Amir Mohamed el Khalifa[2] (born on February 24, 1985),[3] better known by his stage nameOddisee, is an American rapper and record producer fromWashington, D.C.[4] He is one third of the hip hop trio Diamond District.[5] He was also part of the Low Budget Crew.[6] He is based inBrooklyn,New York.[7]
In 2010, Oddisee released the instrumental albumTraveling Man fromMello Music Group.[11] HisOdd Spring mixtape was listed on theWashington Post's Best Local Hip-Hop mixtapes of 2010.[12] In 2011, Oddisee releasedRock Creek Park, which was ranked as a Mixtape of the Week byStereogum.[13]Odd Seasons, a collection of EPs released throughout the previous 12 months, was also released that year.[14]
In 2012, he released a studio album,People Hear What They See.[15]The Beauty in All, his first instrumental release sinceRock Creek Park, was released in 2013.[16] In that year, he also releasedTangible Dream.[17] In 2015, he releasedThe Good Fight.[18] In 2016, he released an EP,Alwasta, and a mixtape,The Odd Tape.[19] In 2017, he released a studio album,The Iceberg,[20] as well as a live album,Beneath the Surface.[21]
Oddisee was originally influenced by Black American jazz traditions and the Golden Age of hip-hop from his older American cousins. Oddisee was primarily influenced by Black American musical traditions. Growing up next door to Parliament Funkadelic's bass player Gary Shider in P.G. County, Maryland left a deep musical impact on the young Oddisee. He is also influenced by gospel music and the vocal harmonizing traditions of his Black American heritage. In an interview withNPR, he explained why he was influenced by early East Coast emcees such asEric B. & Rakim,De La Soul, andA Tribe Called Quest. He stated that these rappers don't talk about drugs or murder, and he could relate more to their lyrics.[10]
Sareem Poems - "Tell It" and "She So" fromBlack and Read All Over (2009)
Verbal Kent - "In the Beginning" fromSave Your Friends (2010)
Trek Life - "Ready to Live", "Still Never Rains", "As the World Turns", "Everything Changed Nothing", “Wow", "Due West", "So Supreme", "I'd Rather Be", "So LA", "Jump Out There", and "Might Sound Crazy" fromEverything Changed Nothing (2010)
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