Swagged Out: A Few Words on Odd Future.

Posted by Ghost on November 8, 2010 · 3 Comments 

[The Following Content Is Not Suitable For Children]

The first time I had heard of Odd Future, it was from the mouth (twitter feed) of one Danny Brown, back around July. We were told that this collective of teenage skaters from the Los Angeles area with their own macabre yet poppy Neptunes-synth beats and a flair for dark humor and profanity would be something to reckon with.

Danny Brown was right. That doesn’t mean Odd Future aren’t still a pretty fucked up group.

OFWGKTA, short for Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, has been demolishing the internet with buzz these past few months, gaining supporters such as Diplo, Plain Pat, the GZA, Pete Wentz, House Shoes, Pitchfork, XL Records, LA Weekly, Hot 97 and more; but still, buzz only translates to so much. I can assure you Odd Future is as fresh and original as possible in this stale moldy back of the cupboard hip-hop climate. Most are introduced to the collective via these two videos, so without further adieu:

Yes, they’re sick. Tyler, The Creator; the de facto leader of the group and mastermind of their best release to date “Bastard”, definitely carries a directing style influenced by Harmony Korine, James Pants and the like. Sometimes taste is pushed to the extreme. But this is the reflection of the culture we and Odd Future are raised in: here are a group of kids, none old enough to drink, spewing the foulest in rape fantasy, murder, and drug intake; balanced out by a more than healthy dose of depression and self-awareness (in the same song Tyler raps “deep down I’m an emo fucking faggot that’s depressed / so the fucking school suggested me a therapist” and “somebody tell Satan that I want my fucking swag back”). Throw on a heavy layer of GOOD pop culture references (unlike the recent Wayne-bucking trend of mainstream rappers throwing terrible cultural nods as throwaways in every song) and the ability, in their own words, to keep their “shit swagged out”. They’re a collective of skaters, producers, rappers, artists, graphic designers- all with interweaving tastes and themes. And they make the most extreme hip-hop music out right now.

I have a little problem with the word ‘extreme’. Around the early 2000s, the marketing ilk of the world pounced on the word ‘extreme’ and raped it in every form in order to exploit it as ‘cool’ and ‘for the kids’ and ‘extreme motor bikes and sports yall’. The definition of extreme I use here is not indicate ‘radical’ or ‘gnarly’ or “Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater”, but to illustrate that to be into Odd Future is to experience media to its extreme. The synth beats are musically masterful but at the same-time lowest-grade, the raps bellowed by nicotine-fueled juvie alumni, the accompanying visuals a blend of skate video and 80s “adult” VHS tapes that are sticky to the touch. I can write about this shit all day, but all you need to know is that it’s raw and bloody as hell and these kids are crazy. I don’t know many hip-hop acts that can command mosh pits in the UK before they even get radio play in their own city. Odd Future is ill.

A quick rundown of projects- they’ve released more than several full-length albums on their website, showcasing different members of their clan, with production handled mostly by Tyler the Creator and Left Brain. Start with Tyler’s “Bastard”, a near concept album involving his discussion with his school therapist involving his fucked-up view of life; and Earl Sweatshirt’s “Earl”; the 16-year-old-M.I.A.-supposedly-in-boot-camp-right-now-member that channels early horrific freestyling Eminem (“say hi to the Ritalin regimen / double S shit, swastikas on the letterman”) . “Radical” features the whole crew rapping over obscure industry beats, Domo Genesis’ “Rolling Papers” is the weed-rapper LP of the group, and Mellowhype’s (Left Brain & Hodgy Beats) new group LP “Blackenedwhite” is in close contention for best OF release. There’s also Mike G, Super 3/ Jet Age Of Tomorrow, and associators like Casey Veggies, plus numerous other collaborators and punks affiliated with the OF name. There may be a small encyclopedia needed to keep all the information straight but no release thus far has been weak, all worthy of inclusion in the group.

They’re that dose of “fuck you” that’s needed to keep the system running. Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All is the future as I see it. You might disagree but I’m hoping some of you jump on the bandwagon while the timing is still good. Swag.

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