Third Culture Music: Belonging Beyond Geographies | Oddissee
At Sole DXB in December 2023, Oddisee joined afikra on stage for a live episode of Quartertones. Using his music as an entryway, this conversation journeys from D.C. to NYC all the way to Sudan. We learn about Oddisee's musical influences and how he blends soundscapes from iconic musical eras and his own heritage.
With each musical interlude, we dive deeper into Oddisee's creative process, the inspiration and stories behind his music, and how he seeks to explore questions of identity, whiteness, racism and hypocrisy through rap. He shares anecdotes of ""being too Sudanese to perform at the Whitehouse"" and yet ""too American to perform in Amman"" post October 7th, as well as instances of other facets of his identity ""excusing"" his blackness in the USA. This is a captivating discussion that touches on themes of colonialism, cross-culture commonalities and difference, and finding one's place and position in what, ultimately, is a very small world.
ODDISEE (Amir Mohamed el Khalifa), is a half Black American and half Sudanese rapper and record producer from Washington, D.C. He is one third of the rap trio Diamond District. He was also part of the Low Budget Crew.
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Sole DXB is an annual footwear, music, art, and lifestyle festival that takes place in the Dubai Design District in Dubai, UAE. It launched in 2011 as a modest gathering for sneaker enthusiasts and has since grown into a regional platform that brings global brands and performers to Dubai.
afikra partnered with Sole DXB in December 2023 to facilitate and moderate some talks as part of the festival.
QuarterTones
This podcast series hosts current Arab musicians from different geographies, who play contemporary and modern music, including folk, pop, rock, hip-hop, electronic, classical, among other genres. Discover some of the most interesting work across the region and genres, and understand the music that these experts perform or study.
