Odd Future killed them all

If you are even remotely interested in music, and regardless of your stylistic preferences, then there is a strong chance you have heard of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All by now (Odd Future for the lazy). If you have not, then you must be living under a rock somewhere with no wi-fi, phone or carrier pigeon service. Freak.

Over the past year this group of teenagers has been making serious ripples left and right all over the Internet. Case in point: since uploading his new single ‘Yonkers’ on YouTube just under a month ago, leader of the Wolf pack Tyler, The Creator has racked up 2,700,000 views on that song alone. Kanye West has finally spoken out about OF, proclaiming the insanely entertaining black-and-white video for ‘Yonkers’ – directed by the 19 year old Tyler himself – as the best video of 2011. It may be a little early for that sort of declaration, but Yeezy makes a serious point.

Odd Future is a collective of 17 to 23 year olds, making some of the most interesting music out there today. The most incredible fact about this band is that they have not sold a single record yet, despite releasing four mixtapes and eight albums through the Odd Future Tumblr page. Consisting of rappers Tyler, the Creator, Hodgy Beats, Earl Sweatshirt, Domo Genesis and Mike G, Casey Veggies, singer Frank Ocean and producers Left Brain, The Super 3 and Syd the Kid, already have an insane back catalogue of 250 songs so far, most of which are sick.

For anyone not initiated to the group, I would say the best possible place to start is Tyler and Hodgy’s first television appearance on Jimmy Fallon a few weeks ago. Since being broadcast the performance has been echoing throughout the interwebs. It is a raw, visceral rendition of their old hit ‘Sandwiches’, performed on a stage decorated with garden gnomes. Backed by The Roots (which in itself says enough about how huge these guys are quickly becoming), the two rappers hit the stage in skimasks, standing next to some random freaky chick dressed as Samara from the 2002 horror flick The Ring. The set starts off weird enough, but when the chorus of the song hits (featuring a gang chant-like repitition of two words: ‘Wolf Gang’) it feels like a goddamn tidal wave. The video is a masterclass in how to execute a perfect first TV appearance, scaring the hell out of White America in the most offensive way possible. OF bring hip-hop back to the basics of what made Eminem so succesful and exciting back in his heyday.

They aim to shock, and achieve this goal with bravado in an age in which we are all pretty much desensitised

The Fallon appearance perfectly illustrates everything that is so exciting about Odd Future: they ally the twisted soul and energetic performance of metal with urban beats and clever (albeit over-the-top) lyrics. They aim to shock, and achieve this goal with bravado in an age in which we are all pretty much desensitised. I would go as far as calling them the new rock n’ roll. Parents and religious authorities will forever hate them for the shocking descriptions of rape and carnage; kids will love them for their portrayal of teenage angst and the nihilistic, ‘fuck it all’ attitude that crowds flocked towards Nu-metal acts such as Slipknot and KoRn for a decade ago.

Yet at the same time there is something unique and refreshing about them: as a collaboration-heavy collective, each member manages to exude his own quirkyness whilst the releases retain an overall cohesiveness throughout. Whether it is the ‘dystopian weed-rap’ of Domo Genesis, the pretty-boy gangbangin’ of Hodgy Beats or the mature lover crooning of Frank Ocean, each member has a distinct personality and sound that is communicated brilliantly, making each crossover collaboration all the more exciting.

There is no doubt that OF’s rise to fame is going to be accompanied with its fair share of hype (‘the new Wu-Tang’ is being tossed around far too much) and the obligatory hipsters. But this time the hype is justified, and these kids have a tongue-in-cheek sense of humour that will keep them grounded. As for the hipsters, Tyler actively encourages the formation of violent mosh-pits at their gigs, so they probably won’t stick round for too long. Their loss.