The story goes that Oh No (younger brother of legendary producer Madlib) found a crate of rare Ethiopian records, ranging from funk, jazz and obscure psych rock - and flipped them into hip-hop beats. The album samples widely and well, and the beats have just the right amount of menace and bite - something that Oh No does spectacularly, and that feels quite unique to him.
The theme of the album seems to be pretty skin deep, but there's a mild discussion of music as a primal, shamanistic medicine similar to the opiates used by Ethiopian villages. That's not really the focus, though - the most important thing is the beat, the way the music makes you feel "good," much like an opiate. Form, function, etc. Very good music and very impressive. I mean, listen to the drums on this last song, and you'll get it.
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