The Black Box, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi

Oddisee, the celebrated Sudanese-American conscious rapper influenced by the jazz, funk, and go-go music of his DC area roots, performs with DJ Unown. The UAE’s electrifying Afro-Sudanese singer-songwriter Jindi will open the show. Long celebrated as a deep-thinking emcee who delivers a masterclass in lyricism, Oddisee explores human ambition, posing the question: “How far are you willing to go, and why?” Drawing from the stark inequity he experienced early in life, Oddisee tackles the human condition with unwavering conviction and candor, merging elements of jazz, funk, and go-go of his DMV (DC/Maryland/Virginia) roots into his hip-hop-rooted production. Instead of pursuing record deals and executives, Oddisee has taken the less-traveled path. Streamlining elements of the industry early on, from single-handedly recording, producing, and mixing his music to steering his marketing strategy and tour runs. A string of contemporary releases—Rock Creek Park (2011), The Beauty in All (2013), The Good Fight (2015), Alwasta (2016), and The Iceberg (2017)—headlining performances and tours with his 5-piece band, Good Compny, and streams in the hundred-millions have propelled Oddisee to international recognition and acclaim. Oddisee’s work has been celebrated by NPR, TIME Magazine, Rolling Stone, New York Times, Washington Post, Complex, Hypebeast, KCRW, and many, many more across the globe. Pitchfork deemed 2017’s trenchant The Iceberg “a focused beam of live-band and hip-hop soul that rattles loudly in our present political moment,” while Stereogum described 2020’s Odd Cure as “gorgeous” and with NPR booking Oddisee for two Tiny Desk performances. The show will open with Jindi, who dives deep into the sounds of “AfroSudanese,” a subgenre of music that mixes Afrobeat with Sudanese dialect and instrumentation. With a storytelling element in every song, Jindi’s ability to cut across different cultures is unmatched, as he mixes different genres from funk to dancehall to Afrobeat in music that connects globally. The performance features music from Jindi’s upcoming album, Reign & Fire. This event is presented in association with Sole and LAMATNA. Biographies Oddisee The son of Sudanese and American parents, Amir Mohamed was born and raised in the United States capital city of Washington DC, spending hot summers in Khartoum learning Arabic and swimming in the Nile. Growing up amidst the sounds of New York hip hop, his father playing Oud, Go-Go, and gospel, Amir took his first steps as an MC producer in the analog basement studio of his legendary neighbor, Garry Shider (Parliament Funkadelic). Convincing his entrepreneurial father that he too had business acumen, Amir laid the check from his first commercial release on the kitchen table before his 21st birthday and never looked back. Though Oddisee has gone on to perform with The Roots, produce for Jazzy Jeff, Little Brother, & De La Soul, form the critically acclaimed group Diamond District with fellow Washingtonians X.O. and yU, and become a world-renowned musician. His work has been featured on the Facebook Series Humans of New York, in countless films, television ads for everything from snowboards to bicycles, and even at Google's product unveiling. In 2017 he performed at over 110 shows around the globe with his band Good Compny in support of his album The Iceberg. He has been featured almost everywhere from TIME Magazine and USA Today to Pitchfork and Rolling Stone. Known in the music industry for his independence, Oddisee consistently debunks the scatterbrained artist myth - doing everything from booking international tours to photography to marketing and promoting himself and even other artists. He launched his own label OUTER NOTE LABEL in 2020. Jindi Jindi is a Sudanese singer-songwriter, producer, and composer, known for his trailblazing fusion of Afro-Sudanese rhythms with genres like Pop, Funk, Reggae/Dancehall, and Afrobeat. With electrifying live performances and collaborations with renowned producers, Jindi has gained recognition as a versatile artist in the world music scene. He has toured extensively in the Gulf and African regions, captivating audiences with his unique sound and energetic stage presence. With an upcoming album release, Jindi continues to push boundaries and resonate with listeners worldwide through his diverse musical influences. Embark on a sonic journey into the rich body of work Reign & Fire by Jindi, where Afrobeat seamlessly intertwines with Sudanese dialect and instrumentation, infused with captivating storytelling. Across the album, Jindi's ability to traverse diverse cultures shines through a fusion of genres, from Rnb and Dancehall to Afrobeat, creating a global resonance. The collaborative title track, featuring Nigerian Singer/songwriter “Mightyyout”, sets the vibrant tone with its blend of Dancehall and Afrobeat rhythms. "MARAGT," inspired by Sudanese influences, samples traditional Sudanese music from the 1960s, reimagining it within a contemporary context. Standout track "HASSA," in collaboration with a legendary Nigerian producer, has already made waves in the Gulf region and across the African continent, showcasing Jindi's ability to transcend geographical boundaries. Reign & Fire is not just an album; it's a testament to the power of music to bridge cultural divides and connect people worldwide, introducing audiences to the groundbreaking sounds of AfroSudanese fusion for the very first time