They say that "genius loves company". Back in late 2009, I had the pleasure of meeting an emcee from southern California by the name of Coincidence Uno. With a pension for sports, an ear for the unconventional and a lyrical inflection so golden [era] it made you question how old he was, he set out to develop a hip-hop label. That label was Huh, What and Where Records. Now, fast forward two years later and you have a roster that bolsters the likes of Bahwee, Mike Gao, MNDSGN and Elaquent. In early 2010, Akello, another label mate and longtime friend of Coincidence, collaborated with the emcee to develop the project Breathing Room before HW & W came into full subsistence. This Sunday drive of a mixtape, albeit riddled in boom-bap futurism, swam in deeper waters than what is considered "underground", thus rendering it and redefining the phrase "under the radar", but when one encounters obstacles, what else to do but press on?
Eventually Coincidences' beat exploration and endeavors for HW & W led him to seek what was brewing on the east coast, hence our man in Richmond, Ohbliv. With his oddly constructed and yet soulful beats, to say Ohbliv's recruitment to HW & W was astute would be an understatement. It's as if a missing puzzle piece to an amazing portrait was found, making it that much greater. As this rising generation of beat maestros, influenced by the likes of Dilla and Madlib, continues to grow, it's interesting to see how things unfold. Everyone has their own style to bring to the table, creating an individualistic community where no one is afraid to share ideas. Ohbliv recently made the trek to L.A. to hang out with the crew as well as Knxwledge and DJ House Shoes. In doing so, he got a lot of digging, jamming, drinking and of course – smoking done; sounds like a pretty fulfilling trip.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42C4uD0soqo&list=FLyIOs-NfrzIXtVZ2bO4qG1w&index=1&feature=plpp_video[/youtube]HW&W Ep.1 – Ohbliv in L.A.
"Afrofreeq", a recently released ditty from Ohbliv hits like elevator music from Mars. With its active and funky stop-start drum syncopation, this guaranteed head-nodder blends smooth synth samples, making it actually chill in nature.
"Luv In" uses an incredibly soulful loop and continues to stay sonically chill along with "Afrofreeq". Although short and sweet, the funky bass loop combined with MPC bravado makes this track the perfect selection for a casual fall afternoon.
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