Oh No

Who Is Oh No?

Michael Woodrow Jackson, born November 6, 1978, better known by his stage name Oh No, is an American rapper and record producer from Oxnard, California. He signed to Stones Throw Records and released his debut album, The Disrupt, in 2004.

His parents are soul singer Otis Jackson Sr. and songwriter Dora Sinesca Faddis-Jackson, and his uncle is jazz trumpeter Jon Faddis. His older brother, Otis Jackson Jr., records as Madlib. Between the three of them — Madlib, Oh No, and their uncle Jon Faddis — the Jackson family spans jazz, soul, and two generations of underground hip-hop.

Oh No is half of the duo Gangrene with The Alchemist, and released an album with Madlib as The Professionals in 2020. He deconstructed the music of Roy Ayers on 2023’s Good Vibes/Bad Vibes, and issued the fourth Gangrene album, Heads I Win, Tails You Lose, in 2024.

Early Life: Oxnard, Music, and a Nickname

A Musical Household in Oxnard

Oh No grew up in Oxnard, California, surrounded by music at home. He was hooked on DJing and rapping since age 11, and would practice making beats during breaks at work.

His nickname, Oh No the Mischievous Rebel, came from Wildchild — Madlib’s bandmate in the hip-hop group Lootpack. Jackson eventually shortened it to simply “Oh No.”

Career: From Lootpack Guest to Underground Institution

The Debut: Soundpieces: Da Antidote (1999)

Oh No made his debut in 1999 on his brother Madlib’s group Lootpack’s album Soundpieces: Da Antidote. He was 20 years old. The appearance placed him inside one of underground hip-hop’s most respected crews before he had released a single record under his own name.

Stones Throw and Early Production Work

Oh No recorded his first singles with Stones Throw and Groove Attack and started producing for Medaphoar, Aloe Blacc, and Murs.

He also performed on numerous singles by other artists and began doing freelance production work for labelmates Wildchild and MED (Nickolas Rodriguez). He went on to produce for Juggaknots, De La Soul, Murs, and various other artists.

The Disrupt (2004): Debut Album

Oh No made his full-length debut on Stones Throw with 2004’s The Disrupt. He produced and MC’d the album himself. It was well received by critics and established Oh No as one of the leading producers in underground hip-hop.

The lead single was “Last Tango in Oxnard” (2004) — a title that planted his hometown firmly in his public identity from the start.

Exodus Into Unheard Rhythms (2006): The Galt MacDermot Album

In August 2006, Oh No released Exodus Into Unheard Rhythms, exclusively sampling the music of Galt MacDermot and featuring appearances from numerous other rap artists, mostly in the Stones Throw family. MacDermot composed the Broadway musical Hair — a catalog choice that signaled Oh No’s willingness to dig far outside rap’s standard sample library.

Dr. No’s Oxperiment (2007): Into the Global Underground

In 2007, after exploring the psychedelic sounds of Turkey, Greece, Lebanon, and Italy, Oh No issued the beat record Dr. No’s Oxperiment. The album sampled psychedelic records from four countries and arrived on Stones Throw on July 31, 2007.

Dr. No’s Ethiopium (2009): Ethiopian Funk and Jazz

Two years later, Oh No applied the same strategy to a new continent. Ethiopian funk, jazz, soul, and rock were sampled for his 2009 release Dr. No’s Ethiopium. Back-to-back instrumental albums built from non-Western sources set Oh No apart from virtually every other producer working in American hip-hop at the time.

Gangrene: Gutter Water (2010) and Vodka & Ayahuasca (2012)

In 2010, Oh No partnered with producer The Alchemist for Gutter Water, an album released under the project name Gangrene. Gangrene’s second full-length, the psychedelic-influenced Vodka & Ayahuasca, appeared in 2012, followed by the EP Odditorium.

Grand Theft Auto V Score (2013)

In 2013, Gangrene, together with Tangerine Dream and Woody Jackson, scored and composed the original score for Grand Theft Auto V by Rockstar Games. The game sold over 190 million copies. Oh No’s production is embedded in one of the best-selling entertainment products in history.

