Oddisee – “No Trouble”

Oddisee – “No Trouble”

The Arizona-based indie label Mello Music Group started up in 2007, and it’s become one of the most dependably interesting rap labels on the planet. Mello Music Group has carved out a pretty interesting space in the landscape, releasing music that veers toward true-school underground rap without losing a sense of adventurousness. In recent years, for instance, the label has put out great records from people like Open Mike Eagle, Quelle Chris, Skyzoo, and Homeboy Sandman. Given that the label started out by releasing records from the rapper/producer Oddisee, this only seems appropriate.

Oddisee, raised in DC and currently based in Brooklyn, remains one of indie-rap’s great secret weapons — someone capable of layering refracted soul and jazz melodic ideas without being showy about it or losing his central boom-bap knock. Last year, after a long period of quiet, Oddisee came back with his Odd Cure EP. Today, Oddisee has shared a new track from a forthcoming Mello Music Group compilation.

Mello Music Group will release the new comp Bushido next month, and it’ll feature a ton of contributors from inside and outside the MMG roster. Rappers like Open Mike Eagle, Kool Keith, Quelle Chris, B-Real, Homeboy Sandman, Stalley, and the Perceptionists appear on the album. Producers like Georgia Anne Muldrow, the Alchemist, Nottz, the Lasso, and L’Orange also contribute. Oddisee has two self-produced tracks on it. One of them is the warm, sunny lope “No Trouble,” which you can hear below.

MMG also recently shared the Joell Ortiz/Stalley/Namir Blade/Solemn Brigham posse cut “Black Rock.” Here’s that one:

The Bushido compilation is out 4/2 on Mello Music Group.

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