It takes a special kind of artist to be able to relay their singular experiences and translate those into things that are relatable to not only the people in their community but also can relay these experiences into somethings that are relatable to anyone that has grown up in completely different circumstances. With the release of his new album, Little Dominiques Nosebleed, producer, emcee, actor, writer and humorist Dominique Purdy AKA The Koreatown Oddity has been able to do just that. The Los Angeles based polymath has been crafting uniquely personal music since 2012 when he was releasing tracks strictly on cassette with Ras G and Mndsgn and has progressed into one of the more interesting and talented voices in hip hop. The new album is a striking narrative detailing Purdy’s life growing up in Koreatown in LA that is as surreal as it is grounded. Telling the origin story of Purdy’s “supernatural powers and spiritual awakening” after two separate car accidents as a child left him in and out of hospital with chronic nosebleeds and a broken leg. Awe inspiringly produced by Purdy and featuring a dizzying amount of samples, Little Dominique”s Nosebleed is a peek into The Koreatown Oddity’s journey that is told so deftly you feel every bit of elation, frustration, joy and pain. What the record documents isn’t only biographical and socially relevant but also wholly entertaining.

From the opening notes of “Looking Back From The Future”, Purdy immediately throws you into his world. The head spinning amount of samples that he has twisted and shaped to tell his story is a thing of wonder and beauty. Not only is there a depth to the mix of the sounds he creates but an urgency that hits you right out of the gates. A few touchstones are prevalent, You can hear Kool Keith’s influence in the emcee’s flow as well as a feeling that he may have listened to a lot of MF Doom coming up as there is a density and humorous bent, occasionally just living on the outskirts of his lyrics. There’s a chillness to the vibe of the proceedings, even when everything gets hectic and turned around that feels so much an inspiration of anyone you can pick and choose from the vast Hieroglyphics crew. “Little Dominique Nosebleed Part 1” details his time growing up in the centre of Los Angeles. Purdy displays a deft hand at painting a picture of his formative years and the trauma that proceeded before, after and during the accidents that shaped him. Anyone who grew up in the 90s will get the feel for what Purdy is documenting. Everything from playing Metroid and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Nintendo, the latter reference coming with a humorous bit about the game crashing, completely stopping the song to where the listener only hears Purdy and his friends blowing into the cartridge, only to have the track pick back up again as soon as the game is reinserted. Don’t be fooled that this is all 90s pop culture jokes though. “Weed In LA” talks about how marijuana was legalized and the absolute insanity that there is still a ton of people in jail for even minor pot offences. “Attention Challenge” bursts out of the speakers basically listing the inane to dangerous things that people, everyone from online influencers to The President Of The United States, do to get attention and, to hear it listed all out, is just as absurd and grotesque as you may think it is. Like everything else on the album, it packs a punch.

Throughout Little Dominique’s Nosebleed The Koreatown Oddity is joined by guests like Sudan Archives, Anna Wise, Baby Rose, C.S Armstrong and Fatlip among many others. Each doing excellent work helping TKO fill in his musical canvases. It’s almost a disservice to say anymore about this very special album. To discover this hidden treasure in real time makes it all so much more rewarding than if it was all just detailed to you fully beforehand. It’s ironic that Little Dominiques Nosebleed is made up of so many samples as the album is so wonderfully original. It just goes to show that it’s not the paint but the painter and Dominique Purdy AKA The Koreatown Oddity is one helluva artist.

review by Adam Fink