
Diamond District Mines New Gems In March On Washington, Evidenced Here (Video)

Diamond District Mines New Gems In March On Washington, Evidenced Here (Video)

Diamond District is compromised of three vastly different artists in Oddisee, yU, and X.O. If only basing a union on their solo projects, this is an improbable trio. However, for two full-lengths, the Washington D.C. natives have mirrored the complexities of their city in extremely current, hard-hitting, forward-thinking music. March... Read more
November 20, 2014 Fresh, Video
March On Washington With Oddisee & Diamond District (Album Stream)

March On Washington With Oddisee & Diamond District (Album Stream)

Mello Music Group has offered—as they always seem to—the latest album stream from the Tucson, Arizona-based label. This one comes highly anticipated, the sophomore group effort from Diamond District. The Washington, D.C. trio of Oddisee, yU, and X.O. March On Washington over 14 tracks based around lyrical darts and thumping... Read more
October 14, 2014 Audio, Fresh
Here’s a Playlist of the Best Hip-Hop to Drop in September 2014 (Audio)

Here’s a Playlist of the Best Hip-Hop to Drop in September 2014 (Audio)

As we ease into October, here's a look back at some of the amazing music that came out in September 2014. You'll hear songs from DJ Quik, Nas, The Lox, Schoolboy Q, Common, Jay Electronica, MC Lyte, Childish Gambino, Raekwon, Logic, Rapsody, Yelawolf, Diamond D, Elzhi, Talib Kweli, Nature, Rick... Read more
October 7, 2014 Audio, Featured-homepage, Playlists
Diamond District’s First Step is a Return to the Boom BAP (Video)

Diamond District’s First Step is a Return to the Boom BAP (Video)

Diamond District, the collective of yU, Oddisee and Uptown XO, release their visuals for "First Step." The Oddisee-laced track is a return to the Boom Bap with some trunk-rumbling keys. Check out the video. Related: Diamond District Really Has Something In Their March On Washington (Audio)... Read more
October 2, 2014 Video
Diamond District Really Has Something In Their March On Washington (Audio)

Diamond District Really Has Something In Their March On Washington (Audio)

After sharing their "First Step" towards sophomore album, March On Washington (October 14) a month ago, Oddisee, yU, and X.O are back for more. "Lost Cause" is a very experimental beat from Oddy, with some powerful lyrics on the hopelessness and recklessness in society, this song really leaves marks. With... Read more
September 23, 2014 Audio, Fresh
Diamond District’s First Step In A March To Another Album (Audio)

Diamond District’s First Step In A March To Another Album (Audio)

Diamond District's March On Washington is coming on October 14. With the Mello Music Group release from Oddisee, yU, and X.O. available for pre-order, the acclaimed District of Columbia trio dropped off some highly anticipated new music. "First Step" is a fitting first glimpse from the March. With an electrofied... Read more
August 26, 2014 Audio, Fresh
Diamond District’s yU Makes A Heartfelt Dedication To His Late Father (Audio)

Diamond District’s yU Makes A Heartfelt Dedication To His Late Father (Audio)

Diamond District's yUthe78er has been one of Mello Music Group's best kept secrets. As a soloist, yU made one of the best Hip-Hop songs about Native American heritage in "Natives," and gave Heads hope in "Fine." In "Never Burning Out," one of the rare songs released by the Washington D.C.... Read more
August 16, 2014 Audio, Fresh
Oddisee Takes A Trippy Nighttime Ride Through The Back Of His Mind (Video)

Oddisee Takes A Trippy Nighttime Ride Through The Back Of His Mind (Video)

Producer/MC Oddisee has succeeded in capturing vibes throughout his 15-year career. That's why he's been sought out by everybody from J. Cole to J-Live to Joey Bada$$ (that's a lot of J's). The member of Diamond District and the Low Budget Crew continues to refine his craft when it comes... Read more
March 10, 2014 Fresh, Video