Just like any other genre of music, hip-hop has a passing of the torch from one generation to the next every now and then. While some proclaim that hip-hop is dead, there is a generation of emcees, producers and DJs who believe that hip-hop is still very much alive. At the forefront of this new generation is rapper/producer Oddisee, who by now needs no introduction.

The resident DMV artist gives hip-hop a soulful touch while maintaining a hard, neck-breaking thump. Coming off of Diamond District’s outrageously successful In The Ruff, Oddisee is poised for an all-out takeover. We got to catch up with him (no easy feat – he really is a traveling man) for some questions. Read on as Oddisee details his Odd Seasons EPs, thoughts on DMV hip-hop, and more.

PIMB: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us. How are things? What’s new in Oddisee’s world?

Oddisee: Pleasure is all mine. All is well, just on the road as usual trying to stay productive at the same time. I’ve got a slew of releases coming out this summer, both free and for sale.

PIMB: We’ve received the highly anticipated final piece to your four-part EP series dedicated to the seasons. Where did this idea come from? Do you have a particular season that fits you the best?

Oddisee: The idea of the Odd Seasons came to me in the form of my own playlist. I would often throw music on my mp3 player that reflected the season. I enjoy walking around DC, especially when I have my own soundtrack. I decided to really make it my own soundtrack and created a series of EPs that reflected the seasons’ effects on life. Fall is my favorite season but I’d say Odd Spring is my favorite out the four. Ask me that same question in winter and the answer might be different. LOL.

PIMB: You seem to be one of the forerunners of free hip-hop releases. In The Ruff was released for free as a clean version well before it retailed, and you’ve also released a number of free EPs. Given the current state of the music industry, do you feel that free releases are necessary for independent artists?

Oddisee: No. I feel free releases are necessary for me. There is no one-size-fits-all formula for artists anymore. For me, free releases generate potential buyers and shows. The free music is good, the live show is good, and the business is transparent. My supporters know that they actually support me. I take care of them and they take care of me.

PIMB: Let’s dig into musical influences. You have a varied cultural background. Did your mixed heritage have anything to do with what you came up listening to, and does it play a role in your music today?

Oddisee: My mixed heritage definitely influences my music. One of the main advantages my mixed heritage afforded me was traveling at a young age. Seeing the similarities and differences in music around the world inspired me. I love to incorporate different scales and drum patterns from other cultures into my music. I guess my heritage allowed me to have an open mind and even wider open ear.

PIMB: When you were growing up, which hip-hop acts had the biggest influence on you? Are there active artists today whose work you still admire?

Oddisee: The whole Native Tongues movement really influenced my preference in hip-hop. I still listen to everything I grew up listening to.

PIMB: You recently finished up a European tour with Trek Life, Diamond District, Blu, and Fashawn. Do you feel that the European tour experience is different than a North American tour? How so?

Oddisee: Touring Europe is definitely different from touring the states, but not for the reasons most would think. At the end of the day we still sell more records in the United States than anywhere else in the world. It’s the sheer size of the states that makes touring Europe a better experience. Drive two to four hours in Europe and you’re in a completely different country and demographic. Europe is smaller; major metropolises are near one another. It’s easier to string a tour together in Europe.

PIMB: In The Ruff is somewhat of an anthemic album for the DMV area. There are a number of artists, yourself included, who have really put a spotlight on DMV hip-hop. What is it about the DMV area that you are most proud of? Why is it so important for you to represent your region of the country through music?

Oddisee: I’m most proud of our ability to make great hip-hop, period. Representing my region is so important because I come from a region overlooked by most. I honestly think we’re making some of the best hip-hop right now, and I won’t stop until the world thinks so.

PIMB: You’ve got a number of collaborative and personal projects in the works. Shed some light on some of the albums that fans can expect in the future.

Oddisee: I have a slew projects coming out with numerous MC’s featuring me as the sole producer. These projects include Finale (Detroit), Stik Figa, (Topeka, KS) Tranqill, (London, UK) Trek Life (L.A.) and Olivier Daysoul. (UK via DC). Besides those projects I have a few beats on other artists’ albums, and I’m working on my solo album titled People Hear What They See. My solo album will come out late 2010.

PIMB: Are there any artists you would like to work with who you haven’t yet had the chance?

Oddisee: I’d love to work with Van Hunt, Kanye West, Kings of Convenience, Nipsey Hussle and Jake-One.

PIMB: What albums do you currently have on heavy rotation? Do you see any current underground artists that you think are poised to make some serious noise?

Oddisee: I’ve been rocking the Kings of Convenience album Declaration of Dependence hard. Besides that I haven’t had the time to listen to a lot of other material because I’ve been so busy working on my own. These days if I’m not working on my own music I read. It gives my ears a rest and allows me to get through some books I’ve been dying to read.

PIMB: Thanks so much for your time. Any last words for the readers?

Oddisee: Thank you; I appreciate the interview. As for the readers, thank you for reading this interview! Follow me on Twitter and download my free releases on Bandcamp. Peace.

