The Arts Center At NYUAD To Host Electrifying Performance By Oddisee

The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) welcomes Oddisee, the celebrated Sudanese-American conscious rapper, who is influenced by the jazz, funk, hip-hop, and go-go music of his DC area roots, on Tuesday, May 28 at 7:30pm in The Black Box. He will perform accompanied by DJ Unown in a show that opens with a live appearance by Jindi, who dives deep into the sounds of Afro-Sudanese, a subgenre of music that mixes afrobeat with Sudanese dialect,  joined by. DJ Katt, known for his high-energy sets that incorporate Afrobeats and house music, who will provide the warm-up. The concert is presented in association with Sole and LAMATNA.

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 diverse elements into his hip-hop rooted production. Career successes include a string of successful albums, tours, and streams in the hundred-millions.

Likewise, Jindi crosses cultural borders by incorporating stories into each of his songs, mixing different genres from funk to dancehall to Afrobeat, in music that connects globally. The performance features music from his new album, Reign & Fire in a culturally rich event that introduces local and international audiences alike to talents from the region. It also aligns with The Arts Center’s mission to bring regional talent to the forefront.

Commenting on the program, Executive Artistic Director at The Arts Center at NYUAD Bill Bragin said: “It is great to have Oddisee ‘return’ to The Arts Center. We presented a virtual concert with him during the pandemic and are thrilled to finally host him live on our stage, along with one of the UAE’s leading Sudanese artists, Jindi. Jindi has been part of Numoo – The Arts Center’s program that fosters the growth of performers in the UAE and contributes to the development of the nation’s arts ecosystem – and has been a leading ambassador of the UAE’s grassroots scene to global stages. And with the partnership of Sole and Lamatna, we hope to see the hip-hop and Sudanese communities of the UAE in full effect,” Bragin added.

Prior to the show, on May 27 at 6:30pm at the NYUAD Gallery Reading Room, Oddisee will lead a talk that focuses on the DIY entrepreneurial approach to building his career, which has been his hallmark as an independent artist. 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. He launched his own label OUTER NOTE LABEL in 2020. In this presentation and audience Q&A, Oddisee covers some of the essential keys to artistic independence: building a brand, identifying markets, booking shows by yourself, developing relationships with promoters, and running your own label.

Listings information

Event: Oddisee
Date: Tuesday, May 28 at 7:30pm
Venue: The Black Box
Tickets: To purchase tickets to the performance, visit here

Event: Artist Talk: Independence in the Music Business with Oddisee
Date: Monday, May 27 at 6:30pm
Venue: NYUAD Gallery Reading Room

To keep informed of additional programs, please visit The Arts Center website.

Oddisee is the son of Sudanese and American parents, Amir Mohamed was born and raised in 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 basement studio of his legendary neighbor, Garry Shider (Parliament Funkadelic).

He has since performed with The Roots, produced for Jazzy Jeff, Little Brother, & De La Soul, formed the critically acclaimed group Diamond District with fellow Washingtonians X.O. and yU, and become a world renown 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 over 110 shows around the globe with his band Good Company 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 fierce 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 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.

His album Reign & Fire seamlessly intertwines afrobeat and other genres with Sudanese dialect and instrumentation. All this is infused with captivating storytelling to create a global resonance that is testament to the power of music to bridge cultural divides and connect people worldwide.