The son of American and Sudanese parents, Oddisee originally intended to study at the Art Institute of Philadelphia, but then a friend let him hear how you make hip hop beats. He was so captivated that he discarded his study plans and decided to focus on hip hop. In his hometown Washington D.C. he joined Low Budget Crew, of which Kenn Starr, Cy Young and Kev Brown were also members, and released his first album Foot In The Door in 2006. The slim, bespectacled rapper and producer is not the macho type and refers to old-school acts like Eric B. & Rakeem, De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest as his role models because ‘these rappers didn't talk about drugs or murder’. On his latest album, The Good Fight, social criticism and retro soul go hand in hand. His live shows are a veritable party, overflowing with jazz and funk.
