Oh No's father, Otis Jackson Sr., is an acclaimed 70's soul singer, and mother Sinesca wrote most of his classic tunes. Oh No (real name Michael Jackson Woodrow Sr.) is the younger brother of indie hip-hop icon Madlib (real name Otis Jackson Jr., aka Madvillain, Quasimoto, Jaylib) and, just like his sibling, he triples as an MC/producer/DJ. He's quite prolific as well, again as is his brother. He debuted as an artist in his own right with a string of singles on Stones Throw Records in he US and appearances on Groove Attack Productions in Europe. Oh No's name has grown in recent years, with production work for numerous artists including Medaphoar, LMNO, Aloe Blacc, Wildchild (on album "Secondary Protocol") and Murs (on album "The End Of The Beginning").
It was around the age of 11 when making beats won out over video games to become Oh No?s most obsessive pastime. Over the years, as the Cali-bred b-boy honed his skills of rhyming and producing, it became obvious that ? like his brother Madlib (iconic hip-hop maestro), his father Otis Jackson (cult ?70s soul singer) and his uncle Jon Faddis (renowned jazz trumpeter) ? Oh No would go on to pursue the family business of music.
Oh No debuted as a producer and MC in his own right with The Disrupt, his 2004 full-length on Stones Throw Records. With recent beat production on the albums of fellow Oxnard, CA-based MC's Wildchild, MED, Roc C, and on Guilty Simpson's upcoming 2007 album Ode to the Ghetto, Oh No has probably logged more beats on Stones Throw releases than anyone else besides Madlib. In recent years, Oh No has carved out a funky style related, but distinct, to that of his famed sibling, as magazines like XXL, The Source and URB have all attested. A landmark collaboration with jazz/funk legend David Matthews (arranger behind many of James Brown?s finest albums) at last year?s Red Bull Music Academy ? where Mr. Matthews composed an orchestral piece based on a single Oh No beat ? hinted at the scope of things to come from the young underground impresario.
The hip-hop world can now witness Oh No?s musical vision with Exodus Into Unheard Rhythms, a unique concept album made of beats derived solely from Galt MacDermot samples. Known primarily as the composer of the late-?60s smash musical HAIR, Galt MacDermot distilled the essence of R&B rhythms and Broadway melodies into a unique and potent groove for the Age of Aquarius. After his breakthrough hits from HAIR, MacDermot perfected his sound throughout the following decades on his own imprint, Kilmarnock Records, backed by longtime collaborators, jazz/funk drumming legends Bernard Purdie and Idris Muhammad. MacDermot offered Oh No access to his huge (and still growing) catalog of music for his work on Exodus.
Once he put his own sonic stamp on the composer?s inimitable material, Oh No pitched the 70-plus beats he made to the MC's in his network. A formidable cast heeded his call to lyrically bless ? from veterans like De La Soul?s Posdnuos and DITC legend A.G. to current indie powerhouses like Murs and Vast Aire. Longtime Oh No comrades like LMNO, M.E.D., Aloe Blacc, Wildchild and Dudley Perkins do their parts, while appearances from Buckshot of Black Moon and Wise Intelligent of Poor Righteous Teachers lend additional weight to the all-star cast. While he only touches the mic on three tracks here, Oh No?s production efforts alone prove that he is one of those musical mavericks who ? like Galt ? hear the unheard rhythms first, and lead the way for the rest.
In 2007, Oh No follows up Exodus Into Unheard Rhythms with "Dr. No's Oxperiment" (Aug 14 2007), an audio tour of Turkish, Lebanese, Greek & Italian psych-funk: chopped, flipped & ripped 28 instrumental tracks.
From Wikipedia:Oh No (born Michael Woodrow Sr.) is an underground hip hop artist from Oxnard, California. He is the younger brother of hip hop artist and producer Madlib, son of singer Otis Woodrow, and nephew of jazz trumpeter Jon Faddis.
Oh No grew up with music all around him, but he remained more concerned with video games until his pre-teen years, only focusing on music once he started experimenting with his brother's equipment. As he watched his brother make a name for himself as a hip hop artist, he continued to hone his skills as a rapper and beat maker, performing with his group Kali Wild and eventually being featured on the Lootpack album Soundpieces: Da Antidote, and being signed to Los Angeles-based Stones Throw Records.
Oh No released his debut album, The Disrupt, on Stones Throw Records in 2004. Generally accepted by critics, the album featured the fan favorite song "Move," which was produced by J Dilla and subsequently remixed for "Move Part 2." Around this time he also performed on numerous singles by other artists, and began doing freelance production work for labelmates Wildchild, MED and others. He has gone on to produce for Juggaknots, De La Soul, Murs and various other artists.
In August 2006, Oh No released the album Exodus Into Unheard Rhythms, sampling the music of Galt MacDermot throughout and featuring appearances from numerous other rap artists, mostly in the Stones Throw family. The album was well received by critics and established Oh No as one of the leading underground producers in hip-hop. In 2007 he released Dr. No's Oxperiment to rave reviews. The album was entirely constructed using Turkish, Lebanese, Greek and Italian samples.
Oh No remains an avid gamer, even constructing an entire beat out of video game samples for the track "The Ride" off of The Disrupt. He is an outspoken fan of "raw" hip hop. He has hinted that his somewhat pessimistic moniker comes from both his personal frustrations and his own mischievous behavior.