X.E.L. OHH

Posted By DJ Whit Taylor

Hey XEL Ohh, let everyone know where you are from and what you do?

I was born and raised in Brooklyn and now reside in the DFW. I’m an artist, producer and engineer. I’m defiantly a jack of all trades; I do videos, graphics almost anything related to entertainment I do.

When did you start producing?

I started producing about 10 years ago, it was something I just picked up; I needed beats and no one would give me any so I started making them myself.

Who were some of your musical influences?

Wow good question. See I’m a 90′s Hip Hop head so I listen to Hip Hop when it was at its highest form at least to me it was, you had Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Tribe Called Quest, KRS-ONE, LL, Chuck D, NWA then you get to Biggie, 2Pac, Snoop, Jay-Z, Nas, WU, PUN, Eminem all these artists and many more influenced me at some time in my life.

How would you describe your sound?

I don’t think I have style or sound in particular I’m more of a go with the flow type of producer if I think it sounds right in the beat I use it this is what works for me that is the only way I can describe my sound.

What projects are you currently working on?

I have an artist that I have been working with a Brooklyn cat named Prince Siah I’m currently doing the production and mixing for his up and coming project. I’m also an artist so I’ve been doing a lot of features on different projects as well as promoting my GROCERIES album that you can pick up from anywhere on the web iTunes, Amazon, android market you name it is should be there online. Last but not least I will be working with iStandard to get some placements on up and coming projects so look out for me.

Where can we find you online?

Google is probably the best place just type in XEL OHH in the search and you will find me, you can go directly to my web site http://xelohh.com to purchase albums, download my mixtape, check out some videos or hear some beats you can pick your poison. Also go to my fan page on facebook and like the page at https://www.facebook.com/X.E.L.OHHMUSIC or follow me on Twitter @_xel.

Any last shout outs?

Hey I want to give a s/o to Istandard, Kevin Nottingham, DJ Pain and everyone involved in the ATCQ Midnight Marauders Remix Contest for making all this happen, and a s/o to all the people that submitted to the competition, and a big s/o to everyone that supports good music like mine lets keep Hip Hop alive and s/o to any body that read this review thank you for reading and I’m out. - istandardproducers.com

I recently met X.E.L. OHH through the homie Headkrack while at A3c a couple of weeks ago. We partook in some delicious burgers at Votex (great joint). Anyway, X.E.L. just slide me his album Groceries that he released this past summer. I haven’t gotten through the full album yet, but I was feeling this joint right here produced by Mslago. Check it out… - kevinnottingham.com

Tell me about X.E.L. OHH?

The name is pronounced X dot E dot L dot oh. The name X.E.L. OHH stands for Xtra Enhanced Lyricist. I was born and raised in Brooklyn NY. Ive been doing this for a minute and it shows in my music, when it comes to music im like a jack of all trades. I do mixing, mastering, graphics, videos, websites and almost anything else you can think of in entertainment.

When did you first become interested in the pursuit of Hip-Hop?

Senior year in high school is when I got serious about doing music.

If you could describe your style of music in one word, what would it be and why?

Great. I know people say this all the time but i have a lot to offer in my music its not average and there is something for everyone. Once your hear my music you will understand why i say Great.

Growing up who were/are some of your biggest musical influences?

MJ was one of my favorite artist of all time, great entertainer, great performer he was the whole package for sure. Then I got introduced to hip hop - KRS ONE, Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, Run DMC, Nas, Biggie, Jay-z, Dr. Dre, A Tribe Called Quest and many more just hip hop in general from the late 80's and the entire 90's.

Are you currently signed? Or, are you strictly independent at this point in time?

Right now strictly Independent doing my thing as a solo artist and producer.

How would you classify your sound and/or style?

I do real music, things that you can relate to and feel. That's the type of music I do.

On a more serious note, are you happy with the current state of Hip-Hop?

I have mixed feelings about the state of the game. I think hip hop is forever evolving some of it I like and others I don't really care for but hip hop is everywhere breaking all barriers as a genre its on TV, movies, commercials, even in different genres

As for the immediate future, what's next?

Next is working on different projects with different artist from different places, trying to build up that ole so important fan base.

