Offsite is the nomadic emcee that you might find somewhere between Maine and Wisconsin these days. After a busy 2018, he laid low in 2019. Now he resurfaces in 2020 to drop a new project, i bought a ticket for my eye upon that White Sky Bird which never touches down.

Over the last few years, Offsite has given us a wide variety of projects, but some of the constants have been his abstract poetry, his philosophical ponderings, his tight, complex flow, and his high pitched voice. All of this is on display on IBATFMEUTWSB, a project that feels like a look at an artist’s sketch book. Most of the project was born out of freestyle sessions, with Offsite going back to tighten some of the songs up into a more polished form, but letting others exist as they were created. The main theme of the project is an analysis of why humans feel the need to work towards self-destruction, and what can be done to change that narrative. Working with producer Grandmaster Hex, who also appeared on 2018’s Hex, Offsite bounces around these abstract beats with a stream-of-consciousness flow, except unlike many other artists who might do this, his ideas come across almost fully formed, and there is a deep focus to what he’s presenting to his listeners. It’s a project that asks a lot of questions and posits some hypotheses, but mostly issues challenges listeners to be more present in their daily lives and to make more conscious decisions to actively make the world a more livable place. It’s dense and it’s challenging to listen to, but it’s also incredibly rewarding to those who are willing to put in the work.

Offsite has quietly been putting together a really strong, inventive, and challenging discography. His latest project is no exception, taking these raw ideas and philosophical questions, and turning it into some dope abstract hip hop.