Well it’s hard to follow Lil Wayne, especially when talking about rap, because he’s that far ahead. But a rising group of teenagers from Los Angeles that call themselves Odd Future have made a left-field entrance into the rap game. This collective of 10 rappers doesn’t care about people’s opinions. They hate on the blogs that don’t show them love (2DopeBoyz and Nah Right) and thank the blogs that show them support, namely Fader Magazine’s music blog. A good reason to keep an eye out for these fellas is the fact that music criticism God Pitchfork has given them thumbs up, which is basically a free ride to stardom. Odd Future also goes by the acronym OFWGKTA, standing for Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All.
If you aren’t skeptical already, the group ranges in age from 16-19, lacks any ounce of discretion, and won’t let any rap precedent stop them from rapping over whatever beat they feel. Apparently Odd Future goes deeper than the music and is a real gang, though it’s hard to dig up information like that online. We’ll leave that discussion for another time. The group is always tweeting at each other about random Youtube videos (a good read for a big lecture class, as are their blogs). Most of the members have a blog that they either post on too frequently or haven’t updated in two months, but there are a lot of pictures of girls, 90’s rap videos, cursing and new types of swag. The collective frequently drops mixtapes and songs, even if it isn’t the best rapping out there. Constant output and outlandish lyrics will keep you on your toes for what Odd Future has next.
Check out information on Odd Future shows, upcoming mixtapes, and links to a plethora of downloads at their Tumblr.
Members:
Tyler, the Creator – The genius behind the whole collective who recently dropped out of Film School (at 19, did he have time to begin) and is featured as a guest on many of the other rapper’s products. His mixtape, Bastard released in late February, may be one of the more thorough products that OFWGKTA has released. He has crazy rhyming skills and rather dark topics, but is the best rapper of the group. He is the face of the group and one of the hooks that everyone is taking a bite out of. He announced that he is working on an album with Earl Sweatshirt that’s currently on hold for a number of reasons, the main explained later. There are talks that he is releasing another album soon, tentatively titled WOLF, which he is really building up in recent interviews.
Domo Genesis – Here’s a creative name, compared to an obvious title that Tyler used. He uses more tranquil beats, compared to the hype that the rest of the group thrives on, and is able to spit rather lazily over them. He released his debut album, Rolling Papers, at the end of August and appears on “Radical” and “Odd Future Tape,” compilations that feature the whole group.
Earl Sweatshirt – “Free Earl” tags have been floating around on Odd Future’s website as well as in a few of the members’ recent songs, so he’s presumably in jail. This isn’t surprising since he seems to be the member that pushes the envelope. Check out the cover of his EARL mixtape and you’ll see what I mean — it’s not wrong, but it’s a little over-the-top and politically frowned upon. But, again, Odd Future embraces the 1st Amendment and is rooted in radical ideas. He needs to polish his game a little bit, but has some raw lyrics that will get you laughing then get you thinking “WTF?”
Hodgy Beats –According to Urban Dictionary, “hodgy” can either mean gay, as in sexually active with men, or considerably better than you. We’ll use the latter. Hodgy is one of the Nazi-obsessed member of Odd Future. A little weird, I presume, but another outlandish move from the skateboarding rap crew Odd Future. He and fellow OFWGKTA member Left Brian make up Mellowhype, up a dark duo that uses smooth flows to complement the ADHD beats that Left Brain creates. Pitchfork lauded their latest album “BLACKENEDWHITE” as “seriously blacked out.” Besides Tyler, the Creator, Mellowhype shows the most promise coming out of Odd Future.
Download Hodgy Beats’ 21-song “The Dena Tape” here.
Download Mellowhype’s “BLACKENEDWHITE” here and download YELLOWHITE here.
Check out this YouTube video about how they formed and just them kicking it, definitely worth a watch, has a few laughs.
Jasper Dolphin – By far the most dope name in the group. He doesn’t have a mixtape to his name yet but has been featured on a few songs off his comrades’ mixtapes and on “Radical.” I hope he gets some stuff out soon because I’ll gladly spread the word on anyone named Jasper Dolphin.
Left Brain – The dude hasn’t put out any music under his own name but is listed as a producer for most of the mixtapes the group has put out. He seems to produce bass heavy beats with Halloween swag and head bobbing trance. Tyler had expressed the inspiration he receives from Left Brain and that he is one of the best producers he has heard, and not just because he’s a “homie.”
Jet Age aka The Jet Age of Tomorrow – He is formerly known as Super 3 of Matt Martians of Super 3. He is less of a rapper and more of a loose interpretation of a musician, an electronic beat-maker that makes odd [fitting] songs with chipmunk voices and eclectic space-age nuances. He has an album out under OFWGKTA called Voyager with a cover he presumably drew, or they stole it from some 10-year-old artist obsessed with Star Trek.
Stream more Jet Age at his Bandcamp.
Mike G – Mike G creates songs perfect for rolling around in the car. Bass heavy, hook laden. I dug up an interview he did with the blog Mostly Junk Food which was pretty enlightening to the whole concept of Odd Future and some funny stories. I’ll leave you with this.
Q: [Mostly Junk Food] “Oh and can you confirm the rumor that T.I. got all the drugs and guns from OF when he got arrested in Hollywood this week?”
A: [Mike G] “Um…I dont know anything about T.I. meeting us on the corner of Melrose and Fairfax and buying an ounce of marijuana and 2 glocks….I can tell you that he got a discount for being a frequent shopper though.”
I don’t know how much truth there is to the fact that T.I. himself actually dealt with the boys or what, but it makes them sound much more legit.
Download Mike G’s Ali here.
Syd – From what I can gather Syd is the one with a recording studio and produces the music. He may have a creative stake in Odd Future but as far as rapping, he is missing in action.
Taco – I chuckled when I saw this name. I guess it’s borderline cutting-edge or extremely uncreative, however a lack of a picture leads me to believe it may be his meal of choice. He appears in a few of the random youtube videos and has a verse or two on “Radical” and “Odd Future Tape” but he hasn’t made his OFWGKTA debut yet. Surely it’s on its way.
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