Since producing and performing the hit track "Musik Lounge" for DJ Jazzy Jeff's "Magnificent" LP, Amir "Oddisee" Mohamed has pushed his involvement in the music industry into fifth gear. Taking advantage of working at A Touch of Jazz studios, Oddisee has incorporated the neo soul vibe of Philly into his eclectic and well decorated resume. Coming from a diverse background, the half Sudanese half African American was blessed with musical talent from both sides of his family. Oddisee was influenced by the accomplished singers, guitarists, and poets on his Sudanese side, and on his American side, by the gospel singers, blue grass guitar players, and older cousins who gave him his first taste of hip-hop. Ironically, it was his Sudanese father that gave Oddisee the vinyl that fueled his passion for producing hip-hop music.
Since turning his focus towards hip-hop in 1999, Oddisee has worked with the likes of Gary Shider of Parliament and Funkadelic, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Talib Kweli, J-Live, Asheru, Little Brother, and many other respected recording artists. Now signed with Halftooth Records, Oddisee will soon be invading air waves and record stores near you with a unique sound that's impossible to ignore. With his incredibly distinctive and mesmerizing style, Oddisee covers just about every sect of hip-hop music, creating a sound that is appealing to all music lovers. Born in Washington D.C. and raised in Maryland, Oddisee and his "Low Budget Crew," including such hip hop artists and producers as Cy Young, Kevin Brown, Kenn Starr, have already managed to leave their mark within the hip-hop community of the D.C. metropolitan area.
In 2008 Oddisee signed with Mello Music Group and released a string of critically acclaimed projects that he either produced or rhymed on: 101, Mental Liberation, Everything Changed Nothing, Odd Seasons, and Traveling Man. He also created the break out DMV group Diamond District, which released In the Ruff in 2009, along with Uptown XO and yU. Oddisee has recently seen his music featured on ESPN during the NBA Finals, and in commercials for companies such as Quiksilver and Burton Snowboards, among others. Oddisee’s debut solo album People Hear What They See, was released on June 5, 2012 via Mello Music Group, and is a culmination of the duality of his life experiences, from DC internal politics to third world struggles, the line between love and selfishness, and the personal conflict between self-sabotage and progress, set to a backdrop of intricate drums, lush instrumentation, and soul-stirring harmonies.
Today, Oddisee splits his time between his Brooklyn, New York apartment, his DC stomping grounds, and his London base, while continuing to tour, develop new artists, consult for MMG, and create new music. Oddisee is ready to introduce his remarkable sounds to the world and influence the entire music community. This producer/emcee extraordinaire is poised to be your favorite beat maker and lyricist in one. Watch out world!
First Choice
Oddisee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Aye with your first voice–say
In your mind's sight, blind by the thirst to make it work
Sometimes you gotta lay it in the dirt
Let 'em know
Let 'em know
All must always, always go, with your first choice– Aye
With your first voice–say
Sometimes you gotta lay it in the dirt
Let 'em know
Let 'em know
All must always, always go, with your first choice– Aye
With your first voice–say
In your mind's sight, blind by the thirst to make it work
Sometimes you gotta lay it in the dirt to let it shine
Fork in road, one is chose, least i drove
Nothing's easy what's a freebie?
All is sold we been reaping
In the fold, in the creases where I stole
Lucky see me, see my lows
Only highs I meant to show like all I meant to be is so
[?] close to being exposed
Can't have that so guard your secrets there the weakness to your foes
Catch you slipping on the slope, your positions in their scope
Take a hit and keep on ticking quick decision bleed to glow
Freeze the gold, no need to know the answer for all reasons seem to go
This ain't rocket science just have hardened mind beat them both
Over thinking overboard, soaked and sinking close to shore
Could have made a fear of failure sings the forward [?]
On the [?] the king to cost the Queen to cost him a loss
Hindsight is stronger, believe that if he back at dawn
Without the help of warnings your mornings repeat like alarms
You know the answer quit dancing around it an get dressed for prom
All must always, always go, with your first choice
Aye with your first voice–say
In your mind's sight, blind by the thirst to make it work
Sometimes you gotta lay it in the dirt
Let 'em know
Let 'em know
All must always, always go, with your first choice– Aye
With your first voice–say
In your mind's sight, blind by the thirst to make it work
Sometimes you gotta lay it in the dirt
Let 'em know
Let 'em know
All must always, always go, with your first choice– Aye
With your first voice–say
In your mind's sight, blind by the thirst to make it work
Sometimes you gotta lay it in the dirt to let it shine
I feel it more than ever you know
The Inevitably inevitable
It's better to leave than never to know
Who better than me to tell me to go
But the best is yet to come, will I regret this after run
Leave the next one next to none on a quest to manifest the [?] sun
I don't know but I'm cool with that
Foolish perhaps to choose this or that, or nothing at all
This could build while that collapse and I stood on stilts now fit to fall
So why make a move like, pushes sort of rude like
I'm that sort of dude that wants it all to prove that it ain't all a view like
Yo, Running in circles and waiting in lines
Jumping the hurdles we make in our minds
I'ma just go with the flow and I hope when it's over I'm over and made it in time
Know in the moment the open and closing the road and roses of war before
The battle was held, neglected to tell, went for the second I reckon I failed
All must always, always go, with your first choice
Aye with your first voice–say
In your mind's sight, blind by the thirst to make it work
Sometimes you gotta lay it in the dirt
Let 'em know
Let 'em know
All must always, always go, with your first choice– Aye
With your first voice–say
In your mind's sight, blind by the thirst to make it work
Sometimes you gotta lay it in the dirt
Let 'em know
Let 'em know
All must always, always go, with your first choice– Aye
With your first voice–say
In your mind's sight, blind by the thirst to make it work
Sometimes you gotta lay it in the dirt to let it shine
The lyrics of Oddisee's song "First Choice" emphasizes the importance of making decisions based on one's first choice and gut feelings. The lyrics suggest that sometimes it is necessary to take a risk and trust one's instincts to make things work. The artist warns against overanalyzing and overthinking, which often leads to missed opportunities or regret. The fork in the road metaphor is used to illustrate the choices we face in life and how we must trust our first choice, even if it means putting in the effort to make it work. The artist also touches on the idea of failure and how it is better to try than to never know what could have been.
