I’m not sure hip hop was ever not cool. Oddisee, at least, has been impossibly cool for as long as I have been aware of him.
Oddisee has long been one of the most entertaining producers in ‘underground’ hip hop. He seems to be working constantly, with a bulging discography of soul-inflected, classic-sounding records. His Odd Seasons collection – four records, one for each season – is particularly good.
His 2009 album Mental Liberation has just been rereleased, along with rediscovered bonus material. The opening track, ‘Hip Hop’s Cool Again’, is an early high point; the head-nodding beat is characteristically compulsive, and Oddisee sounds particularly lyrically at ease here.
Mental Liberation (which includes guest spots from Trek Life and MED, amongst others) is currently free to download from Bandcamp. You can get the LPs on import here.
http://soundcloud.com/tlobf/oddisee-hip-hops-cool-again
- Jordan Adetunji returns with "X n the City"
- R.E.M. announce five-track benefit EP, Radio Free Europe 2025
- Charli XCX, Neneh Cherry, Jordan Stephens, and more sign open letter of solidarity to trans community
- Moses Sumney, Yukimi Nagano, Obongjayar and Yussef Dayes to feature on Little Simz's forthcoming album, Lotus
- Palace and NoSo join lineup for Khruangbin's Gunnersbury Park show
- Mádé Kuti returns with new single, "I Won't Run Away"
- Kaeto presents new track, "words"
Get the Best Fit take on the week in music direct to your inbox every Friday
