O.A.

The other day I turned off my car radio in disgust. The whiny, squeaky voices of untalented, fake hip hop artists filled the sound waves in my car and I just wanted for it to stop. I sat there in silence, thinking about the uncertain future of hip hop. I longed for real, passionate rap and beats that inspired me and got me dancing at the same time. I wanted to be really into rap music again. Then I remembered; I took out my iPod and scrolled down to my “O” artists. I clicked on the first mixtape by O.Amsler and immediately felt calm about hip hop’s future. I relaxed and let his music drown out my loud sigh of relief.

Discovering music by unknown artists is one of my greatest thrills in life. Fortunately for me, I didn’t have to look far to find O.Amsler, a rapper and producer out of the Boston area. Currently unsigned, O.Amsler has put out three mixtapes (10,000 Hours, Beats for Better presents: O&Hatz, and More Hours), is working on two more, and also sells his beats. I met up with him in his studio which could also be his home, judging by the amount of time he spends in it. He works in a dark, basement studio, filled with pads of paper with lyrics written in messy handwriting. All the great rap stories start that way. There are posters of music legends like Tupac and Prince, peeling off the walls, and shelves overflowing with old vinyl records that I’m guessing are samples to be used or just plain inspiration. But when he plays me some of his beats, I find it almost impossible to concentrate on anything but the amazing sounds. His music is infectious and real, I quickly became his new biggest fan as I’m brought back to the days when I listened to Jay-Z or Dr. Dre for the first time. I listened to all of his mixtapes and thought that this is what it feels like to be blown away.

I highly recommend downloading all three of the O.Amsler mixtapes, and if you don’t, you’re truly missing out on something great. You can hear songs like I’m So Jealous, where he humorously raps about the jealous green monster inside of him saying, “There ain’t no saving him/ That’s the way it is/ I made a purchase/ Now it’s worthless/ Mine sucks/ Yours is perfect.” Or download Thank You, a song about thanking the supportive people in life that always believe in your talent. You’ll definitely want to get down to the lively beat on Hold Pose,and rap along to the meaningful verses on It Isn’t Over, “Addicted MC with a trick up my sleeve/ I make it really hard to get a picture of me/ ‘Cause I just won’t slow down/ I’m Keanu in Speed/ And you don’t want to go mano y mano with me/ Fam, you don’t have a chance like Rondo for 3/ So let it be, let it be, like the Beatles song/ It’s my story all that you can do is read along.”

I couldn’t even believe my ears when I heard Nothing Can Compare, my new favorite song about trying to build a name for himself in the music world. O.Amsler truly hit the jackpot on this one. The lyrics are perfect, the beat is crazy, and you can hear the hunger in his voice when he talks about making it: “But look at the perks of this/ Creativity, freedom, it’s worth the risk/ If it don’t work I’m pissed/ And I ain’t lying/ When I tell you Imma make a splash/ Or drown trying.” It’s crystal clear why the rapper/producer is now getting more recognition on music sites and on people’s iPods.

If there is one thing O.Amsler does best, it’s giving a voice to the underdog through his music. Going from a (self-described) “nobody” to a “somebody” is not easily achieved in the entertainment business, something O.Amsler is well aware of. However because of his ambition and general passion for music, I predict a bright future for this MC. As he says in Round My Hometown, a song off his first mixtape, “The hardest thing to give is always a first try/ But the hardest thing to take is a man’s burning desire.”

To listen to O.Amsler, check out his YouTube page

To download the mixtapes FREE Click Here

Expect his 4th mixtape out in July (currently untitled), and 5th mixtape The Outlet in September of this year.

-Zoe Rich

- See Note Music

The other day I turned off my car radio in disgust. The whiny, squeaky voices of untalented, fake hip hop artists filled the sound waves in my car and I just wanted for it to stop. I sat there in silence, thinking about the uncertain future of hip hop. I longed for real, passionate rap and beats that inspired me and got me dancing at the same time. I wanted to be really into rap music again. Then I remembered; I took out my iPod and scrolled down to my “O” artists. I clicked on the first mixtape by O.Amsler and immediately felt calm about hip hop’s future. I relaxed and let his music drown out my loud sigh of relief.

Discovering music by unknown artists is one of my greatest thrills in life. Fortunately for me, I didn’t have to look far to find O.Amsler, a rapper and producer out of the Boston area. Currently unsigned, O.Amsler has put out three mixtapes (10,000 Hours, Beats for Better presents: O&Hatz, and More Hours), is working on two more, and also sells his beats. I met up with him in his studio which could also be his home, judging by the amount of time he spends in it. He works in a dark, basement studio, filled with pads of paper with lyrics written in messy handwriting. All the great rap stories start that way. There are posters of music legends like Tupac and Prince, peeling off the walls, and shelves overflowing with old vinyl records that I’m guessing are samples to be used or just plain inspiration. But when he plays me some of his beats, I find it almost impossible to concentrate on anything but the amazing sounds. His music is infectious and real, I quickly became his new biggest fan as I’m brought back to the days when I listened to Jay-Z or Dr. Dre for the first time. I listened to all of his mixtapes and thought that this is what it feels like to be blown away.

I highly recommend downloading all three of the O.Amsler mixtapes, and if you don’t, you’re truly missing out on something great. You can hear songs like I’m So Jealous, where he humorously raps about the jealous green monster inside of him saying, “There ain’t no saving him/ That’s the way it is/ I made a purchase/ Now it’s worthless/ Mine sucks/ Yours is perfect.” Or download Thank You, a song about thanking the supportive people in life that always believe in your talent. You’ll definitely want to get down to the lively beat on Hold Pose,and rap along to the meaningful verses on It Isn’t Over, “Addicted MC with a trick up my sleeve/ I make it really hard to get a picture of me/ ‘Cause I just won’t slow down/ I’m Keanu in Speed/ And you don’t want to go mano y mano with me/ Fam, you don’t have a chance like Rondo for 3/ So let it be, let it be, like the Beatles song/ It’s my story all that you can do is read along.”

I couldn’t even believe my ears when I heard Nothing Can Compare, my new favorite song about trying to build a name for himself in the music world. O.Amsler truly hit the jackpot on this one. The lyrics are perfect, the beat is crazy, and you can hear the hunger in his voice when he talks about making it: “But look at the perks of this/ Creativity, freedom, it’s worth the risk/ If it don’t work I’m pissed/ And I ain’t lying/ When I tell you Imma make a splash/ Or drown trying.” It’s crystal clear why the rapper/producer is now getting more recognition on music sites and on people’s iPods.

If there is one thing O.Amsler does best, it’s giving a voice to the underdog through his music. Going from a (self-described) “nobody” to a “somebody” is not easily achieved in the entertainment business, something O.Amsler is well aware of. However because of his ambition and general passion for music, I predict a bright future for this MC. As he says in Round My Hometown, a song off his first mixtape, “The hardest thing to give is always a first try/ But the hardest thing to take is a man’s burning desire.”

To listen to O.Amsler, check out his YouTube page

To download the mixtapes FREE Click Here

Expect his 4th mixtape out in July (currently untitled), and 5th mixtape The Outlet in September of this year.

-Zoe Rich

- See Note Music