The name Ohmega Watts may not be the first one out of your mouth when you think of contemporary hip-hop artists. I had a very vague recollection of his name and knew he was someone I could trust when it came to quality, modern hip-hop. Man, do I love being right. Clueless, but right! Ohmega Watts is a certified talent among the monotonous, lackluster hip-hop mainstream, as well as the equally redundant and repetitive hip-hop ‘underground’. Using a combination of tried-and-true contemporary boom-bap (of which he mostly produces himself as well as emcees on), along with live instrumentation, he has created a fresh sound and spin on what modern hip-hop albums can sound like. The live performance only enhances these positive traits, and one can only wonder how much better it could get if the show had a live band to back him up. Though for a first time around, it wasn’t really necessary.
I had only randomly lucked upon his latest album, Watts Happening, by chance when a friend leant it to me only a few days before his first Australian performance at The Espy. In one of those convenient universal convergences, 3 days after falling in love with the album I saw that he was due to play. I immediately snapped up the chance to go see him live, mostly because I was relying on something I like to call ‘the concert-effect’. That is, seeing an artist you’re not too sure about yet, performing live, then having the live performance be the reason you turn into a fan. There’s a whole list of artists and bands I’ve retro-actively fallen in love with only after seeing them live. It’s a beautiful way of becoming a fan.
The show itself was preceded by talented New Zealand native Ladi 6, whose style fluctuated somewhere between hip-hop, rnb and dub/reggae. Seeing her was also a first and she sounded great, as did the tracks played by her DJ. Indeed, the DJ played a big part in the performances on the night, with Ohmega’s especially taking the cake… or in this case, baking the cake, putting a shitload of sugar and hundreds-and-thousands on it, then expertly eating it with ninja-like precision. His name is DJ Manwell, and he scratches pretty well… man (Vee’z Bad Joke #1).
As Ohmega said on the night, there are simple DJs (no offense to simple DJs though), and there are those who take the decks and the records and elevate it to what is one of hip-hop’s tenets; turntablism. Simply put, but not simply done, the man can scratch. And let me assure you, his turntables were… pretty itchy? (Vee’z Bad Joke #2). At one point after witnessing Manwell scratch with his freaking back to the crowd, Ohmega asked us: “so who thinks they can do that?” And of course, anyone who put their hand up was a damn liar.
Since the show, I have been referred to Ohmega’s past works and stuff he’s done with his unit, the Lightheaded Crew, all of which I am eagerly waiting to listen to. One of the reasons I like his new album is that he’s at least attempting something a bit different in the increasingly creatively-limited genre of hip-hop. Hip-hop music is quickly losing the interest and attention of the general public, mostly because the music itself is stale, and the personalities behind it are predictable (and also stale). If Nas’ over-dramatic statement about hip-hop being dead is true, then this writer’s only opinion on how to save or resurrect it, is for the artists within the genre to…well, be artists. To indulge in their creative side, zany side, go in different directions.
For example, who knew Snoop, out of everyone, would make something so different as Sexual Eruption, a T-Painish breakbeaty borderline r&b track? Most importantly, it works, because hip-hop as a whole draws influences from a diverse range of black music. It’s ever-present simply in the songs that are sampled. But more than that, to incorporate the entire style into producing the track instead of simply just sampling, is where the future is at for hip-hop. So I tip my hat to people like Andre3000, Pharoah Monch, The Roots, Mos Def, who are infusing hip-hop with a plethora of music styles and making it work. All-the-while, keeping the fledgling genre of hip-hop a fresh entity. Ohmega, on his latest album, has created a filthy listen from start-to-finish. Filthy in its production, as it sounds like it could’ve been recorded in the 60s as a funk album. And indeed, a few of the tracks are simply just instrumental funk jams, some featuring singing.
Hip-hop needs to diversify if it’s going to survive in the long-run. Ohmega Watts is one of those who I can personally see being part of that new breed of visionary hip-hoppers. Something new with something old, but in the end producing something that is always innovative and fresh to the ears. Isn’t that hip-hop is all about anyway?
