The Odd Tape

Oddisee is an everyman with extraordinary talent. Both a rapper chronicling the perils and joys of ordinary existence, and a virtuosic producer attuned to the vibrations of how life actually sounds. But don't mistake 2016's The Odd Tape for the noise of birds chirping, idle chatter, or car alarms; it's that internal soul-jazz reverberating at the back of your brain. For the previous decade, the Mello Music Group artist alternated between instrumental albums, full-length rap records, and his role as one-third of Diamond District. The Odd Tape is technically the former - there are no vocals - but if you call this an instrumental album, you might as well say the same about Bitches Brew. The Odd Tape showcases the range of a composer bending hip-hop, soul, and jazz into singular form, tapping into that same emotional Fort Knox that animates all wordless choruses.