by Dan O

Ohbliv provides colors that shed light on the swagger of the orator…

Do you know how many artists Ohbliv has taught me to love? The biggest feather in the cap of an all-time great comic book writer is how many characters were resurrected under their watchful eye: Alan Moore on Swamp Things, Grant Morrison on Ant Man, etc. Ohbliv has managed to take the most unique voices in underground hip hop and give them their greatest pedestal. Think about Koncept Jackson or Raheim Supreme. Ohbliv changed the entire conversation on their careers because all the sounds are possible. 80’s, 70’s thick interlocking funk that can ratchet up or grind to a halt. Underground hip hop can be very purposefully minimalist and dark, very post-RZA. Ohbliv provides colors that shed light on the swagger of the orator.

1. Roc Marciano

This is an interesting one because Roc is one of the best producers in rap right now. His production on Stove God Cook$ Reasonable Drought was fantastic. As much as I love and respect production Roc my favorite projects (Kaos and Elephant Mans Bones) are the ones where he turns over the reigns to a mastermind and gets to just RAP. He can trust Ohbliv to bring funky sounds and twist traditional elements into unconventional melodies. Roc’s ear is elite. He would ensure the darkness anchoring his lyrics lines the sonics.

2. Cavalier

Cavalier albums are so darn beautiful. Rich lyricism with supernatural confidence , Cav has never spit a verse that didn’t mean four or five important things. It’s why Private Stock is your favorite emcee’s favorite album. Ohbliv can take synthesized sounds and make them meditative, make dance rap for the soul. Cavalier custom fits into that world with very little tailoring needed.

3. CHUNG

Great emcees have absolute authority. I didn’t know CHUNG before I heard her album last year. The first listen I knew I was dealing with an important person. Punch lines hitting from all angles while her voice remained steady, confident. CHUNG doesn’t waste a second, like a deadly counterpuncher. Ohbliv would paint with all the colors while her focus her authority would strip it all away. The sounds vs. the voice, fight of the century.

4. Myka 9

Myka is the flow I would pick if I could have one. A literal legend of Freestyle Fellowship and The Good Life I want the dazzling show of a Myka album but a little more conceptual. Ohbliv adores sequencing, songs hand off to one another in ways that leave it hard to imagine another way. I don’t want Ohbliv to send a pack, I want a worked out flushed out classic. These two with enough time and focus, very achievable.

5. Rich Jones

The running joke is we all refer to Rich as “the Nate Dogg of the underground” he does have a beautiful voice, beautiful singing voice and he’s been doing that thing where he shows up and gives people the best hook on their album. This joke undercuts the total picture. Rich has proved over and over that he not only spits but conceptualizes albums songs covers. His vision is sharp. Ohbliv provides full landscapes while Rich has a voice and personality that fill songs. The match just makes sense.