Cover Oddisee is bringing a classic hip hop show to Hong Kong on May 22 (Photo: Instagram/@oddisee)
Oddisee is bringing a classic hip hop show to Hong Kong on May 22 (Photo: Instagram/@oddisee)
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In our '10 Minutes With…' series, we speak to Oddisee about his latest music, returning to Hong Kong and more ahead of his performance at Terrible Baby
Amir Mohamed el Khalifa, better known as Oddisee, is as eloquent as he is efficient with his choice of words. As a rapper, this ability is paramount, but it also comes from a place of assuredness having been in the music industry for over a decade and observing and cultivating inspiration from a life of international experiences.
Ahead of his show at Terrible Baby on May 22, the American artist shared his excitement with Tatler to return to Hong Kong after five years, his personal development after the pandemic, the impact travel can have on music and much more.
How would you describe your musical style?
I would describe my musical style as very Black American. It is the sum of blues, soul, hip hop, jazz and R&B—all things that Black America has contributed to music, wrapped up together.
Your 2023 album, To What End, is rich with storytelling. Do you draw inspiration from personally lived moments or collective experiences from the Black community?
Many of my inspirations come from my own life as well as what I’ve observed. [Black American writer] James Baldwin said that it’s the artist’s responsibility to tell stories for those who cannot tell them for themselves, so I take social commentary and my experiences and put them into music—the combination of the two creates a body of work that people can relate to.
Your most recent album, Odd Sketches Vol. 1, departs from that lyricisms and focuses more on beats and music. How did that album come to fruition?
The album came out as a therapeutic exercise for me to get over my newfound self-doubt I had incurred during the pandemic.
For decades, I’d had this relationship with releasing music that meant creating something very quickly under pressure, touring whatever I’d just created and then coming back from my travels with inspiration to start the process over. Once I was stuck in my house, I had—for the first time—too much time to think, so I started to overtake that process and generate self-doubt.
Through making myself vulnerable—by releasing work that didn’t make the cut on previous albums—I rose above my self-doubt, because it turns out that no matter what I make, somebody’s going to like it.
Who in the industry is inspiring you right now?
I like to keep my ear to the street for relevancy, and wherever I hear new music that I like, I catalogue it in a playlist I have. There’s a song called Million Dollar Baby by a gentleman named Tommy Richmond. He’s from the suburb where I’m from in the DC Maryland area, and I’m in love with this song—I wish I’d made it myself.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?
Don’t fall victim to underdevelopment and overexposure—I’d said this since the first time I was asked this question. We live in a time that is so content-driven that a lot of artists tend to focus on their aesthetics first, and their art second. You have to give the majority of your time to cultivating your craft.
You performed at Clockenflap in 2018—what was your favourite memory of Hong Kong?
We’re always so happy to perform somewhere for the first time, we were elated to have Hong Kong in the books. I was so interested to see the diversity of the people, the culture, the food and the flow of the city in general.
What are you most looking forward to coming back?
Last time, we went to a Sichuan restaurant after a hike—I don’t remember the name but I remember how to get there. We requested our food to be very spicy, and the chef asked us if we were sure. He came out from the kitchen to watch us eat because we had no reaction [laughs]. He was shocked, and we’ve been counting down the days to go back as that place was amazing.
I’m also looking forward to performing at Eaton House, because the one in Washington DC has been a cornerstone in our community for arts and music. I do a lot of collaborations, shoot a lot of videos and host events there, so I’m excited to carry that relationship over to the other side of the Pacific.
What can people expect from your gig on May 22?
A really good, classic hip-hop show.
Why is it so important for you to tour your music?
It’s important to reach the people who are listening to your music, see how your art is being received and create a personal relationship. It’s all about providing context. When you do a live performance, you can share your perspective with the listener.
Travel is everything for me: sharing a meal, taking public transportation, eavesdropping on conversations, observing the trends of a different country. These are all the things that have kept me creating art. If I lived in a bubble, where’s the inspiration coming from?
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Amalissa Hall was the style writer at Tatler Hong Kong. Primarily focused on writing digital articles, she covers news, tracks trends and interviews experts from the fashion, beauty and wellness industries, as well as entertainment spheres. Interview highlights include Formula One driver Alex Albon, award-winning costume designer Jany Temime and prolific make-up artist Lisa Eldridge.
She has also produced print stories featuring make-up artists, perfumiers and other upcoming figures discussing Asian representation on social media, sharing industry insight and trends as well as explaining new approaches to wellness in Hong Kong.
