Oddisee Turns Shared Experiences in America Into Metaphors on ‘Odd Cure'

The American hiphop artist opens up about his latest record, written in self-isolation and what it feels like to be in the U.S. at this point

- David Britto

When COVID-19 began spreading like wildfire earlier this year, American rapper Oddisee was on tour in Thailand and at the time had no concerns. The artist made it back to his home in New York just days before the lockdown was imposed in the U.S., after he began to notice people at airports looking ill and coughing. “When customs allowed everyone to simply enter New York with absolutely no checkpoints, it was then that I realized the United States was going to be in serious trouble,” he says.

With tour dates now either canceled or postponed for every artist, Oddisee decided to do what he knows best — write new music. He’s crafted one of the most enjoyable pieces of music with his recently released record Odd Cure (out via Outer Note Label), the first since 2017’s The Iceberg. Churned out within two months in self-isolation, he says, “I wasn’t aiming to have it out sooner or later. Once I begin an album, I tend to release it soon after its inception. Followers of music have been patiently waiting for my next release. It felt right to get it out as soon as possible.”