Oddisee of Diamond District moved to Brooklyn last October, making this his first summer in the city. With new experiences comes greater inspiration and it's felt in his Rock Creek Park beat tape. Peddling through New York's parks, Oddissee was reminded of Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C., which iss a place that's been with him since he learned to skip rocks across the water. Oddisee explains the parks' significance:
Rock Creek Park is & has always been one of my favorite places in Washington, DC. It has a way of aging with you & adapting to where you are in life. When I was younger, it was a place for skipping rocks, bike rides & imaginary adventures in the woods. As a teen it was a place where I played basket ball, had cook outs with friends & walked through with dates. As an adult it's my short cut through the city, my quickest way from Silver Spring to George Town. One thing it still is and always well be is my retreat.
Listening to the Black Byrd's “Rock Creek Park” inspired me to create an entire album around the park & my relationship with it. If the park were to have a soundtrack, what would it be? What does walking along the trails of the park sound like? What does driving on the narrow tree lined roads sound like? This album is my interpretation of Rock Creek Park through break beats, samples & live instrumentation.
Rock Creek Park the tape is ripe with heart-guided nostalgia, as Oddisee's creations seek to rekindle those intimate memories. The warm piano sample on “Skipping Rocks” makes you feel like a worry-free kid again, while the fuzzy riffing on “Closed After Dark” celebrates a less-innocent era of park hangouts.
Hear Rock Creek Park in its entirety here.
