Oxperiments, Weed And A Quadrilsonic 500: This Will Take Your Breath Away
Oh No aka Mike Jackson comes from quite the pedigree, the brother of Madlib and son of Otis Jackson, you can only imagine the inevitable double edged sword this comes with. When we finally get on the phone with Jackson he dispels any negative connotations this may bring, lets us into his humble studio and gives us a glimpse into the future. Comets in sector 12 are of course inclusive.
So when did you and Alchemist realise you had to throw a collaboration LP together and what was the weed of choice in the studio?
It was crazy cause after the explosion from the comet that hit sector 12 in the outer orbit the leaders…
Are we ever going to see an official 9-3-0 Double 3 project?
I don’t know if we’ll see an official one. But I do know for sure there’s going to be at least 30 to 33 unofficial ones! Shouts to the 9 3 0 33rd crew! Ox city stand up!
Your last couple of solo LP’s (Exodus into Unheard Rhythms & Dr No: The Oxperiment) were interesting in terms of the constraints placed on you as a producer. With one you had to work within the confines of Galt McDermott’s catalogue and the other with a Turkish, Lebanese, etc selection from Egon’s crates. How different was the recording process of those two LP’s compared to what you usually do behind the boards?
The recording process was pretty much the same. Just more new equipment, better weed, and iller mixes as time goes on. But I still do the same shit. I have lots of beat tapes that are strictly confined to one persons music or one theme. I do that to push my own limit, that’s important to me. To push limits, even though there are no limits to what we do now days, push those non-limits.
We all know you influences as a producer – Premo, Pete Rock, Dilla, Madlib. But what about your influences on the mic? Who made you want to start spitting?
Rakim, Kool G Rap, Large Professor, Organized Konfusion, EPMD, Redman and Lootpack!
Is the MPC still the main weapon in the arsenal or have you been looking to broaden your tools?
I’m using the Quadrilsonic 500! Shit’s incredible. Comes with the new mini discs and the old school floppy drive. That shit is gonna change the game straight up!
Word is that you’re a hardcore gamer. So what is the one game that nobody can step to you in right now?
Right now I’m fucking with (insert game here) and absolutely nobody can fuck with me in (insert game here). I mean as soon as I touch the controller it’s a wrap!
So break down the games collection. Sounds like you got yourself a damn arcade! Do games influence how you approach your music at all?
My game collection consists of just about every console and handheld system, homemade arcade cabinet, homemade digital pinball table, etc. Shit’s crazy! Every time I beat a game expect 100 new beats. Feels like you’re on top of the world with that bomb kush!
Does Madlib’s shadow ever bother you? I mean every interview, article, review I ever read on you always reads ‘Oh No; Madlibs little brother’, but you’re an amazing artist in your own right with or without that connection.
Nah it’s all good. Anytime my big brother’s name is involved it’s a plus! We can throw some more names in too: Alchemist, Kan Kick, DJ Romes, Roc C, Med, Wildchild, Aloe Blacc, Guilty Simpson!
How do you stay so productive? I mean you are pushing out fresh music constantly. Have you always had that strong work ethic?
Earth fumes. Caves and earth fumes keep me productive. I have 3 majestic oracles that read into one giant crystal ball. They give me my daily objectives and missions throughout the day.
You have collaborated with a lot of heads now, but has there ever been a moment when simply as a hip hop fan you’ve just thought ‘Holy Shit! I can’t believe I’m working with so & so!’?
When i got to collaborate with Dave Mathews and Claire Fischer at the Red Bull Music Academy, that was some holy shit! I got to play my MPC with a 50 piece orchestra high as the sky. That shit was insane!
You’ve been quite open about the fact you are bipolar. Do you feel, like a lot of other artists, that the being able to work in a creative industry such as music enables you to utilise this so-called disorder to your advantage?
Sure. If you know how to channel that energy to your craft and stay busy it definitely works to your advantage. Negative to positive, sometimes positive to negative. Kick ass then make a kick ass beat that works too!
Oh No [USA] plays with Plutonic Lab [AUS] and DJ Bonez [AUS] Friday February 25 at Roxanne Parlour.
