Oddisee


Amir Mohamed el Khalifa, better known by his stage name Oddisee, is an American rapper and record producer from Washington, D.C. He is one third of rap trio Diamond District. He was also part of the Low Budget Crew. He is based in Brooklyn, New York.

Early life

Oddisee was born to an African American mother and a Sudanese father, at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C. He was raised by his stepmother and father. He grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, as well as Prince George's County, Maryland. He moved to Washington, D.C. after high school.

Career

In 2010, Oddisee released Traveling Man on Mello Music Group. His Odd Spring mixtape was listed on the Washington Post's Best Local Hip-Hop mixtapes of 2010. In 2011, Oddisee released Rock Creek Park, which was ranked as a Mixtape of the Week by Stereogum. Odd Seasons, a collection of EPs released throughout the previous 12 months, was also released that year.
In 2012, he released an album, People Hear What They See. The Beauty in All, his first instrumental release since Rock Creek Park, was released in 2013. In that year, he also released Tangible Dream. In 2015, he released The Good Fight. In 2016, he released an EP, Alwasta, and a mixtape, The Odd Tape. In 2017, he released a studio album, The Iceberg, as well as a live album, Beneath the Surface.

Style and influences

Oddisee was originally influenced by his parents' heritages, combined with a hip hop influence from his older cousins. In an interview with NPR, he explained why he was influenced by early East Coast emcees such as Eric B. & Rakim, De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. He stated that these rappers don't talk about drugs or murder, and he could relate more to their lyrics.

Discography

Studio albums