We've kept our eyes and ears on Oddisee since our inception back in 2007, because, well, it'd have been ridiculous for us not to. I mean, all the D.C. artist/producer has done is pump out one poignant album after the other, year after year, offering us either inspired instrumentation, canny lyricism, or a combination of the two within each infectious effort of his. In the summer of last year, the living legend from the DMV released his solo debut album, a collection of astounding tracks called People Hear What They See, which included both our most beloved beat of the year, and also one of our favorite tracks from the twelve months (the two are synonymous). The project was one of the most cohesive we've ever heard, and its themes of "influence, inspiration, perception and reality" enabled us to relate to, rather than merely revel in, the introspective offerings of a man with words to share. And while we've kept PHWTS in rotation up until this point, it has come time for us to immerse ourselves in Oddisee's latest lyrical effort, Tangible Dreams. The album, accompanying another of his, an instrumental tape entitled The Beauty In All, spells the thoughts of the artist, embodying his belief that dreams, when modest, are able to be obtained. [do action="manual-block-quote"]I discovered that I can make a career in an arena dominated by artists that sell false dreams. I realized that, although the masses may not know of my body of work, it doesn’t take the whole world to have the world I want. Tangible Dream is dedicated to the deconstruction of our traditional ideas of success & shedding light on the possibility of a sustainable rap life.[/do] And it should be noted that, while Oddisee is well aware of the tremendous talent had in his possession, and also in the Diamond District personnel he's helped orchestrate, he's not the type to flaunt it in any ostentatious manner. His artistry precedes the fame that has so deservedly come with, and he'd definitely prefer you to remember him by his lines, rather than by your perception of him. [do action="manual-block-quote"]These rhymes [in Tangible Dream] were written in economy class seats, these beats were produced on long bus trips & these songs were recorded in airbnb apartments. All I want to do is make music for a living so that I can live to make music [and] perhaps the world may never know of my accomplishments, but accomplishments they are nonetheless.[/do] He's damn right that they're accomplishments. Tangible Dream reeks of the kind of rhymes you'd expect from a master of his craft; they're littered throughout the thirteen-track aural affair, making you shake your head in inspired incredulity as you nod to the diverse, but always intriguing beats accompanying the introspective attacks on the mic. There's really nothing at all to skip over on the album, which is an unfortunately amazing occurrence by today's rap standards. Every single track on it has the potential to enrapture the senses, twist the mind, and tilt the head. And that's why we're going to call Tangible Dream one of the top projects of the year. You can catch our highlights below, and then head over to Oddisee's Bandcamp page to purchase and hear the rest.
Oddisee