Odario is a Canadian hip-hop artist, poet and all-round storyteller, a self described "Cocoa Love Bug”. The Guyanese born rapper was raised in Winnipeg where he became a pioneer in the city’s fast growing hip-hop community. Currently residing in Toronto, Odario’s distinctive vocal tone and expressive lyrics were an integral part of his former band, Grand Analog, since releasing their debut album in 2007. His solo project expresses all these qualities; tackling the many sides of "beat poetry". Embedded in the beat and submerged in the bass, his warm experimental hip-hop sound explores various genres, flavours and soundscapes.

Throughout his career, Odario has collaborated with artists like Posdnuos of De La Soul, Shad, Maylee Todd, Cadence Weapon and Saukrates among others. As a teenager, Odario would tag along with his father (a reggae & funk DJ in the 90s) during his late-night gigs. It was then that he first discovered artists like King Tubby, Sister Nancy and Scientist. Today, Odario delivers his new single The Situation, which merges his poetic slow-flow with an old school dub sound. This bass heavy track features UK dub master and electronic pioneer Mad Professor (Massive Attack/Lee “Scratch” Perry/Sly & Robbie) along with Canadian soul singer Yolanda Sargeant on vocals. The Situation is that rare entity in its most authentic form, hip-hop meets dub. The Situation was recorded at Mad Professor's Ariwa Studios in South London. It's a raw haunting bounce that was produced and mixed in both London and Toronto using only analog gear. Odario was initially inspired by Mad Professor's 1980's Dub Me Crazy series, a collection of original dub-electro breaks.

Odario first collaborated with Mad Professor in 2016 for the Grand Analog single, Love Is A Battlefield. They have been musical brothers ever since, sharing a love of dub recordings and the analog process. The Situation is the lead single for a collaborative project tentatively titled, Toaster Boys, set to be released late 2025. The B-side to The Situation is a dub version of the single, mixed by Mad Professor at Ariwa Studios in South London. At the end of the song, you'll hear Mad Professor preach that dub music is a natural creation and analog is its only sound. “We don't know nothing else". Odario says that “The Situation is a fresh rare groove that sounds like a manual no longer in use. It sounds like three coats of dust mixed with the lush sound of the city at night.”

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