Swa999

Okay, so I’m sure you’re now pretty familiar with the acronym , OFWGKTA, “Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All.” In fact, so familiar that the very letters now seem to taint the rest of your precious AlphAbeT and evokes listeners to respond with an acronym of their own…..WTF. But what does the name mean and why the hell is it so long? The members of Odd Future are their name in every aspect. The group consists of mostly teenagers, with only a few just over the age of twenty. On wax, they are a gang of juvenile black skateboarders who rape white women, mischief through the streets of Los Angeles at night and perform satanic rituals. The group’s image is somewhat reminiscent of the 80s movie “Lost Boys” and 2002’s “City of God.” They’re not your traditional thugs, trappers, gangsters, or any other “expected” rap caricatures. These kids are evil.

I know you’re what you’re thinking. “Shit, all of the caricatures you just named are arguably evil,” and without agreeing or disagreeing, I understand that theory. However, the key word of that statement is “arguably.” With Odd Future there is no argument, except those of feminist groups. I don’t mean evil in the “I’m a product of my environment” context, but evil in its most frightening form……youth. But that’s what makes OF so damned interesting. Not to discredit them from their undeniable…… (cough) “Polished isn’t better, people” (cough)…..musical talent and creativity, but their shock factor is the juicy worm on the hook.

 I think it was February, 2011 I got a Facebook chat message from a kid I used to babysit !!!CLICK HERE and Check out CDon’s “Back to the Books Mixtape” available for download at Datpiff.com!!!…………………Sorry. This kid I used to babysit messages me, “What do you think about Tyler, the Creator?” I instantly YouTube the name and offer my soul to what is the “Yonkers” music video. 3:05 minutes later I am soulless and can no longer stand to finish my plate of pig intestines. I watch a couple more of Tyler, the Creator’s no-budget-yet-surprisingly-doper-than-50-cent’s-billion dollar-In Da Club………videos and I’m a fan, but a guilty fan. Awe. How can I be so entertained by such offensive content and fictional violence?! I plan to present every living novelist, painter, sculptor, poet, film-maker, and country-music artist in history with the same question.

As I’m going through these videos, one after another, I glance at the long acronym mentioned earlier and realize that I’d been seeing it in search suggestions for a quite a while. Tyler, alone, had left quite the first impression, but wait, there’s more of them?! Mellowhype, a producer-rapper duo consisting of Left Brain and Hodgy Beats are joined with Jasper Dolphin, Taco Bennett, Syd tha Kid, Mike G, Domo Genesis, Frank Ocean, and many other non-musical affiliates. But the one whose image seemed to stand as strongly as Tyler’s is Earl Sweatshirt, who, both interestingly and frighteningly, is Tyler’s brother. I’m sure you’ve seen the video, “Earl,” which in my opinion is just as good as “Yonkers,” but in case you haven’t, I won’t spoil it by telling you what it entails. Earl Sweatshirt’s appearance isn’t nearly as off-the-wall as his brother’s, nor is he intimidating in the least bit. However, it’s this very reason his music is so frightening. To add more to the hype, his whereabouts have been unspoken of since Odd Future’s rise to fame, with rumor’s ranging from his residing at a school for troubled youth in Hawaii, to a mental facility, and either is believable.

            However, be warned. Odd Future’s music videos will most-likely leave you feeling a little disturbed after watching. But that’s the point, right? Art for the “dark” mind? Some people just want to see something very ugly. Don’t television shows like “Law & Order,” “Unsolved Mysteries,” and “To Catch a Predator” all fall under the same category as Odd Future’s music? None of which would be so popular if people didn’t want to see and/or hear about some fucked up ass shit that happened to someone. Just admit it, it’s interesting. No one actually wants these things to happen in reality, I hope, but it’s still captivating to hear about. It’s natural for the human mind to try to understand what it can’t, which is the evil shit people do, and Tyler, the Creator knows this. Is he less of an artist for wanting to portray something that will inevitably exist, which happens to be something hideous? Is that not art? “Tyler is the 12 year old who found a mutilated bird lying on the side of the road. “Hey, check this out.” His interests are the same as all of us….the unexplained…..the unexplainable. Oh, Tyler. You’re such a genius. Lol I don’t think the kid is a genius. I think he’s talented and on to something, and that something could very easily turn into nothing next year, but let us hipsters hope not.

