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| Release: | The find |
|  | | MyHHHdb | |
| Media: | [Audio CD] [7/12inch Vinyl] | | Released: | 2005 [ Listen to HHH from this era on Spotify ] |
| Recordlabel: | Ubiquity Records |
| Info: | Releasedate September 2005. Also released as a double vinyl
record.
1. Intro
2. Where it all started - featuring DJ DNA
3. That sound - featuring Lightheaded, The Procussions and
Noelle of the Rebirth
4. You are now tuned in - featuring Adam L & DJ Bombay
5. Interlude 1: Journey
6. Full swing - featuring Neogen and Deacon
7. A request
8. Mind power
9. Your love - featuring Tiffany Simpson
10. Treasure hunt - featuring Sugar Candy
11. Groovin' on sunshine
12. Interlude 2: At the oasis
13. The find - featuring Stro the 89th Key
14. Saturday Night Live - featuring Surreal and Sharlok
Poems
15. Interlude 3: The harder they come
16. The treatment - featuring Manchild, Braille and Big
Rec
17. Stay tuned - featuring Sojourn
18. Interlude 4: Ya'll there?
19. Floor rock
20. Move!
21. Long ago - featuring Othello
22. Outro/Dream on |
| Rating: | Our users rated this release: 8.6 out of 10
(Number of votes: 5) Sign up or login to submit your vote |
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| | Review: | Portland's Ohmega Watts came out swinging—laying down an
intro track that's no mere throwaway. It's two minutes,
two seconds of solid, soulful hiphop introducing his shit
with music that's something like Sly Stone having some
glorious, liquidic, acid vision of conscious hiphop to come.
It's smart, personal, heartfelt stuff, with even the liner
notes asking questions. ("Jesus said he'd return when we
least expect, but do you believe in him anyway, or is his
life and God all fairy tales made up by Christians?" he
proposes in the notes to track 17.)
It's autobiographical, heavily referential (and
reverential) of the ghosts of hiphop past, and full of heady
word play and kickass writing. "Groovin' on Sunshine"
opens with shimmering tambourine—a hazy, stoned, funk
mini-epic at just over three minutes. Throughout, Ohmega
Watts never wastes time, as The Find is all economy: just
enough wah guitar, only the right amount of Stevie Wonder
piano on "Mind Power" to be completely effective enough
without taking away from dude's storytelling. Best of all,
there are no skits, and the interludes are just pure,
grooved-out funk. And not the kind your older brother plays
in that Parliament tribute band.
| | source: Portland Mercury, added: Jul 16, 2006 |  |
| Review: | Over the course of his stellar Ubiquity Records debut, The
Find, Ohmega Watts searches for many things: the right
person, the perfect sample, the way home. But what is the
Oregon-based MC/producer's greatest find: a compelling
balance between live and electronic production, with earnest
lyrics to match.
The Find presents something unfamiliar to hip-hop heads as
of late: a warm sound that sits somewhere between the
no-holds-barred sampling spree of a Jurassic 5 record and
the live instrumentation of an early Roots project. On songs
like “You are Now Tuned In”, “Full Swing”, and “A Request”,
Watts marries turntable and sampler tricks with an array of
live (and then re-sampled) strings, horns, and woodwinds to
create beats with a distinctly hip-hop feel. Over the course
of the album’s 22 tracks (including four interludes),
however, Watts also manages to work in elements of
experimental jazz ("Outro/Dream On"), reggae ("Your Love”
and “Treasure Hunt") and rock ("Groovin’ on a Sunshine”,
“Floor Rock”, “Move!” and “Long Ago"). In the midst of
mixing styles, Watts never loses his hold on the continuing
thread of the album: each beat evolves from its predecessor
in a seamless way creating subtle but infectious vibes.
Production-wise, real basslines are what really separates
The Find from the pack. As a highly rhythm-driven genre, hip
hop has long had an obsession with “bass"— the rhythm
section of the track that sets the meter for the rhymes.
