It’s no doubt that DC has emerged to be one of the hottest cities in the country. The restaurant scene down there is poppin’ off, and the musical talent which exists in that city is finally getting its just recognition. Maybe Oddisee and Yu (two-thirds of Diamond District) had this in mind when they dropped “Still Doin’ It,” and ode to their fair city and my former home. Who knows? Check it.

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With a combination of  old-school beats that bounce with a soulful strut and lyrical prowess that paints vivid pictures of D.C.’s disillusioned youth, it is no surprise that Diamond District has emerged as one of the frontrunners for best new hip-hop group.  Rolling Stone magazine, along with a host of other publications and media outlets, have recognized them for their buzzworthy-ness.

The pulse of this three-man operation is producer/rapper Oddisee, who has been making a name for himself by producing for artists such as Freeway, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Little Brother, De La Soul, and Nikki Jean.  He steps to the forefront with his newest magnum opus, the sprawling Odd Seasons, which consists of 4 seperate EPs that highlight summer, spring, fall, and winter with a total of 31 tracks!  Some of them are full-fledged songs, while some are perfect little nuggets of sonic ideology that you wish had been fleshed out a bit more (smart move on his part….your mind gets crammed with lots of great ideas, but not bogged down by a bunch of words).

The tracks that stand out to me the most are those that feature the British M.C. Tranqill.  “The Supplier” offers ample opportunity for one’s head to bob.  Tranqill spits such an easy flow, laced with that unmistakable U.K. accent, but it compliments the “Cooley High” vibe quite well.  “Ci’iy Life” and “It’s Over” offer up some pastoral melancholy that has Tranqill reminding me of a long-lost British member of The Pharcyde.  Most British M.C.’s are rapping on top of hyper-electro beats that have them skidding and scrambling to keep up, but the mix of London accent with D.C. hip-hop/soul strut is such an awesome combination that I wouldn’t be surprised if we heard more of this type of collaborative effort. It’s a fresh sound with an ear to the future of hip-hop that still maintains it’s roots in the traditional dopeness of an effortlessly poetic and thoughtful urban flow.

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Other highlights include “That Day,” which features D.C.’s favorite free-spirited soul fairie Musinah, “Birds and Bees” and “Black Broadway” which reconnects Oddisee with the Diamond District crew (reppin’ HARD for D.C.!!!), and “I’m From P.G.” which has Oddisee doing his rap thing solo with pin-sharp observations that sum up the experience of the young black independent-thinking male living in the DMV.

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This project bursts at the seams with excellence!  All the elements that make hip-hop enjoyable are present in abundance.  There is a very clear vision that steers this collection of songs to an elevated level of artistry.  I will proclaim loudly and proudly that D.C. and the entire DMV area is being represented to the fullest by this young man and his wide-reaching talent.

5/5

If you’re into underground hip-hop, then you already know about producer Oddisee and rising MC Toine of the group DTMD. Both acts originated in the DMV and both have had stellar years in 2010, with the former moving to Brooklyn, and the latter gaining recognition worldwide. So it’s about time that both collaborate.

“Different Now,” is a rather epic track, with Oddisee’s beats hitting a little harder than his usual work. The flip of The Manhattan’s Am I Losing You was just the basis for his instrumental, while he adds more synths on top. On top of that, Odd takes the mic in addition to the homie Toine, who’s lyrics about the maturatation into mainhood is timely and poitnant. The result is a track that lacks the throwback elements of Diamond Distrct but gives us a glimpse of Oddisee’s future production.

“Different Now” is a free track off of the Mello Music Group’s Helpless Dreamer compilation, which is out now.

My first run-in with the UK’s dope DJ/producer Kidkanevil was only a few months ago, when he laced a remix for the Belleruche song – “Backyard”. Since then I’ve been checking for anything of his both old and new – and fortunately the new came sooner rather than later. He just dropped a hot download called Freebeatsnbleeps – and one track that immediately had me buggin’ was the wayyyy too short “ZoOoOoOop” featuring Oddisee. Although released last year this is my first encounter with the song and all 1 minute and 27 seconds of it is absolute FIRE. Peep it below then head over to Kidkanevil’s Bandcamp page to download all of Freebeatsnbleeps foe FREE!

Kokayi, the singer/rapper/songwriter/producer behind Robots & Dinosaurs, out last week on QN5 Music, is nothing if not prolific. Since the release of his debut album in 2007, the D.C. native has offered up six releases through projects like Dastardly and the Caesarz. He’s also collaborated with the likes of Ethiopian singer Wayna, whose Grammy-nominated “Lovin’ You (Music)” he co-produced. A consummate genre-bender, Kokayi flows in and out of hip hop, funk, electro and afropunk.

What’s clear from this latest release, though, is the extent of his craft. Aside from a production credit by fellow DMVer Oddisee, Kokayi wrote and produced every song on Robots & Dinosaurs. The result is a record that is as sonically consistent as it is interesting. Kokayi smoothly blends horns, strings and synthesizer sounds to arrive at a sound that is distinctly his. Some hooks, like the opening track “The Onceler’s Theme” and “Believe It,” are catchy and have radio potential.

However, Kokayi could benefit from taking to heart the popular adage usually reserved for writers: “Show, don’t tell.” On the cringe-worthy single “RoxTar,” Kokayi tries to convince the listener that he’s more than just another rapper by name-dropping dozens of rock artists and laying down a cliche guitar solo that makes it hard to take him seriously as, well, a rockstar. A remix of “RoxTar” is even worse and should have been left off the album.

Some much-needed subtlety could have helped showcase Kokayi’s impressive beats and well-crafted melodies, rather than bury them under a barrage of over-produced vocals. While the music is solid on practically every track, Kokayi’s vocals can be jarring––at times his singing is grating, as on “OverThere (O.R.S.),” and his raps can seem forced, as on “Only.” These blunders, sadly, distract from what are his clear talents as a musician and beat-maker.

