The music and entertainment industry has repeatedly seen people
who try to gain fame by riding on the coattails of their more
famous and more accomplished siblings. Emcee and producer Oh No,
the younger brother of beat virtuoso Madlib, must prove on The
Disrupt that he is not just cashing in on Madlib‘s
reputation. Throughout the album, Oh No proves that he may not be
able to work a mixer like Madlib, he definitely spits fire better
than his brother.
- Music Reviews
- Yo, this is supposed to be more symbolic than gin and juice, or something. (Courtesy of Stones Throw)
Oh No stuns the listener with his verbal wizardry and complex
delivery. On the opening song, “Right Now,” he displays
his skill to rhyme syllables: “It’s Oh Niz here now,
intricate child, unlimited style / Always reppin’ Cali, wild
veteran / Might see me smoking on herbal medicine / Then I’m
known to shift your host chief like David Letterman / I’m the
power of the Edison, I serve the blackouts / The snap arms cause
tap-outs that routes South California.” Even with more
laid-back production, as on the self-produced
“Perceptions,” he delivers a nice and lax flow, and he
mentions that he is, “Wild for the night, ill for the day /
And I don’t need weed and liquor, but it’s here anyway,
hey.”
The album melds together in part because of Oh No’s
diverse lyrical content and nice skills and also because of the
originality and creativity of the beats. Again, Oh No’s
handling of most of the production is evidence of his ability to
create his own reputation. Nonetheless, Madlib does provide him
beats for six tracks. The pumping feel that Madlib gives to the
drums and bass on tracks like “WTF” lay down a solid
basis for Oh No’s extreme hunger for emceeing. The real gem
on the album is “The Ride,” in which Oh No samples
music from the videogame “Ninja Gaiden” and slaps it
over thick drums and a riding bassline.
The Disrupt is simply quality hip-hop which, ironically,
is its only real weakness. The album is highly creative but has
neither the focus and consistency nor the innovation that would
push it to classic status. Nevertheless, this is another quality
release from Stones Throw Records. Do not let the relation to
Madlib nor the fact that Oh No might have the worst rap name ever
fool you about his skills. Pick up this album.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars