ONO fuses classical music and rap in a unique and powerful blend
The man who calls himself ONO (for the One N' Only) is part of the post-hip hop generation of artists who grew up with the music, but now see it as irrelevant and self-indulgent. Where does hip hop go next? If 17-year-old ONO (birth name: Jake Bhattacharya) has anything to say about it, the answer is back to the concert hall, with a fusion of live, classical instrumentation and highly personal lyrics. No gangsta posturing. Minimal sampling. And a message of hope, rage and personal affirmation.
On his self-released debut EP "Accomplishment," ONO collaborates and co-produces his original songs with Jason Petz (Triton keyboard/piano) and Yu-Min Cho (viola/violin), aka The ONO Crew, and even throws in some ukulele on closing ballad "Bad Experience." The results sound like nothing that has come before.
But then ONO isn't your typical teenage hip hopper. Born in California to Bengali parents, he was raised by his mother and her sisters after his folks divorced. It was a loving home, but with little supervision as his mother struggled to support her family. As a young teen, ONO fell in with a tough crowd, and was tempted into being an accomplice on a liquor store robbery. Seeing that he was growing alienated from his gangster friends as well as his family, and worried about his safety, ONO's mother shipped him off to military school, an act that may have saved his life. It certainly kick-started his creativity and discipline: soon he had a notebook full to bursting and a dream of expressing his emotions through rap. Inspired by Dr. Dre and Eminem's "Forget About Dre," ONO starting turning his poetry into lyrics.
ONO's songs became more personal and angry after a relationship ended badly, and it's these emotions that are at the center of "Accomplishment." The girl told him he'd never make it in hip hop, and he heard similar messages from friends; ONO set out to prove them wrong. He went to his
mother, who by now was a successful CEO of a public company, and said he knew she wanted him to become a doctor, but that he hoped she'd support his musical dreams. She agreed--provided he put every ounce of his drive and passion into music. So now ONO had a lot of people to impress. And at the start of his senior year, he started work on his record.
The melodies on "Accomplishment" are entirely ONO's. He whistles them for his partners, who then play them back on piano or violin. By fusing classical instruments with raw, contemporary lyrics, ONO wants to make music that's accessible across the generation gap.
ONO will be appearing live on December 11 at the Burbank Hilton competing against a pool of other talent search winners. And as he starts college this fall, he's also beginning work on a full-length album to be titled "The World Will Listen," again with the ONO Crew, and lining up live appearances. He's looking for singers, rappers and producers for collaboration, and a record label to help fund and market the disc.
ONO's music has been heard at Club Diesel in Anaheim, at Disneyland on his grad night, and at his myspace page, http://www.myspace.com/onorecordsmusic.
Tune in there to hear the new face of hip hop, and help ONO prove to his mother and everyone who doubted him and did him wrong that when you follow your passion, you can change your own world, and the one outside. He remains deeply family oriented, and devoted to the people who supported him.
ONO's "Accomplishment" features the songs "Accomplishment," "Ride Or Die" and "What Pain A Traitor Brings." Review copies are available by request and hi-resolution images are on the myspace page. ONO is available for interviews in the San Bernardino area, or by phone or email. Email Deepfriedboy@aol.com or call (760) 908-4160 for more info.
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