OPM

OPM sounds like the exact midpoint between a dusty hip-hop crate and a sun-bleached surfboard. Their music is defined by a quintessential Southern California laziness that is actually quite technically precise, layering turntable scratches and boom-bap drum patterns over the upbeat skank of reggae guitars. It is the sound of a perpetual afternoon where the stakes are low and the temperature is high.

What truly distinguishes them is their 'crossover' DNA. While many bands in the late 90s tried to mix rap and rock with aggressive results, OPM took the opposite route, leaning into the chill, melodic side of both genres. The vocals often drift between rhythmic rapping and melodic, slightly nasal singing, delivered with a smirk and a shrug that captures the carefree skate culture of the turn of the millennium.

Start with their debut album, Menace to Sobriety. It contains their massive hit 'Heaven Is a Halfpipe,' which serves as the perfect mission statement for their sound. If you enjoy that blend of suburban rebellion and coastal relaxation, the later Suburban Noize releases like 'California Poppy' offer a more refined, independent take on their signature style.