Below is the first leak from the upcoming EP entitled “Shine,” which showcases Awon’s serene spittin’ style over Kameleon’s vintage production and proves the duo’s chemistry is something we can highly anticipate come February 26th. Awon’s team also blessed us with three cuts from his 2008 record. Catch up and cold lamp to these.

Download: Awon- Shine (Prod. Kameleon)
Download: Awon- Beautiful Loser
Download: Awon- Rain Drops
Download: Awon- Misery

Download: ChRis BaRz – Class[Sickz] Out the Dark [Bandcamp]

There are always certain artists working in the underground, steadily releasing great music while upholding the principles of true hip-hop, who get slept on more than the average underground hip-hopper. Damu The Fudgemunk is one of those cats. From his days producing with Boston-bred emcee Insight, under the Y Society moniker, it has been obvious that Damu has an ear for catchy samples and an uncompromising love for that ’90s boom bap sound. He also worked the solo circuit, releasing a few free projects to keep his fans’ appetites satiated. He also toured up and down the East Coast to various big cities, performing street shows. He’s even lent some of his talents to the uber-consistent group Panacea. Therefore, after compiling such a fine resume, it is very nice to see Damu getting recognized by being included in the Kilawatt EP series.

The Kilawatt EP series is a set of EPs that will be released, with one producer handling the production duties for each volume. And Kilawatt: V1 belongs to Damu. This particular volume is centered around two main tracks, “Day By Day” and “Prosper”, both of which feature the lyrics of emcee Raw Poetic, of the aforementioned Panacea. For each track there also appears an instrumental version included. Slipped in between each track is a “Wonka Beat” – basically just something extra that Damu threw in as a testament to his production skills. So naturally, this EP is very condensed content-wise (which should not have been an issue anyway for any seven-track EP).

Damu’s love for the old school is evident as each track is laced with the crackling of dusty vinyl, which adds a nice textural element to otherwise standard beats. Damu is a master sampler, and chooses wisely between jazzy horns, soulful keys, and various vocal samples. Each track has a rich authentic vibe, with simple boom bap drum loops providing the framework.

On the two vocal tracks, Raw Poetic does what he really does best; he has a knack for easing into a track, sitting back on the beat and just letting it ride, never feeling the need to become the sole focus of the music. He raps about positive, admirable topics, such as ways in which he can go about his daily routine to ensure that he lives a healthy and fulfilling life. However, at times his simplicity on the mic and vocal ease are lost in the exquisite production, making his presence somewhat diminished.

Kilawatt: V1 is certainly nothing new and improved (although I suppose if all you’ve been listening to is the radio, then it may seem so), but instead it just adds depth to what is unfolding as a fantastic production career for Damu. It is certainly worthy of the spins and old school heads will find comfort in the fact that there is still music like this available.

Download: Charlie Ross – The Charlie Ross Project

Many artists benefit from glowing endorsements from their colleagues, especially if the artist giving the suggestion has measurable talent themselves. However, as many listeners know, this doesn’t always mean the act is worth the energy. In the case of Charlie Ross, a producer and MC who hails from Pennsylvania and resides in the Washington Metropolitan area, the tactic has worth. yU (of Diamond District, The Remainz, and The 78ers fame) has taken on the task of introducing the world to Charlie Ross’ fantastic debut EP The Charlie Ross Project.

Recorded in 2007 in Japan and produced entirely by Ross, the EP begins on a strong note with “The SparkOff”. The melodic, hypnotic track is just sparse enough for Ross’ confident rhymes to shine brightly – and there is a fantastic interlude employing a humorous Richard Pryor routine at the song’s end. Next is “That Ol’ Live Ish”, a beautiful instrumental that would benefit greatly from vocals – a very slight disappointment early on.

Things pick up speed with “Deep Down Dirty” – Charlie Ross’ verses recant a true school aesthetic and the beat is a perfect backdrop for his performance. Again, another stellar interlude is featured at the end of the track. “I’m Gon Do It” is an amicable pairing of beats and rhymes but it reveals the EP’s most evident (if slight) flaw – much of its songs are smoothly paced and are devoid of any real energy. There’s also a limited amount of tempos, which renders the project to possessing a sameness throughout – but to Ross’ credit, the tracks stand out fine on their own. “Nuthin Can” is the EP’s bonus track and features the aforementioned yU. The track is perhaps this mini-project’s best; the energy that was lacking on the previous cuts finally appears. Charlie Ross and yU both deliver potent performances and the sampled hook wins in every regard.