Animal Serum with Prince Po (2014)

In 2014, Jackson issued Animal Serum with Organized Konfusion rapper Prince Po. Organized Konfusion, the duo formed by Prince Po and Pharoahe Monch, had been a cornerstone of New York underground rap since the early 1990s. The collaboration connected two distinct regions of the underground.

You Disgust Me — Gangrene’s Third Album (2015)

You Disgust Me, the third Gangrene full-length, arrived in 2015.

Ultimate Breaks & Beats (2017)

Oh No released Ultimate Breaks & Beats, constructed from samples of the influential LP compilation series of the same name, in early 2017. The series he sampled — which ran from 1980 to 1991 — supplied the drum breaks that built hip-hop. Oh No rebuilt it all again from scratch.

The Professionals with Madlib (2020)

In early 2020, Oh No and Madlib released their first collaborative project, the self-titled The Professionals. The brothers had orbited each other’s music for two decades before releasing a joint album. It arrived on Stones Throw.

OFFAIR: Dr. No (2022)

In 2022, Oh No released the lush instrumental full-length OFFAIR: Dr. No.

Berserko with Tha God Fahim and Good Vibes/Bad Vibes (2023)

2023, they produced two releases. Berserko, a collaboration with Tha God Fahim, arrived in 2023. Oh No deconstructed the music of Roy Ayers on Good Vibes/Bad Vibes (2023). Roy Ayers, the vibraphonist and soul-jazz icon, provided the source material — the third distinct global catalog Oh No had built an album around, following MacDermot and the Ethiopian records.

Oh No also released Nodega in collaboration with Elzhi in 2023.

Heads I Win, Tails You Lose — Gangrene Returns (2024)

Heads I Win, Tails You Lose, the first Gangrene release in nearly a decade, appeared on April 19, 2024.

Nodega (2025) and Better Than McDonald’s (2026)

Oh No released Nodega in 2025. Gangrene released Better Than McDonald’s in 2026. As of October 2026, Oh No has been an active recording artist for 27 consecutive years.

Discography

Solo Albums

Year	Title	Label	Notes
2004	The Disrupt	Stones Throw	Debut; self-produced
2006	Exodus Into Unheard Rhythms	Stones Throw	Samples Galt MacDermot
2007	Dr. No’s Oxperiment	Stones Throw	Turkish, Greek, Lebanese, Italian psychedelic samples
2009	Dr. No’s Ethiopium	Stones Throw	Ethiopian funk, jazz, soul, rock samples
2017	Ultimate Breaks & Beats	—	Samples the UBB LP series
2022	OFFAIR: Dr. No	—	Instrumental
2023	Good Vibes/Bad Vibes	—	Deconstructs Roy Ayers
2025	Nodega	—	—

Collaborative Albums

Year	Title	Partner	Label
2010	Gutter Water	The Alchemist (as Gangrene)	—
2012	Vodka & Ayahuasca	The Alchemist (as Gangrene)	—
2014	Animal Serum	Prince Po	—
2015	You Disgust Me	The Alchemist (as Gangrene)	—
2020	The Professionals	Madlib (as The Professionals)	Stones Throw
2023	Berserko	Tha God Fahim	—
2023	Nodega	Elzhi	—
2024	Heads I Win, Tails You Lose	The Alchemist (as Gangrene)	ALC / Gangrene
2026	Better Than McDonald’s	The Alchemist (as Gangrene)	ALC / Gangrene

Notable Production Credits

Artist	Track / Album	Year
Lootpack	Soundpieces: Da Antidote (guest)	1999
Murs	“The Scuffle” — The End of the Beginning	2003
Grand Agent	Under the Circumstances	2005
Talib Kweli	“Uh Oh” — Gutter Rainbows	2011
Rockstar Games	Grand Theft Auto V original score (as Gangrene)	2013