Live Review: Oddisee, Myriad Sun, Hyclass

Picking a slew of great local artists to join him, tonight Washington, DC's Oddisee took Rosemount Hotel to school. The lesson? The elastic creative potential of modern hip hop.

Hyclass opened the night with an appreciation for the old school. Skilfully weaving her lyrics on a foundation of a funked-out bass, the crowd bopped up and down in youthful fervour. Showing a deft hand for the craft, Hyclass gave an impeccable and enthusiastic impression of the local hip hop scene.

Myriad Sun’s chief MC Nelson Mondlane stressed that hip hop is always innovating - an opinion backed up with onstage visuals that seemed like the acid-chewing lovechild of '90s infomercials and He-Man reruns. The set's energy switched between producer Ben Aguero's synth ambience and Mondlane's passionate and sharply witty political takes on issues like police brutality.

There was a universal love and appreciation felt from the punters when Oddisee (Amir Mohamed el Khalifa) emerged on the stage. Making the show feel like a walk in the park, Khalifa created a relaxed vibe throughout the venue and his sharp rapping ability coupled with warm production made for a delicious aura that contained the lo-fi comfort of an old, scratched record.

Khalifa revived old hip hop sounds as something fresh and exciting, his set equally enriched by his wit and interactions with the crowd - at one point declaring his proud Sudanese heritage in response to recent Australian events. Punters even learnt some DC slang (FYI: it's ‘Mo’, not ‘Yo’). It was a power hour of Oddisee hip hop, combing sharp social commentary and plenty of crowd participation, the excited audience chanting back Khalifa’s words at the rapper's command.