In movies, successful siblings are a rule (Baldwin, Sheen, Olsen). In music they're less common (
Jessica and Ashley Simpson don't really count), and in hip-hop, well it's virtually unheard of (though the
Ying Yang Twins make a gold-fronted argument). But even still, coming up with your bro is different from coming up behind him, and
Oh No is aware of the challenge he's facing, caught as he will naturally be in brother
Madlib's significant shadow. And the fact that he chose to release his debut album on Stones Throw, the label that has become the stronghold for
Madlib's seemingly infinite beat-making talent is more daunting still. So does
Oh No pull it off? Depends. If the goal was to distinguish himself from his brother, than the answer is no, as
Oh No's dusty beats bear the mark of siblings come before. Although, several of his productions, including "Perceptions" and "Take Another," stand out (if not up against)
Madlib's with their smoother g-funk sound. But if the goal was to simply make a solid hip-hop album in the growing tradition of Stones Throw releases, then The Disrupt is a success. "Stomp That V.2" galumphs ahead with a cadence not unlike
Jaylib's awesome "McNasty Filth" while the
Medaphoar-led "Ride" grooves with patented double-handclaps and a video game-inspired melody that avoids being kitschy (although it could have been more original). The Disrupt is by no means perfect. "I Can't Help Myself" features Staci Epps in a vocal performance that sounds like an unfinished rehearsal tape and there's a similarly incomplete toy keyboard melody. But taken in the context of hip-hop as a whole,
Oh No is like a lawyer in a family of doctors. Not quite as admirable, but certainly no slacker. ~ Joshua Glazer