Oddisee: People Hear What They See

   Amir Mohamed el Khalifa is the product of an African American mother and a Sudanese father but that is not all he is composed of. His true identity is shown through the music that flows through him. He reveals his true identity through hip-hop, going by his stage name Oddisee. Oddisee is a D.C. native but his roots are in Largo, Prince George’s County, Maryland. With a combination of influences from his parents’ heritages and influences from  Rakim, De La Soul,  and a Tribe Called Quest, Oddisee creates a beautiful work of art in his 2012 studio album People Hear What They See. 

  The album has a different vibe than most of the music I usually listen to but Oddisee's voice demanded respect and I was compelled to listen. Although his music is new to me, Oddisee is not a new name in hip-hop. In 2010, his Odd Spring mixtape was listed in Washington Post as one of the Best Local Hip-Hop mixtapes of the year. The following year when he we released Rock Creek Park, the mixtape was named mixtape of the week by Stereogum. Oddisee's art and his passion has been progressing through the journey of his career, dating all the way back to 2006. In People Hear What They See, he wanted to talk about his influences, inspirations, his perception, and his reality and form it into a musical work of art. 

    Oddisee’s artistry shows through expressive lyrics and rhythmic tracks. Oddisee opens up People Hear What They See with the song Ready To Rock just talking about being himself. In the first verse he says “What you are you can’t escape from // so embrace it, don’t run away from // being that digit in that everyday equation”. He’s sending the message that it’s okay to be yourself and you don’t have to try so hard to be something you’re not. You can tell the album was well thought out and he is very conscious of what he believes in and what he wants to say through his music. The central theme of his album revolves around problems that he sees in his everyday life. The rapper stated that "every song on the album was written in an outside environment so that I could observe what was around me and let it become my subject matter". One of my personal favorites from the album, American Greed, Oddisee said, was inspired by watching lawyers and congressmen converse on the steps of the Supreme Court. In verse two of the song, Oddisee says "Them laws invented by those who break 'em, I bend 'em // I'm painted as heinous by hypocrites who feel offended". This song was a clear representation of how he felt about the government. The lyrics are very self explanatory revealing his thoughts of the government being corrupt and Americans as a whole are greedy because they take advantage of the things they have and constantly want more than they need. 

    People Hear What They See is a very interesting album because unlike the music that I listen to, it focused on the bigger picture. When I listen to the music of rappers from DC or other areas around DC, they often talk about the struggles of living in the city and what life in the "ghetto" parts of the city are like. Oddisee did an amazing job of focusing on multiple subjects that came together as one huge central theme of the reality that we see on a daily basis. I didn't like every single song on the album, however, there was not one song that I did not understand. Based on the way that Oddisee eloquently conveyed the messages he intended to in the album, I would give it an overall rating of a 9 out of 10. Oddisee shows that he is more than just a rapper, he is an activist that is passionate about the things that happen around him and things that affect others. 

4 Favorite Tracks:

1. American Greed
2. Way In Way Out
3. Ready to Rock
4. Maybes

Macklemore: White Privilege II Review

White supremacy is a topic that is often discussed in America yet, it is still a sensitive subject. African Americans and other minority races are usually the victims subject to white supremacy. So who wouldn’t find it a little strange when a white person, who thrives off white supremacy, discusses this touchy subject. Not just a white person, but a white “rapper”, who some would say is influential in hip-hop. The 32 year old Seattle native Ben Haggerty, known by his stage name Macklemore takes an interesting approach on the issue in his song White Privilege II.

Macklemore was brave enough to tackle this large issue of race, giving valuable insight from his perspective. In one part of the song, Macklemore speaks as a white mother who is not a fan of hip-hop saying “You’re the only hip-hop that I let my kids listen to // Cause you get it, all that negative stuff isn’t cool // Yeah like all the guns and the drugs // The bitches and the hoes and the gangs and the thugs”. With this, he gives off a feeling of guilt for being who he is and in a sense, being the face of white supremacy in hip-hop. Although what he is saying is true, this line, just like most of the song is more of a battle with his conscience than it is a stand against the issue. He makes it seem like he is responsible and the one to blame for all of these problems. Don’t get me wrong, the song definitely does make a statement, but instead of focusing on what the song is supposed to be about, he makes himself the victim.

The song is very political in the way it is conveyed than it is emotional. Comparing himself to other white musicians who are famous for resampling black music styles and and saying he needs to read more articles and have more conversations to tackle the issue are just some of the many ways that Macklemore takes a political approach instead of connecting to the audience. I will say that it gives white people a better understanding of their supremacy but it will not get to them on a level deep enough for them to want to step up and do something about it. His lyrics are very self explanatory and I think they lack the depth and emotion needed to make the song impactful.

The song conveys a message of don’t just be aware of racism, do something about it. The message had the potential of being meaningful but I feel that the person delivering the message is what made the song lack quality. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with a white person expressing their concerns and speaking on white supremacy but it lacks quality when they haven’t experienced the negative side of it. Macklemore was brave in making this song but I don’t feel like he is experienced enough socially or musically to take on such a strong topic such as this one. Although I agree with the truths about race that he expresses, it seems like more of a lecture to himself than a hard-hitting message to the listeners. I am not a fan of Macklemore and given the average quality of the song, it was not enough to make me want to become a fan. The song was a strong stance against the issue but that doesn’t make it a good song.