Search - Oh No :: Disrupt

Madlib rubbed off on his little bro...

Zeb91 | Seattle, WA | 10/28/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Madlib's little brother was trained well. "The Disrupt" sounds like a cleaned up Lootpack album. Where Madlib's beats sound really old and scratchy, Oh No's beats don't have that old "blunted" feeling. He can rhyme as well. He opens it with a great song Right Now, which also contains some nice cuts on the 1's & 2's. The guests are nice but they don't outshine Oh No. On The Ride we get to here Med and he sounds as good as ever, a good set up for his solo album soon to come. Even though I said that Oh No does do production his brother laced him with some tight beats as well that are a little atypical for Madlib but still sick. For a debut this is a very solid album, typical west coast Stones Throw hip-hop at its best. Look for Oh No to join his brother in the ranks of classic artists in the future."

Excellent full-length release from Stones Throw!!!

David T. Wang | Houston, TX USA | 10/16/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Oh No first came to my attention with his collaboration with Wildchild on his album, Secondary Protocol. Brother of Otis Jackson Jr. (Madlib) and son of a soul singer father and songwriter mother, Oh No (Michael Jackson) proves that the diverse and eclectic background that runs in his family with such a wonderful debut album. Oh No comes out with some serious upbeat songs while enlisting in assistance from fellow Stones Throw artists (Wildchild, Medaphoar and Dudley Perkins) on several songs.



The jazz-infused beats and flows are a clear testament to the music and soul that runs through his family. Oh No is not just a producer but an awesome DJ and MC. While his lyrics are not a bizarre as his brother Madlib (aka Quasimoto), they are still just as positive and meaningful while still retaining a playful and sometimes funny feel. One example is the dialogue prior to "The Ride" where Oh No discusses old 8-bit videogames, the graphics and how people used to have to blow in old NES cartridges to make them work sometimes. That dialogue right there just made me laugh. And just like his brother Madlib, Oh No experiments with a wide variety of samples from videogame sound effects to the standard jazz cuts without losing a beat or the interest of the listener. In another song, Oh No even utilizes classical music (Mussorgskii's Night on Bald Mountain) in his song "Seventeen" about youth and gun violence without sounding out of place.



The tracks featuring Wildchild and Medaphoar are clearly the strongest ones ("Stomp That V. 2", "WTF", "The Ride") but others like "I Can't Help Myself" featuring Stacy Epps prove that Oh No can mix things up a bit , slow things down while still being strong and sultry all at once. And of course, Oh No can take some time to steer away from business and just be plain silly with songs like "Take Another (Blunted Conversation)" or lyrics like "Pop like Justin, Justin/ Janet just popped out again." Awesome!



There are several tracks where Madlib offers some production but it is mostly Oh No here and he shines without losing a beat or stopping to catch a breath. All this goes to show that Oh No is just as talented as his brother Madlib and proving he is just as eclectic and spontaneous with consistent songs, fast rhymes and strong positive messages. By the end of the album, you are left feeling content and ready to play the album again. All you can wonder now is what this producer/DJ/MC will work on next."