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The precociously talented 25 year old is a producer/MC with a sideline in design — check the cover of The Find. Surprisingly, the album is a mostly live instrument affair, resampled if necessary by Watts, who plays most of the instruments. “I do all the production myself and work with musicians to accommodate the elements I can’t sample these days. Everything is usually arranged and played by me even though I can’t read music or play complex chords. I am working at it… It’s all been by ear so far.”

His quoted heroes, Eric B and Rakim cast their shadow over his work with a deliciously old school and gimmick free quality to the tracks. Hard, funky beats, old school turntablism and great instrumental contributions make these tracks fresh and immediately accessible to anyone who likes it funky and hard. Check ‘Long Ago’ with Othello for a slice of pure nostalgia or ‘That Sound’.

Lyrically, despite his preference for being behind the decks, he has flow and a range of subject matter beyond the range of booty, banging and bragging — but you would expect that from any artist on Ubiquity. ‘A Request’, the single that started it all, shows a range of influences in delivery from Tribe to Pharcyde to old, old school. And the music is even more diverse with changes in gear, cow bells, funky disco flavours, stripped down beat and bass bits, a wonderfully complex bass line at the beginning of the track and spooky theremin sounds towards the end.

It’s not all hip hop though, some funky R’n’B makes its presence felt including the excellent ‘Your Love’ featuring the talented Tiffany Simpson not to mention the Young Disciplesque ‘Groovin’ on Sunshine’.

‘Treasure Hunt’ featuring Sugar Candy is an earthy slab of rhythm and dub, which reflects Ohmega Watts’ Jamaican heritage and adds another set of flavours to an already wide ranging menu.

But don’t think Watts can’t do urgent, loud and hard hip hop. On ‘The Treatment’, for instance he brings on Manchild, Braille and Big Rec for some slammin’ beats and rhymes.

This is an album rich in ideas and rhymes and leavened with a wide range of musical forms, changes in tempo and feeling. The result is a classic summer album for head nodders and ass shakers alike. So don’t wait Ubiquity to release this Papi!

Release Date: September 13, 2005 (UR CD/LP174)

Links:
Ubiquity Feature
www.ubiquityrecords.com