However, somewhere along the line actual basslines – notes
played by basses, bass guitars, or even bass synthesizers –
took a backseat to the prominent drum tracks that give hip
hop its plodding (Alchemist), chaotically full (Kanye West),
or bouncy (Timbaland) qualities. What’s lost in showcasing
the drums is the added rhythmic dimension bass offers:
matching the beat is one dimension of flow, but molding
vocals to fit different basslines is another, less explored,
aspect.
And flow the MCs do. With Watts behind the boards, guest
lyricists Lightheaded, The Procussions ("That Sound"), and
Adam L ("You Are Now…") weave their unique deliveries in
entertaining ways. Watts’ guests not only hit on basic party
and battling themes, but also speak openly about another
element of hip hop that seems lost on the airwaves today:
the visceral feel of performing and the joy of creating
("The Find” and “Saturday Night Live").
While The Find features many guest shots, Watts proves to be
a skilled rhymer himself. Without a doubt, a single album
can have only so many tributes to samplers and self-aware
commentary about fiddling with audio equipment. Regardless,
Watts still brings a fresh perspective. On “Mind Power” he
bids farewell to an indecisive woman with nothing but good
will: “You’re worth more than you know / I pray you find
yourself before long / I don’t pretend to know it all but I
know this much / We bend rules most to grab what we should
not touch.” Just as his music strikes a balance between the
sampled and the organic, Watts can weave rhymes that are
heartfelt without being preachy, and then quickly switch to
more lighthearted matters without being frivolous.
Length is always an issue when an album spans 80 minutes,
and Watts’ project is no exception. A few tracks could have
been dropped to preserve the pace, but it’s hard to say
exactly which tracks. End game: Watts has dug-up great,
enheartening music – listen to what he’s found.
4 of 5 afros
– T.M. Wolf
| | source: Okayplayer, added: Aug 12, 2006 | |
| Review: | Written by Ahnon Knomis
Thursday, 05 October 2006
Ohmega Watts - The Find
(Ubiquity)
Ohmega Watts delivers tiny pieces of gold on wax beautifully
woven together into a blanket of break-beats, bass, and the
occasion raps. A perfectly named "The Find" is justified
over crate digging sampled material and musical
comprehension through the artistry of production. Ohmega
Watts is among the very few and elite whom carry both the
titles of Producer and Emcee validly with skill and poise.
Watts, who is 1/3 of the super group "Lightheaded" among
fellow group mates Braille and Othello has quite possibly
came out with the most unique of the solo efforts put fourth
by the group collective. Standing alone, Watts shows his
craft and passion for downtempo, break-beats, and organic
funk, combining all three elements into an audible feast of
fresh beats for your listening pleasure.
Sadly enough, this album lacks in the rhymes department. Not
content mind you, as any appearance of lyricists come strong
with delivery and pack quite a bit of head nodding smooth
precision. Yet, with only a hand full of lyrics on the album
one looking for an entire rap project in "The Find" will
be left dissatisfied. However, Ohmega Watts on this project
is showing off more than just his vocal abilities and
instead chose to focus on his multi-facited producer/funk
facilitator hats. There's something for everyone on here.
The Bboy and girls, emcee lyrics delvers, beat fanatics, and
even downtempo junkies alike can scour this disc and find at
least a few of each to delight their musical tastes.
Ubiquity which has made a name for itself catering to this
particular blend was a good fit for Ohmega Watts and equally
has shown itself promotionally approved here as an indie
label.
