As 1/3 of the Portland, Oregon throwback hip-hop crew, Lightheaded, it would be easy to pigeonhole the Brooklyn born emcee/producer/graphic artist, Ohmega Whatts, as just another underground artist. It might even be easier to tag him as yet another Christian rapper, more concerned with thumping a bible, than making good music to thump in your trunk. Yes, the “other O-Dub” could be all of these things, or even none of them, but the album’s title suggests his only true description  ? The Find.

    True, Whatts is a diamond in the rough, as he proves on his guest-heavy debut, effortlessly outshining his peers any chance he gets. The album starts off with the beautifully mellow opener intro, elegantly setting the listener up for this varied musical experience, leading right into the excellent “Where It All Started”, as Ohmega reminisces on Pete Rock and CL Smooth and Doug E. Fresh. Here, taking an almost Cut Chemist approach to production, this “artist of the chop-method” delivers a whimsical, bouncy track, which showcases his talents equally on production and rhymes. Cuts like this, and the insightful “Mind Power”, prove Whatts to be a completely well rounded solo artist ? so why all the guests? 

    Unfortunately, while The Find is good, it does take a minute to get off the ground, as the first half of the album is littered with odes to yesteryear with many of his fellow Sunday-service attending homies. The energetic “That Sound” (feat. Lightheaded & The Procussions) snaps, crackles, and pops with dirty funk and jazz breaks, however while Ohmega’s spirituality is more subtly slipped in, thanks to his naturally cool air, his lesser talented partners stick-out like sore thumbs, coming off more preachy, than peachy. The same can be said for the pair of snoozers that follow, “You Are Now Tuned In” (feat Adam L & DJ Bombay) and “Full Swing” (feat. Deacon and Neogen). 

    However midway through the album, things take a turn for the better, starting with the aforementioned “Mind Power”, followed by the “is she talking about her man or Jesus” neo-soul cut, “Your Love”. On the Gap ready “Groovin On Sunshine”, later on “Floor Rock”, and the luscious outro “Dream On”, his talents really begin to take form, as he flexes his instrumentalist muscles, giving RJD2 a run for his money (well, kinda, at least). Also notable are the gorgeous “Stay Tuned” and quintessential b-boy jam, “Move”, both helping seal the deal once again for Ohmega as the ambidextrous “find”, the album suggests he is. 

    As far as Ohmega Whatts’ spiritual message goes, depending on where they stand religiously, certain listeners may find it annoying, while others will just throw their hands in the air, waving them like they just don’t care, in praise. Whoever you are, if you got past House Of Pain’s Irish-stylings or Brand Nubians 5% ideals and were able to enjoy their respective albums without a second thought, Ohmega’s undertones could go in one ear and out the other, thanks to incredibly solid production. 

    21 tracks in length, there is no shortage of quality material on the record, but it’s also crammed with what many would argue with as filler. Another small issue with this album, is that while it does successfully introduce Whatts as a force to be reckoned with in indy hip-hop, it has a hard time finding it’s identity. With 20 guest artists and an eclectic mix of old school style hip-hop, instrumental grooves, and neo-soul cuts, it’s all over the place. Like Blueprint, Whatts is a talented enough artist that he could conceivably produce records in each genre ? but next time, how about just a solo hip-hop record from the man? Take ‘em to church, O.