Dead Obies

One of the promises of hip-hop is that records in the genre can serve as windows into other worlds, other blocks, other subcultures. Dead Obies, the Montreal outfit known for their unbelievably raucous live shows and kinetic interplay on records, are proof that the scope of rap’s drift across North America is still expanding. Formed in Montreal in 2011 by MCs Yes McCan, Snail Kid, 20SOME, Jo RCA and O.G. Bear, along with producer VNCE CARTER, the group blurs the line between French and English in their songs, which in turn makes them a bridge between the city’s divided rap scenes. Dead Obies became a minor sensation with their 2013 debut single, “Tony Hawk”, and its video that seemed to distil the angst and idle rage of bored young men through the 2000s. With albums like 2016’s Gesamtkunstwerk, they confirmed themselves as fluent in virtually every style of rap bubbling up at the time, their focus multidirectional, their field of vision unlimited.