Still, while it may not be the breakout record he was hoping for, Robots & Dinosaurs is an admirable effort from Kokayi. And, as prolific as he’s proven himself to be, it’s surely not the last we’ll be hearing from him.

Kokayi, the singer/rapper/songwriter/producer behind Robots & Dinosaurs, out last week on QN5 Music, is nothing if not prolific. Since the release of his debut album in 2007, the D.C. native has offered up six releases through projects like Dastardly and the Caesarz. He’s also collaborated with the likes of Ethiopian singer Wayna, whose Grammy-nominated “Lovin’ You (Music)” he co-produced. A consummate genre-bender, Kokayi flows in and out of hip hop, funk, electro and afropunk.

What’s clear from this latest release, though, is the extent of his craft. Aside from a production credit by fellow DMVer Oddisee, Kokayi wrote and produced every song on Robots & Dinosaurs. The result is a record that is as sonically consistent as it is interesting. Kokayi smoothly blends horns, strings and synthesizer sounds to arrive at a sound that is distinctly his. Some hooks, like the opening track “The Onceler’s Theme” and “Believe It,” are catchy and have radio potential.

However, Kokayi could benefit from taking to heart the popular adage usually reserved for writers: “Show, don’t tell.” On the cringe-worthy single “RoxTar,” Kokayi tries to convince the listener that he’s more than just another rapper by name-dropping dozens of rock artists and laying down a cliche guitar solo that makes it hard to take him seriously as, well, a rockstar. A remix of “RoxTar” is even worse and should have been left off the album.

Some much-needed subtlety could have helped showcase Kokayi’s impressive beats and well-crafted melodies, rather than bury them under a barrage of over-produced vocals. While the music is solid on practically every track, Kokayi’s vocals can be jarring––at times his singing is grating, as on “OverThere (O.R.S.),” and his raps can seem forced, as on “Only.” These blunders, sadly, distract from what are his clear talents as a musician and beat-maker.

Still, while it may not be the breakout record he was hoping for, Robots & Dinosaurs is an admirable effort from Kokayi. And, as prolific as he’s proven himself to be, it’s surely not the last we’ll be hearing from him.

Oddisee just won’t stop.

On top of touring with Diamond District, and spending long stints in Europe and the West Coast, the homie still has time to drop yet another dope mixtape. This time is West Coast beats, which was inspired by his 2 week trip to LA, sampling LA funk and soul. On top of that West Coast MC Trek Life joins to host the joint.

Good Look.

On that tip, Oddisee and his crew Diamond District will be returning to DC to perform at Black Cat next Saturday. Check it.

Download: Oddisee – Odd Spring

Props to my homie Oddisee who is consistently putting out some of the best free music in hip-hop these days. His follow-up to Odd Winter, Odd Spring picks up right where he left off, bringing along his Diamond District crew as well as DMV rapper Kingpen Slim and Toronto MC Muneshine. As the final installment in his “season” series, we can only think of new concepts that the dude has up his sleeve.

Oddisee has two West Coast Dates with Diamond District in LA tonight and tomorrow. Don’t sleep!

5/14 – Los Angeles, California Diamond District & DJ Quartermaine @ Self Help Graphics & Art Center
5/15 – Los Angeles, California Diamond District & DJ Quartermaine @ Fat Beats (In Store)

Also, don’t sleep on Travelin’ Man, the best hip-hop instrumental album this year. Yeah, I said it.

J Scrilla – “No Love” Ft. – K-Beta, XO, Oddisee, Ra the MC, T.E.F.L.O.N., Judah, & Wordsmith from Seannie Cameras on Vimeo.

DOWNLOAD: Diamond District – Diamond Exchange Mixtape

Diamond District – I Mean Business (buy from iTunes)

If you only think of Wale when it comes to DC Hip-Hop, then its time to get educated about the other emerging talent that is coming out of the DMV (District, Maryland and Virginia). Case in point, the Diamond District (aka XO, Yu, and Oddisee), who are also making waves with their release In the Ruff, which drops officially on vinyl, CD & digital formats October 27th. The group just finished up a college tour of the South, as well as a nice slot at the AC3 Hip-Hop festival in Atlanta and are now gaining national and international recognition. including spins on Benji B’s Deviation show on BBC Radio. The lead track, “I Mean Business,” is a certified banger, and will definitely keep heads noddin’ this year.

In other DC Hip-Hop news, the Washington Post just did a huge spread on our city, featuring Wale, XO,Phil Ade, Kingin Slim, and Phil Ade. If you want a good primer about DC Hip-Hop, it is truly a must read. The most interesting note about the article is that Tabi (whom The Couch Sessions profiled way back in 2006) is teaming up with will.i.am to form a new pop group called the CryBabies.

And mark your calendars, because XO is Headlining our ALL KILLER NO FILLER event on November 5th!!

The Diamond District – In The Ruff

Even though DC hasn’t getten it’s spot at the table of famous hip-hop cities, there is a lot of lyrical and production talent here in the Nation’s Capital. The Diamond District, the collaboration of XO, YU and Oddisee hope to change that. You might know Oddisee from his production credits for Freeway, Talib
Kweli, Siagon, Little Brother,Charles Hamilton, Jazzy Jeff and J-live but you might not of heard of XO, who is next in line for the DC thrown as well as YU. The album itself harks back to the “golden era” beats that we miss dearly, complete with that DC sensibility that the world needs to hear. Slimkat also makes production credits with this one and my new homie Steve Smith lends his talent to the track “First Time.”

This is yet another good look for DC. Check out In The Ruff and let me know what you think.