Oh No – Nodega [LP]

Oh No helped shape the texture of modern independent hip-hop, introducing the world to his turbulent lyricism with the2004 Stones Throw classic The Disrupt before establishing himself as one of the world’s most dynamic beat architects.Ranging from soulful to sinister, hypnotic to chaotic, Dr. No’s psychedelic production has become a vital force in hip-hop,bringing the best out of artists like Mos Def, Action Bronson, Prodigy, Murs, Dilated Peoples, Danny Brown, Elzhi, YourOld Droog, and more. The California native has also released several acclaimed sample-themed instrumental collections,mining Mediterranean psyche funk, the work of jazz icon Roy Ayers, Italian library music, rare Ethiopian grooves, and more.Now, Oh No is back with Nodega, his first vocal album in more than a decade. Conceptualized as a corner store wheremicrophone assassins stop through to lay down their street tales, the project finds Oh No cooking up a fresh batch of wildcreations as the drama unfolds. While contributing a handful of memorable verses himself, Oh No mostly focuses oncrafting soundscapes for a staggering array of guests, including Logic, Ghostface Killah, Talib Kweli, Tha God Fahim,Alchemist, Guilty Simpson, Blu, Crimeapple, Rah Digga, Esoteric, Vic Spencer, Wildchild, Big Twins, and more. ”Iwork with some of the most dangerous emcees in the game,” he explains. ”I wanted the album to be like a hip-hop play, withall these different geniuses showing how they steal the scenes.” This concept is brought to life by music Oh No describes asa ”cinematic landscape ranging from dark stabbing pianos to melodic jazz interludes, raw gutter loops to funk grit, dirtysynths to nighttime thrills.” A visceral experience elevated by immense collective talent, Nodega is a compelling one-stopshop for Oh No’s expansive artistry.