Focusing on the features for a moment there are some heavy
hitters leaving their mark. Backed by Ohmega Watts on the
beats of course, emcee's such as The Remnant's Neogen and
Deacon lend their vocals to one of the most stellar songs on
the album by way of "Full Swing". A fast in-your-face beat
matches their rhymes to an anthem-like melodious one-two
punch. "The Find" a song by the same title as the albums'
name features Stro the 89th Key of The Procussions along
side Watts. Both are producers and emcee's alike and share
like-minded attributes so a combination was fitting. Their
song focuses on nothing less than the state of the art form,
life, and beat making (of course). The undertone was a
journey of searching for samples which parallels a person in
life searching for something greater. A dope song and good
message. Surreal and Sharlock Poems also team up beside
Watts to deliver some of that smooth jazzy old school funk
on "Saturday Night Live". Manchild of Mars ill, Braille,
Big Rec, Sojourn, and Othello among others can also be
found teaming up with Watts on songs.
In conclusion, Ohmega Watts manages to meld the multiple
musical backgrounds of many genre's of the hip-hop culture
and subcultures and delivers a unique and refreshing
listening endeavor. Put this on -- hit play -- and let it
ride. Not too many albums that come out today are capable of
sustaining interest through-out. This one can. "The Find"
is indeed that for your collection. Pick this up today!
4.5 of 5 stars
For fans of: Braille, Sivion, Lightheaded, The Procussions,
The Roots, Indie Hip-hop, Downtempo and Breakbeats
| | source: Sphereofhiphop.com, added: Oct 06, 2006 | |
| Review: | Ohmega Watts - The Find
(Ubiquity)
Written by The Runaway
Tuesday, 28 November 2006
When thinking of Lightheaded member Ohmega Watts, an
appropriate phrase comes to mind: Game recognizes game. No
matter what your hip-hop flava, few can resist the cracking
drums, beautifully layered samples and resounding voice of
the producer/emcee. Now he’s all out on his own, on famed
indie label Ubiquity no less, with a stellar release, The
Find.
The Find is a superb collage of various urban genres blended
almost to perfection. Ohmega begins by exercising the rhyme
skills that harkens back to the golden age of hip-hop.
“Intro” and “Where It All Started” will make the hip-hop
purist drool; reminding us that hip-hop sure ain’t dead.
Indeed, the DJ gets a workout on this record, with several
choruses which use the soaring sample or the DJ cut to pass
the time… ah the good old days…
Ohmega makes room to introduce Ubiquity heads to some dope
emcees they may have not yet heard. Guests include Neogen
and Deacon from Remnant (“Full Swing”), Surreal and Sharlok
Poems (“Saturday Night Live”) and Stro the 89th Key on the
title track. The Find is also responsible for some serious
hip-hop jams. “The Treatment” features mic rippers Manchild
(Mars ILL), Braille (Lightheaded) and Big Rec (Mass Reality)
who do not disappoint. Not to be outdone, Lightheaded and
The Procussions trade verses on “That Sound” to create an
exciting blend of neo-soul and up-tempo hip-hop.
While the album features many wordsmiths (Adam L’s work on
“You Are Now Tuned In” being The Runaway’s favourite),
Ohmega wisely gives the album space to let the sounds soak
in. Watts dips into instrumentalism with tracks like
“Treasure Hunt” and “Groovin’ On Sunshine” which would make
the playlist of any serious Electronica fan. The live band
jam “Dream On” that closes the record is the best example of
the musical ‘space’ which Watts provides – allowing time for
introspection, chilling, or simply enjoying dope music.
Dope is exactly what this album is. Thankfully, Watts does
not saturate his work with the repetitive hip-hop opus which
elevates the rapper and disses the current generation.
Instead, The Find is humble; demonstrating to us how it dope
hip-hop can be, and how creative it should be. While The
Find contains gratuitous interludes and is a couple cuts too
long, it would be a grave mistake to bypass this album. If
you know, act like you know. If you don’t, believe that this
is a definite find.
4.5 of 5 stars
For fans of: Lightheaded, Sivion, Beat Rabbi, Dert, The
Procussions, Othello | | source: Sphereofhiphop.com, added: Nov 30, 2006 | |
| Review: | 1 | | source: -1', added: Sep 10, 2015 | |
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