Ocean Wisdom - Near Life Experience (Freestyle) (Official Video)
North London-born talent Ocean Wisdom keeps his foot on the gas with a fiery new freestyle “Near Life Experience” – via his own label Beyond Measure Records, distributed by Believe.
A relentless, freestyled fury of flashy bars asserting his dominance, Ocean’s powerful delivery across the sharp production defines him once more as a leader of the pack. With Ocean describing the track as a “chorus-free pursuit of the highest levels of flows possible”, his unconventional approach on “Near Life Experience” spotlights the levels of his artistic greatness while allowing him free reign to authentically fire away as he pleases – a harken back to the golden age of UK rap, while still steering the genre into uncharted territory.
“Near Life Experience” leads from the sharp and dexterous “I Exist”, which saw tastemaker heat flooding in from CLASH, WONDERLAND, NOTION, GRM DAILY and DMY to name a few – all of whom commended Ocean’s lightning-fast flows on his first solo drop in over three years.
With Ocean’s Jamaican heritage nodding through his musical identity, the elusive rap icon has tapped into the creative energy surrounding him from an early age. Born in Camden exposed the young artist to many muses and influences across music, fashion and community; most notably his father who would guide him through classic 90s sounds. Ocean quickly developed a serious technical passion for music creation and song writing, spending his adolescence studying rap legends from Eminem to Dizzee Rascal while gaining introspection from the adversities of inner-city life and the consistent pressures faced on the roads.
Initially signing to High Focus Records, Ocean issued his first two explosive projects through the label: 2016’s Chaos ’93 and 2018’s Wizville, home to his smash hits “Revvin’” featuring Dizzee Rascal and “Ting Dun” recruiting Wu-Tang Clan member and GRAMMY-winner Method Man – certifying Ocean as a breakthrough name on both sides of the Atlantic.
The rising star would later create his own label Beyond Measure Records, carving out new spaces that defy expectations for emerging rap talent in the UK. Releasing his mixtape Big Talk Vol. 1, Ocean continued to make his mark on the culture with rare, significant crossovers with some of the most serious rappers in the landscape in Freddie Gibbs, Ghetts and LD, alongside one of the most culturally resonant DJ’s in the world, Fatboy Slim.
Continuing to develop Ocean’s diverse musical makeup, his acclaimed album Stay Sane was unleashed in 2021, featuring further homegrown talent including Kojey Radical, Novelist, Maverick Sabre, Frankie Stew and Harvey Gunn – and an incendiary UK headline tour across iconic stages including O2 Forum Kentish Town.
With the lyrically charged “Near Life Experience” signalling both Ocean’s clear vision to re-establish himself as one of the UK’s finest lyricists as well as the unpredictable nature of his artistry, stay tuned for plenty more surprises this year.