But maybe I'm giving Tyler, the Creator and Odd Future too much credit. I mean, is rapping about raping women and proclaiming yourself a black-Nazi really "being on to something?" It’s certainly something alright. It’s trying to find out what that something is is what keeps fans intrigued. After a few listens, it isn’t hard to tell that the majority of OFWGKTA’s content is some juvenile, immature, meaningless shit. We know this. They know this. Yes, I feel some of it comes from a real place, but even if it didn’t, the shits art, no matter how much you don’t like it. Guess what else? “What else Kareem?! Please educate us!” Not all art comes in the form of fuckin’ string symphonies, and European poems narrated by niggas with British accents, and portraits of skinny white women sitting by lakes. Not all art has to revolve around sorrow filled emotion and subtlety. Some art revolves around joyful, humorous emotion and in-your-faceness. Did you know that? Did you know that Mr. Bottomtooth III?     

I may be pushing it here, but I think, obviously despite his offensive lyrics, Tyler, the Creator stands for something positive, as ridiculously ridiculous as that sounds. Before I even saw the kid open his mouth, like anyone else, I judged him by his appearance. The non-Mitchell & Ness snapback (blasphemy), the old-man shirt (blasphemy), the tight jean shorts (pause) and the already legendary tube socks pulled up all the way (SWAGG), I wondered; is it now cool to be yourself in hip hop? Is he being himself, or is this just the gimmick? Either way, I was suddenly inspired to not conform again. I've always been a hipster, even before it was called being a hipster. Hot dog shirts, vintage leather jackets, you name it. I've always found it to be incredibly FUCKING WACK to be like everyone else, or as L.A. rapper Kreayshawn would say, a "basic bitch." No. I don’t want to be a "basic bitch" anymore. I don’t even want to be a "bad bitch" because so many people are "bad bitches" there’s no longer a sense of pride in finally becoming one. How about this one? I don’t even want to be a "bitch" anymore. Yeah. Crazy as it sounds, I actually want to be myself right now, and it’s all thanks to the good folks at OFWGKTA :)

But all you non-conformist Odd Future fans out there don't get excited just yet. (As if anyone is actually going to read this.) Mr. Creator despises hipsters, often acting out what he believes to be the behavior and facial expression of one. You know. Those people who only like shit because it’s not mainstream and the second it becomes popular they hate it? It’s evident that Tyler recognizes the word "sellout" may be spray painted over his hat's "Supreme" logo on a poster one day, but he isn’t letting that stop him from pursuing the mainstream. I have to admit, I have mixed feelings about Odd Future blowing up the way they are. On one side I'm excited for them. These kids are seeing the world, making money, and watching their dreams come true, which is fucking awesome. However, as far as an art form, I believe Odd Future is most powerful in the underground world. I dread the day I’m over a friend’s house and I see an OFWGKTA poster next to a Mylie Cyrus poster in his kid sister's bedroom. Hell, I dread seeing an OF poster by itself in a young girl’s room. I just feel like some art fits better in certain realms. I am an avid listener of Drake. I think dude is mad talented and he makes the kind of music that fits the mainstream. Jay Electronica, I have the same admiration for, but I think his music is doper when it’s not as known, this mysterious guy whose “poorly” mixed songs are scattered throughout YouTube. Ooooooooh! That’s how I feel about OFWGKTA. After so many “heartwarming” interviews and advertisements, these kids just aren't as scary as they were before it all and I hate that. For their benefit, they're rise to fame is great, but for their art, in my insignificant opinion, it kind of ruins it.

As far as the offensiveness in OF's music... What, you haven't noticed? Say, the misogyny, homophobia, racism, just to name a few. I think its art is what I think. Yup, I'm one of those people. I obviously don’t condone violence, but I certainly want to continue to be entertained by it in a fictional context, whether it’s in a movie or in a song. I cannot, however, say I can’t distinguish the difference between enjoying a film with violent content and enjoying a song with violent content. I understand that when watching a film, though still being entertained, you’re merely observing what’s being presented, whereas with music you may find yourself singing along or dancing to the words, which is similar, if not actually, giving praise. But on the other hand, I think it’s unfair to say a song writer can’t write about whatever the fuck he or she wants to write about, regardless of who it offends. With that said, I will continue to be a fan of Odd Future’s “dark” art, as I am a great fan of Quentin Tarantino’s.                   

All in all, I think Odd Future is a major addition to the rap world. They're like the new Wu-Tang........................   :)   I have never seen SOOOO MAAANNNNY fucking journalists just randomly ask rappers how they felt about other rappers during the interview like they do with Odd Future. "Hey Nas, when’s your new album coming out? Oh in a couple months. Cool. WhaddyathinkofOddFuture? GO!!!" I swear somebody’s gonna ask Oprah next. Anyway, I assume anyone taking the time to actually read this article is aware of the hype and has heard their career story a thousand times, so I won’t write anymore about OFWGKTA. Besides, I don’t want them to blow up anyway. SWAGG