Charlie Ross has shown the potential necessary to be a formidable artist with this offering. While this is all older material, it retains a fresh sound but lacks the variation to hold prolonged interest beyond a few listens. One should hope that with Charlie Ross’ next release that he’ll use his stellar vocal instrument to greater effect and take a few risks with tempo and pacing. Still, this EP serves as a fantastic introduction to yet another in the long list of DMV-based artists on the rise.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Potholes

The latest installment in the discography of esteemed DMV area producer, Kev Brown, comes in the form of a modest package of nine crafty beats, namely Random Joints. Kev kicks it off with a movie-like opening, “Listen…” as if introducing something long awaited, or something that had been in the works for quite some time. This may actually be very close to the truth. After his 2005 release I Do What I Do, Kev went to work producing outstanding tracks for an insanely wide range of rappers and singers, many, fittingly from his very own DMV area. With all of his production for others, it’s fair and understandable that he hadn’t had much time to delve into solo projects.

Enter: Random Joints, the slapped-together EP of, well, random joints that Kev has produced along the way. Yet, somehow it all works – to an extent. Basic boom-bap on “The Random Joint” gives way to more quirky production, sending off many tracks with a seemingly random short outro, as if it was picked out of a grab bag. Hitting the halfway point, “The Alternative Rock Joint” is just what it sounds like: a hip-hop beat laced with an alternative rock sample that trudges along, complete with an absurdly sleek guitar track.

Next comes the jazz, perhaps the one element where Kev Brown finds himself most comfortable – and it shows. The two standout tracks, “The Marvelous Joint” and “The Hennessy Joint”, each play with mellow jazz samples over drum loops that are simple enough to back the crackling vinyl production, yet strong enough to push the track forward. Each of these tracks also features Kev Brown’s good friends Yu and Kenn Starr, respectively, who each leave very solid verses.

As a production album, Kev was smart to limit this to just 9 tracks, because any more tracks would have greatly exposed this as a haphazardly assembled assortment of beats that don’t have much connection from one track to the next. But for those who can tolerate a bit of attention deficit with their beats, Random Joints is a sure-fire winner, with more pros than cons, and quite a few head-nodders.

Fresh off the release of his D.C. group, Diamond District’s In The Ruff album, Oddisee drops a fresh solo album, Mental Liberation. Okay, so it really might not be a solo album; Oddisee lends tracks to various guests, including D.C. area’s Kenn Starr, Yu, and XO, as well as Black Milk, J-Live, MED, Trek Life, and a slew of other top-notch guests big enough for a small army. From the start, Oddisee makes his intent clear, he wants to make hip-hop fun and cool again. He wants people to be able to think freely about the world around them. Just in case you could not tell from the opening track’s title, “Hip Hop’s Cool Again”, in the very next track, “Let The Music”, LMNO raps about his love for music and hip-hop in between commands of “Let the music get you up!”

In large part, Oddisee toys with a bit more experimental hip-hop, twisting intricate drum loops with horns and dark piano riffs. To his credit, certain tracks are a huge success. The soundscapes are deep and meaningful and manage to not drown out the rapper and/or the lyrics. The samples that Oddisee picks are also for the most part very fun, fitting into the overall aim of the album. However, at times Oddisee does seem to falter a little bit. At times the beats run a bit stagnant, and trail into monotony. The guests create a very nice addition to the album; each guest has at least a decent verse to contribute. Although at times bordering on battle raps, the majority of the guests maintain the idea of positive living, and the love for music and life. Kenn Starr lends a very nice appearance on the free-flowing “Q & A”. On “Endure Remix” the idea of persevering through tough times, and being strong-minded is explored. All in all, Mental Liberation succeeds in being a fun, cool record, just in time for the start of spring/summer.

Diamond District’s highly anticipated debut album In The Ruff, is a force – an elaborate, creative, tightly composed album sure to pop up on the majority of “Best of ‘09” lists. Diamond District consists of Oddisee, Y.U., and X.O., a Washington D.C. trio each of whom has been known for work with other top artists in the past.

However, coming together on In The Ruff, it almost becomes easy to forget that you are in fact listening to a group, because all three mesh together so well. This is not to say that they don’t each have personal touches on the album. They trade verses about various topics, all in all, crafting a ode to their hometown and homage to the hustle and grind.

Lyrically they depict stories about the nature of life on the streets – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Women, materialism, and money, elements often found in mainstream rap are present here, but not to a fault. There is a maturity with which these topics are approached, and ultimately Diamond District proves that their minds stretch far deeper. Even when the topics turn to the dark and bleak, there is a gleam of hope and inspiration to be taken from their messages. On “Streets Won’t Let Me Chill” the daily grind of the ghetto is examined almost as thoughtfully as certain tracks on Illmatic, and then the glory that can be found in the streets is found on the redemption track “In The Ruff.”

From a production standpoint, Oddisee weaves in a variety of instruments and often experiments with complex rhythms that engage the listener without venturing into left-field hip-hop. The samples are also very well chosen. Some old (Gang Starr – Mass Appeal), some more recent (Jay-Z –Izzo (H.O.V.A.)) The production even seems to touch on electronica/trip-hop influences (note the groovy baseline and synths in “Who I Be” [sounds like DJ Shadow – Organ Donor]). On the whole, In The Ruff is well paced with hardly a dull moment. It’s lyrically top-notch and a superior example of what hip-hop can be. D.C.: be proud.