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OMSB shows joy & sorrow on new album Ki-Ai

It serves as a continuation of his last record ALONE

LiFTED | Jensen Ooi | 16 Oct 2023


After the release of his much-anticipated album ALONE last year, it seems like OMSB sees no need to have another seven-year wait in between projects. He dropped the mini-album Ki-Ai [translates to “Joy & Sorrow”] just a year later, on October 11.

On Ki-Ai, we are treated to a whole new collection of eight tracks, each of them showcasing how the legendary rapper hasn’t lost a single step in his 20-plus-year career so far. Like the incredible ‘Vision Quest’ he dropped earlier this year, OMSB floats in and out of the Boom Bap beats on the album largely produced by himself. Tracks like ‘Tenchi’ and ‘Momento Mori Again’ show a more melodic side of the Rap elder statesman, while ‘Hero Is Here’ and ‘Blood’ see him explore a more contemporary version of Boom Bap – sounding like tracks you might hear on a Westside Gunn or Griselda record.

In a press release, OMSB revealed that Ki-Ai was meant to be a continuation of ALONE – a brief glimpse into his life after his massive return and what it means for his career going forward. Always an introspective artist, OMSB questions his status in the Rap game right now and how he could breathe new life into the art he makes.

Prior to the album’s release, OMSB also dropped a fire freestyle ‘Red Bull 64 Bars’ in promotion of the new album. Check it and Ki-Ai below.