Imagine going to a middle school playground during recess. If you were to pick out the most immature, obscene, and profane ten-year-old out of the bunch and were to cross breed that child with Eminem, Quentin Tarrentino, and Bart Simpson, then multiply that strange lovechild by nine, you would have something close to Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA).
Odd Future is a nine member rap collective from Los Angeles and ranges from ages 17 to 24. Regardless of age, this group is the biggest thing to happen in the music industry since everyone realized that Justin Bieber isn’t a girl.
With praise coming from the likes of Mos Def, P. Diddy and Kanye West, it is not only the media showering them with attention, but also some of the industry’s finest as well.
Most recently, Odd Future’s leader, Tyler the Creator, released his new LP , “Goblin.” Upon the day of the release, while signing albums, Tyler caused a riot outside of a high school.
The riot was detained by police, and all the while, this album was predicted to sell 45,000 copies in the first week of sales. A genuine frenzy of press and attention has been stirring over this dark, ominous, and disturbing masterpiece of an album, and judging by first reactions, the juice is worth the squeeze.
With all of the media and cult following aside, what it all boils down to is that Odd Future is not meant for those with a one track mind. If you can only take music seriously, Odd Future is not for you.
There are moments when OFWGKTA beckons to the most immature and whimsical of gestures in their music. Making references to cartoons, mythical creatures, and Justin Bieber are among many examples of these instances. However, there are other times when Odd Future is anything but fooling around.
The subject matters can be grim and all too real. Tyler the Creator tends to rap about his lack of a father, and in the song “Moonlight” by Early, Tyler’s brother, the topic of suicide is thrown around rather liberally.
Odd Future has made their presence known a few months ago and is already being sabotaged by the media. Whether they’ll be able to hold up against the pressure, and actually grow and progress as musicians will be the true test of their ability.
