Create account Log in

Omar

[Edit]

Wikimp3 information about the music of Omar. On our website we have 70 albums and 70 collections of artist Omar. You can find useful information and download songs of this artist. We also know that Omar represents Soul genres.

Biography

[Edit]

Designated by many as the father of British neo-soul (though his impact extends over to U.S. shores as well), singer/songwriter/producer Omar began as one of the U.K.'s most promising R&B hopefuls with his early-'90s international hit "There's Nothing Like This." However, unintentionally avoiding pop stardom, he chose never to compromise his artistic credibility, and because of that, people like India.Arie, Erykah Badu, Angie Stone, Gilles Peterson, and his biggest idol, Stevie Wonder, have all endorsed him as personal fans (with the prior three naming him as an influence). Although he gets thrown into the R&B category, Omar has no real definitive boundaries. In interesting new ways with each album, he has molded soul and urban music to fit his wide variety of influences, including ragga, hip-hop, funk, jazz-pop, rock, and Latin/Caribbean dance. Despite the lack of chart success, his original techniques have garnered him a strong legion of followers in the U.K. and a devoted fan base in diverse regions across the world.

Born October 14, 1968, in London but raised in Canterbury, Omar Lye-Fook couldn't escape the call to music even he tried. His father, Byron Lye-Fook, was a studio musician and drummer who had done work for reggae greats Bob Marley and Horace Andy, as well as the Rolling Stones. At age five, Omar was already learning how to play the drums. During his grade school years, he completed formal training in piano, trumpet/coronet, and other percussion instruments, but he also taught himself to play the bass, emulating Level 42 guitarist Mark King. As a part of various brass, jazz, and percussion ensembles, the young prodigy had performed in Italy, Brazil, and the U.S. before turning 15 years old. By the time he was a student at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music in London, he was too tempted in pursuing a professional career and left after one year. Recording for his father's Kongo label, Omar debuted in 1985 with the single "Mr. Postman" at age 16. With Kongo following up with a series of buzz-worthy white labels throughout the late '80s, Omar's favorable reception continued to grow because of his classic yet updated soul approach, which was years before neo-soul became an acknowledged subgenre.

"There's Nothing Like This" first broke out in 1990. It peaked in the U.K.'s Top 20 the following year and remained on top of the R&B and dance charts for several weeks. This was at a time when acid jazz and house were the dominant urban forms in Britain. The soulful ballad got Omar signed to pioneering disc jockey Gilles Peterson's Talkin' Loud imprint. He recorded the albums There's Nothing Like This (1990), which was compiled from his earlier Kongo recordings, and Music (1992), a more mature outing, both in terms as a musician and a singer. (On some of these earlier recordings, he is credited as Omar Hammer, derived from his stepfather's last name.) For his following two albums, For Pleasure (1994) and This Is Not a Love Song (1997), he moved on to major-label RCA. The former had him in the studio with ex-Motown songwriters and producers Leon Ware and Lamont Dozier, who were both fans of his music. But on the latter album, keyboardist/producer David Frank (Chaka Khan, Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, and his own group, the System) took the reins of the album's direction.

Omar never received the type of promotion that he expected when joining RCA's roster, and so he parted ways with the label, finding himself on the French-based Naïve Records. Stating influences of soundtrack compositions and Latin jazz, he had much more personal space to work with on the 2000 effort Best by Far, indulging in his signature string and horn arrangements. However, a long period of inactivity ensued following the 2000 recording, although he did appear on U.S. rapper Common's Electric Circus LP in 2004. During that time, Omar constructed his own studio and established the record label Blunt Music. At this point in his career, he felt more independent than ever before, and with extreme satisfaction he released his sixth studio album, Sing (If You Want It), in 2006. Both U.S. (Common, Angie Stone) and U.K. artists (Rodney P, Estelle) paid homage to Omar, recording guest vocals for the album, but his crowning achievement was obtaining the Stevie Wonder duet "Feeling You," a song that Wonder apparently promised him 15 years earlier. Omar's brother, hip-hop/reggae producer Scratch Professor, also contributed, offering more drum-kicking rhythms for the dancefloor. At the end of the year, the Urban Music Awards, which acknowledge urban music artists around the globe, finally gave Omar his long, overdue praise, bestowing upon him the Best Neo-Soul Act and Outstanding Achievement Awards. A lengthy break from music followed. He got involved with acting, and in 2012, his recording career was acknowledged once more when he was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire. The next year, he released The Man on the Shanachie label with guest appearances from Caron Wheeler and Pino Palladino.

Title: Bae - Single

Artist: Omar

Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rap

Title: Unstoppable - Single

Artist: Omar

Genre: Electronica, Pop

Title: The School Bathroom

Artist: Omar

Genre: Hip Hop/R&B

Title: The Man (Remixes)

Artist: Omar

Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul

Title: Antilovesong

Artist: Omar

Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rap

Title: Shayo - Single

Artist: Omar, Bolu Owo

Genre: World Music

Title: Starlight

Artist: Omar

Genre: Dancefloor, Dance Pop

Title: Moon - EP

Artist: Omar

Genre: Dancefloor, Dance Pop

Title: Moon Dance - EP

Artist: Omar

Genre: Electronica

Title: Joye - EP

Artist: Omar

Genre: World Music, Alternative

Title: Nr1Bandit

Artist: Omar

Genre: Hip Hop/R&B

Title: Free As A Bird

Artist: Omar

Genre: Pop

Title: Sprouts - Single

Artist: Omar

Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul

Title: Music With a Cause

Artist: Omar

Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rap, Gospel

Title: Best by Far

Artist: Omar

Genre: Hip Hop/R&B

Title: Love in Beats

Artist: Omar

Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul

Title: Downtime - EP

Artist: Omar

Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rap, Soul

Title: Tu-Tu - Single

Artist: Omar

Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rap

Title: Angelo mio

Artist: Omar

Genre: Pop, Songwriter/Lyricist

Title: Euthenics

Artist: Omar

Genre: Electronica

Title: Do My Best - Single

Artist: Omar

Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Pop

Title: African Vibes

Artist: Omar

Genre: Alternative

Title: Nicht Willkommen

Artist: Omar

Genre: Hip Hop/R&B

Title: Simplify - Single

Artist: Omar

Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Reggae

Title: Ooo - Single

Artist: Omar

Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rap, Soul

Title: Dem - Single

Artist: Omar

Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rap, Pop

Title: Por Tu Amor - Single

Artist: Omar

Genre: Pop

Title: Facinho - Single

Artist: Omar

Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rap

Title: Things - Single

Artist: Omar

Genre: Electronica, Pop

Title: Samme Sprog - Single

Artist: Omar

Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rap

Title: Tears of Zoie

Artist: Omar

Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rap

Title: Do My Best

Artist: Omar

Genre: Pop

Collections

Title: UK Flava

Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul

Title: Pump Up Songs 2013

Genre:

Title: Shapes 12:01

Genre: Electronica

Title: Rap Love

Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rap

Featuring albums

Title: Dancehall Rocks

Artist: Don E

Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul

Title: Los Kokorotes

Artist: Dj Power

Genre: Latin

Title: Against the Grain

Artist: Lloyd Brown

Genre: Reggae

Title: Sun

Artist: Mario Biondi

Genre: Jazz

Title: Loveable

Artist: Various Artists

Genre: Reggae

Title: Rocanrolando

Artist: Rocanrolando

Genre: Rock, Rock & Roll

Genres