Oddisee continues his winning streak with his fourth seasonal EP, Odd Spring. Starting in the summer of 2009, he has brought a killer free project that greatly grasps the vibe and feel of each season. And many times, these EPs act as a means of previewing an upcoming project. For example, Odd Spring features a track called “The Beat is for Finale” that more than likely will feature the Detroit rapper when their collaborative Odds & Ends project drops this year. This free sampling of Oddisee material also hosts features from his Diamond District crew, Muneshine, Kingpin Slim, and Olivier Daysoul. Hit the skip to grab this excellent free EP and kick off spring the right way.
Download: Oddisee – Odd Spring

Download: Oddisee – Odd Winter

Download: XO – ONE.ONE.TEN

Hit the skip for the full artwork & track listing… 01 – Intro (One. One. Ten) (Prod By Oddisee)
02 – Fast Life (Prod By Oddisee)
03 – Lime Light (Feat. Alison Carney) (Prod By AB The Producer)
04 – Take Home (Feat. Raheem Devaughn) (Prod By AB The Producer)
05 – U Not Like Me (Prod By AB The Producer)
06 – Black Broadway (Prod By Oddisee)
07 – We R The Ones (Feat. Tabi Bonney) (Prod By Oddisee)
08 – She Pose Too (Prod By Soulful)
09 – Crucial (Feat. Gordo Brega) (Prod By AB The Producer)
10 – I Want In (Feat. Ishan Bilal) (Prod By AB The Producer)
11 – Blah Blah (Prod By Oddisee)
12 – City Loves Me Back (Feat. Alison Carney) (Prod By AB The Producer)
13 – Do It (Prod By AB The Producer)
14 – City sh*t (Feat. Toney Night) (Prod By AB The Producer)
15 – How Does It Feel (Prod By AB The Producer)

Download: Diamond District – “Gully” [Right Click and Save-As]

Download: Diamond District & DJ Buddy – Diamond Exchange

Download: Diamond District – “I Mean Business” [Right Click Save-As]

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.

Diamond District, comprised of Oddisee, Y.U. and X.O., make their first jump into the scene as a unit with their free album, In The Ruff. The first two tracks that leaked off the project,  ”I Mean Business” and “Who I Be” had me very excited to hear the rest of what these guys had cooking. With cats like Wale, Kev Brown, Kenn Starr, and more, it is a very exciting time to be making hip-hop in the DMV. Oddisee also have his solo project dropping very soon, so be on the watch for more details on that!

Download: Diamond District – In The Ruff

Hit the skip for additional artwork and tracklist…