Oddisee on New Album: 'I Have This Responsibility to Uphold the Causes of Minorities in this Country'

Muslim rapper Oddisee opens up about his faith, attacks by Donald Trump on his community, and his latest album, The Iceberg on Complex Live.

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With his new album, The Iceberg, which dropped this past Friday, Oddisee has a larger focus than just making his fans nod their heads.

“I have this responsibility to uphold the causes of minorities in this country, in faith, and in race,” Oddisee told “Complex Live.” “It’s not even a responsibility. I feel like it’s innate. I feel like I have to do it, with no one asking me. It’s a part of my DNA. It’s who I am.”

The 32-year-old also opened up about growing up as a Muslim, and how he reacted to the recent executive order halting immigration from seven countries—including Sudan, where his father was born.

And though the Maryland-raised MC sees an uphill battle ahead for marginalized communities, he’s not discouraged.

“We can’t let this rhetoric scare us. As a descendant of African-Americans, we’ve been scared and fighting through quite a lot, and this is just another chapter. I’m glad that everybody else is joining the party right now.”

To see more with Oddisee, check out the most recent episode of “Complex Live” on Verizon’s go90 app. 

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