There are a few artists who I feel are severely overlooked, but sometimes they just need a little help to grow. In the case of Omari Night, his talent shines bright in a city not necessarily known for their crooners. Cleveland has plenty of powerful rap acts, but the singers seem to be underrepresented. A few years back one of my friends put me onto the wondrous talents of this kid. This was around 2017 right when Omari had dropped Just Fine 2.
Night has a very smoky vocal tone, but sings from the diaphragm without the strain you hear when basic artists force their notes. Past his styling in the booth, Night’s production sets a serious backdrop for his immense talents. To be able to curate the entire song from start to finish is a huge advantage. No one is stifling your creative flow and the energy cannot be blocked by anyone other than yourself. His instrumentation, whether it be provided by himself of another, is chosen to fit his distinct auditory characteristics. Songs like “Control” and “I Know” still go crazy even with them being two years old. This is incredibly easy to digest R&B because of the sheer no frills mentality.
There is a tiny bit of pitch correction but it’s only to add a modern zest to Omari’s sultry songs. The cuts that have recently stood out to me are “For Life” and “Nasty” featuring JXDYHILL. “For Life” is a brief yet brilliant, booming R&B anthem that has the potential to change the game. “Nasty” speeds things up a bit, but regardless of tempo Night still floats atop this production.
What we do as writers is highlight the art that moves us. Omari Night makes music for a number of situations in life, and the only thing we can do is spread the word. Peep the playlist of my favorite songs thus far and stay tuned for more from Omari Night.