Last but not least, HYPE wants to know…What’s your CRAZIEST “Where they do that at?!” moment…

My first trip to TX with my fam, we were driving around and he was telling me it's easy to pull chicks out here and they don't be wearing nothing. So I'm like what ever let me see. So said so done! We were driving, when we pulled up next to a PT Cruiser full of chicks. He waves at the chicks and tell them to pull over, and they did. They pulled over in some little parking lot, he got out and talked to the chick for like 20 seconds, then he told her to get out of the car. She did and the chick had on some short shorts showing her butt and a bathing suit top. He then tells me, "I told you they don't be wearing nothing." - thehypemagazine.com

After the storm is calmed, the fifth artist, X.E.L. Ohh, comes with that golden era boom bap jeep music. This is a real music lover, who is not of the "Trash Can" music era. The beats are mixed perfect with a solid delivery, lyrics just flow over with ease, crisp and clear. It wasn't the sound system, just flat out MC'n. If you've never seen him live then check out his music online or his cd's. The transition of studio works to live performances is seldom achieved by many artists, this is not the rapping over your verse type of MC, but if you wasn't in front of him you would think it was on cd. - spewmedia

My favorite thing about working this mixtape is it really allowed me to dig in the crates and break samples and loop out original beats. “It Was a Good Day” will most likely make people think Ice Cube, but the sample comes from the Isley Brothers “Footsteps in the Dark”. “10 Rap Commandments” is going to have people thinking Biggie, but the original sample came from Les McCann’s “Vallarta” and of course you can’t forget the sample of Public Enemy, which later led to a lawsuit won by Chuck D and Public Enemy for copyright infringement. To me, that is hilarious considering Public Enemy built their entire music catalog on samples and the work of the Bomb Squad. Imagine if James Brown’s estate sued Public Enemy for all the uses of JB samples PE used over their musical lifespan! “It Aint Hard To Tell” is immediately recognizable as a rip of Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature” but listen closer and you’ll hear some Tupac and Kool G Rap and DJ Polo “Truly Yours” which is actually built on the drums from “NT” by Kool and the Gang. Some of the songs are stripped down to just raw beat breaks like “Definition of a Monster” which samples BDP and Tech 9ine. I bet a lot of people have no idea that Pharcyde’s “Running Away” samples the Stan Getz “Saudade Vem Correndo”. I bet a lot of people have never even heard of Stan Getz. Google Stan and “Saudade Vem Correndo” then slide to the 2:05 mark and you’ll immediately recognize the break. Grabbing jazz breaks and samples from R&B albums is cool, but I really appreciate when people snatch samples from obscure places. I’m sure Seals &Croft had a nice run in their day, but I’m positive most Hip-Hop fans have NEVER heard any of their music. You think Busta Rhymes actually created the hit “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See” with his own melodic ear? Hell no; that’s Seals & Croft “Sweet Green Fields”. Peep Uzi’s cadence and delivery too – daed on for the Busta Rhymes cadence and I loved that. Between the breaks and all the cuts laid in these tracks there must be somewhere around 50 various samples and breaks in just 14 songs. “No More Trash Can Music” is the only original production piece of this mixtape. This mixtape is a celebration of the Golden Era of Hip-Hop and I love that X.E.L. put so much work into bringing the songs back for a rebirth. My top pick from the mixtape is “Definition of a Monster” because X.E.L. ripped that lyrically. Make sure you listen to the skit at the beginning and end of “No More Trash Can Music” too. Classic. - DA'HITMAN

STILL RAVE REVIEWS FOR X.E.L. 9D's... by STILL RAVE
STILL RAVE REVIEWS FOR X.E.L. 9D’s… "I checked out the mix tape and man it was niiiiice. I loved all of those beats from my younger days. The first 3 tracks had a real good groove going. That chick Black Widow is dope. Lyrically I loved the track “Running”. He had a flow that reminded me of Eminem from his “ I’m Sorry Mama” track. Track 10 with the artist Prime Dinero was bangin the last track about the whack songs was a trip, talking about Peanut butter and jelly and the chicken wing. Man the whole CD was good from beginning to end. Your boy never let the new beat coming in through him off the flow. His delivery made all of the tracks gel. I seriously listened to it 2 times in a row because it didn’t seem that long because I didn’t have to skip through the songs to find good music. - STILL RAVE REVIEWS