The lyrics suggest that taking risks and trusting oneself is a key element to achieving success. This theme is further highlighted in the line "Catch you slipping on the slope, your positions in their scope/take a hit and keep on ticking quick decision bleed to glow," meaning that even in difficult situations or moments of uncertainty, it is important to make a quick decision and move forward. The artist also emphasizes the idea of growth and the fact that learning from past mistakes helps in making better decisions in the future.
Overall, the lyrics of "First Choice" serve as a reminder that sometimes taking a risk is necessary to achieve success in life, and it is important to trust one's instincts and go with their first choice even if it means putting in the effort to make things work.
Line by Line Meaning
All must always, always go, with your first choice
Always follow your gut feeling and make decisions based on your initial choice.
Aye with your first voice–say
Speak your mind and express your first choice confidently.
In your mind's sight, blind by the thirst to make it work
Despite obstacles or lack of evidence, your hunger for success guides your decision-making.
Sometimes you gotta lay it in the dirt
Sometimes you have to take risks and accept failure in order to succeed.
Let 'em know
Make others aware of your decisions or intentions.
Fork in road, one is chose, least i drove
When faced with difficult decisions, always take action and take responsibility for your choices.
Nothing's easy what's a freebie?
Success comes from hard work and dedication, not from handouts or shortcuts.
All is sold we been reaping
Everything in life has a cost or trade-off, and we must take ownership of the consequences of our actions.
Lucky see me, see my lows
Others may only see your successes or achievements, but you know the struggles and failures that led to them.
Only highs I meant to show like all I meant to be is so
We tend to only showcase our successes or positive qualities, even though there's more to us than what meets the eye.
[?] close to being exposed
Our insecurities or vulnerabilities are a source of fear, and we try to keep them hidden from others.
Can't have that so guard your secrets there the weakness to your foes
Others can use our secrets or weaknesses against us, so it's important to stay vigilant and protect ourselves.
Catch you slipping on the slope, your positions in their scope
If we let our guard down, others could take advantage of us and exploit our vulnerabilities or weaknesses.
Take a hit and keep on ticking quick decision bleed to glow
In the face of adversity, stay resilient and make quick decisions that will help you grow or improve.
Freeze the gold, no need to know the answer for all reasons seem to go
Sometimes it's better to pause or delay a decision in order to gain more clarity or see more options.
This ain't rocket science just have hardened mind beat them both
Making decisions doesn't have to be complicated, but it requires a strong and resolute mindset.
Over thinking overboard, soaked and sinking close to shore
Overanalyzing or obsessing over decisions can lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed or drowned in indecision.
Could have made a fear of failure sings the forward [?]
Fear of failure can paralyze us and make us hesitant to take risks or make decisions.
On the [?] the king to cost the Queen to cost him a loss
Sometimes decisions that benefit one person could come at a cost to others, even unintentionally.
Hindsight is stronger, believe that if he back at dawn
Looking back on decisions or events gives us a clearer perspective and understanding of what we could have done differently.
Without the help of warnings your mornings repeat like alarms
If we don't learn from past decisions or mistakes, we're bound to make the same errors over and over again.
The Inevitably inevitable
Certain things in life are unavoidable or bound to happen, regardless of our decisions or actions.
It's better to leave than never to know
Taking action or making decisions, even if they don't turn out as expected, is better than living with regret or uncertainty.
Who better than me to tell me to go
We know ourselves and our situations better than anyone else, so we should trust our instincts and make decisions accordingly.
The best is yet to come, will I regret this after run
The future is uncertain and we can never know for sure whether a decision will have positive or negative consequences.
Leave the next one next to none on a quest to manifest the [?] sun
In striving for success, we should focus on our own path and not worry about what others are doing or achieving.
Foolish perhaps to choose this or that, or nothing at all
Making decisions can sometimes feel like a guessing game, and there's no guarantee of success no matter what choice we make.
This could build while that collapse and I stood on stilts now fit to fall
Just because one choice seems more stable or secure doesn't mean it's the right one, and things can change unexpectedly.
So why make a move like, pushes sort of rude like
Decision-making can be challenging and uncomfortable, and it's natural to feel hesitant or unsure in some situations.
I'm that sort of dude that wants it all to prove that it ain't all a view like
We all have a desire to prove our worth or achieve greatness, but we should be mindful that appearances can be deceiving.
Yo, Running in circles and waiting in lines
Indecision or hesitation can lead to a feeling of being stuck or trapped in a cycle of inaction.
Jumping the hurdles we make in our minds
Sometimes the biggest obstacles to success are the ones we impose on ourselves with our thoughts or beliefs.
I'ma just go with the flow and I hope when it's over I'm over and made it in time
Sometimes the best course of action is to let go of control and let things happen as they may.
Know in the moment the open and closing the road and roses of war before
In making decisions, it's important to be aware of the possible outcomes and consequences before it's too late.
The battle was held, neglected to tell, went for the second I reckon I failed
Making a decision without fully considering all options or consequences can lead to regret or missed opportunities.
Sometimes you gotta lay it in the dirt to let it shine
Taking risks or facing failure can lead to eventual success or personal growth.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind