Odd Future

Odd Future was formed in 2007 in Los Angeles. The co-founders were Tyler, the Creator (Tyler Okonma), Left Brain (Vyron Turner), Hodgy Beats (Gerard Long) and Jasper Dolphin (Davon Wilson). Much of the collective's early music was recorded in a room of Syd tha Kyd and Taco's South-Central Los Angeles home, known as The Trap. In November 2008, they released their debut mixtape, The Odd Future Tape.[5] At some point before the release of Tyler's mixtape Bastard, Chicago-based rapper Brandun DeShay collaborated with the group, and appeared on the track "Session". Tyler and DeShay later had a falling out, and his vocals on "Session" were replaced by Mike G.

Domo Genesis, Earl Sweatshirt, Mike G, and Frank Ocean joined the group between 2009 and 2010. The group completed a two-stop tour, their first outside Los Angeles: in London, on November 5, 2010, and New York City on November 8, 2010. The concert at The Drop in London sold out within 48 hours of announcement. Their concerts have been compared to punk rock shows, with stagediving, moshing, and group members antagonizing the crowd.[6][7]

Earl Sweatshirt performing with the rest of Odd Future in March 2012

MellowHype re-released their album BlackenedWhite through Fat Possum Records. Frank Ocean self-released his debut mixtape, Nostalgia, Ultra on February 16, 2011 after joining Odd Future. Tyler, the Creator also signed a one-album deal with XL Recordings and released his sophomore effort, Goblin, on May 10, 2011. They collected a cult following, and received press attention from blogs and magazines.[8] Though they are often labeled as horrorcore, the group has universally dismissed it on Twitter,[9] in interviews,[10] and on tracks such as "Sandwitches". Pitchfork Media has labeled the group as indie rap.[11] In April 2011, the group signed a deal with RED Distribution and Sony Music Entertainment to start their own label, Odd Future Records.[12] On August 2, 2011, Odd Future announced on their website the Golf Wang Tour 2011.[13] The tour included 27 stops, beginning on September 28, 2011 in San Diego, California at the House of Blues.[14]

On September 8, 2011, it was announced that Odd Future would be making a television show called Loiter Squad. The show was announced to be a sketch comedy show featuring various skits and pranks and originally aired on March 25, 2012 on Adult Swim. The show features Tyler, Jasper, Taco, Earl and Lionel as main cast members with other members of Odd Future making cameo appearances.[15][16] The program is produced by Dickhouse Productions, which also is the production company for Jackass.

On October 3, 2011, Tyler, The Creator tweeted a link to iTunes with a compilation album of songs from artists within the group such as Domo Genesis, Hodgy Beats, Mike G, The Jet Age of Tomorrow, MellowHype, The Internet, and Tyler himself. The album is simply named 12 Odd Future Songs, despite having 13 tracks, including three new releases from The Internet, Mike G and MellowHype. On March 20, 2012, the collective released their debut album, The OF Tape Vol. 2. The album was a sequel to the original mixtape, The Odd Future Tape. On the same day, Earl Sweatshirt, who was absent from Odd Future from June 2010 until February 2012, first performed with the group at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York.[17][18]

Frank Ocean released his debut studio album Channel Orange on July 10, 2012. Other solo releases for the second half of 2012 included Domo Genesis's No Idols with The Alchemist, released on August 1, and MellowHype's Numbers, released on October 9.[19][20] On December 5, 2012 it was announced Frank Ocean was nominated for six awards at the 2013 Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist, Record of the Year for "Thinkin Bout You" and Album of the Year for Channel Orange.

On April 2, Tyler, The Creator released his second studio album, Wolf, which received positive reviews from critics and debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200, selling 89,895 copies in the United States.[21][22] Earl Sweatshirt released his debut studio album Doris on August 20, 2013, which was met with critical acclaim, and MellowHigh released their self-titled debut album together on October 31, 2013.[23]

On September 12, the Odd Future station premiered on the online 24/7 radio, Dash Radio, which was released the month before by DJ Skee. The station features a live playlist, special links such as "Taco Tuesday" (also repeated on Fridays) and coverage of live events, such as the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival, also hosted by Odd Future.[24]

On January 18, 2015, Hodgy Beats confirmed that MellowHype will no longer exist, and that he and Left Brain will continue to make music together, just no longer under the name MellowHype. Hodgy states in the interview, "Nah, we ain't breaking up. Nah, this ain't no weirdo shit. It's just some real shit. It's a refocus. Going from boys to men this is what it is. So it's either understand it, 'cause it will be explained–cry about it, talk shit, applaud us–we still moving."[25]

In May 2015, Tyler posted a photo on Twitter from 2010 which contained the entire Odd Future collective. He added "although it's no more, those 7 letters [OFWGKTA] are forever."[26] This was widely believed to be a confirmation of the collective's dissolution. However, the next day he explained that his tweet was misinterpreted and was merely "looking at old photos with friends and thinking about how time flies."[27] The next day, member Earl Sweatshirt wrote: "No sympathy for male virgins who're in their feelings about Tyler pointing out and solidifying the obvious."[28] This caused an Internet debate over whether "the obvious" was referring to Tyler's first statement or his second. On June 30, Matt Martians seemingly confirmed to AllHipHop that Odd Future had indeed broken up, but that there were "no hard feelings among the members of OFWGKTA."[29]

"OFWGKTA" was listed on the bill for Tyler, the Creator's 4th Annual Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival.[30] The line-up that performed included Hodgy Beats, Domo Genesis, Mike G and Left Brain. Tyler and Earl were not a part of the set due to Tyler already having a solo show and Earl having amicably[31] distanced himself from Odd Future around the release of his second album, I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside (2015).

During the Odd Future set at the 4th Annual Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival, Hodgy Beats called out Tyler, The Creator onstage about his dissatisfaction with Tyler, and remarking how he "stayed broke", and was also visibly irritated when other Odd Future members thanked Tyler for the invitation to the carnival.[32] Tyler responded to Hodgy in the middle of his solo set, saying "Niggas got me fucked up. I put too many niggas on. I helped too many of my motherfucking friends out, and niggas gonna come foul? You know who the fuck I'm talking about, nigga. And yes, this is real." Hodgy responded to these remarks on Twitter by saying "If it wasn't for Odd Future, where would Tyler be?" and "Think about who built the name OF together as a unit. Now think about who took the first initial shit on OF." However, one day later, a humorous Instagram video, uploaded by Hodgy, featured him and Tyler attempting to perform handstands; possibly suggesting that the feud had been dissolved. The video was later removed.[33]

On March 11, 2016, Syd officially announced her departure from Odd Future, making The Internet only a label associated act. She also stated that she has not thought of herself as a member of Odd Future as a rap group since early 2011 when The Internet formed.[34]

On May 2, 2016, the group confirmed that they are still together on their Twitter.[35] The tweet was later removed.

Some rumors began to circulate in August–September 2016 about the group working together musically again after a picture was taken of Tyler, the Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, Syd, Jasper Dolphin, Taco Bennett, and Matt Martians together at the Afropunk Festival. Tyler and Earl performed as EarlWolf again for the first time in years.[36]

On December 9, 2016, Hodgy Beats would release his album Fireplace: TheNotTheOtherSide. This would be the last album to be published on the Odd Future Records label. As of 2018, Hodgy is releasing music under a label named "Poorait".[37] Other members of OF would go on to sign to their respected current labels. In 2015, Matt Martians would sign to Three Quarter, The Jet Age of Tomorrow would sign to their own label, 5th Echelon Jet Repair Co., Trash Talk would also sign to their own label called Trash Talk Collective. In 2016 Syd, The Internet, and Tyler, The Creator would sign to Columbia Records. In 2018 Domo Genesis and Left Brain would sign to Empire, and Mike G would sign to "Stealth Fighter L.L.C.".

On February 6, 2017, MellowHype confirmed they are working together once again on MindGone Vol. 1.[38]

On March 29, 2018, Tyler, the Creator released his song "Okra", on which he stated "Golf be the set, no more OF," signaling his dissociation with the collective.[39]

On August 8, 2018, Taco posted a series of four 15-second videos on his Instagram story, showing an Odd Future reunion concert taking place at The Low End Theory club in Los Angeles, as the club's final show. Members who attended included Tyler, Earl, Taco, Jasper, Syd, Hodgy, and Mike G. They performed well known tracks such as "Orange Juice", "Rella", and "Sandwitches". Left Brain posted on his Instagram story that he had no idea that it would happen, and was never invited or told.

In December 2018, the Odd Future official website was redesigned to no longer feature artist representation of the collective, and instead opting to focus on Odd Future clothing and merchandise.[40][41]

• The Internet (2011–present)[46][34]
  • Syd tha Kyd
  • Matt Martians
  • Patrick Paige II
  • Christopher Smith
  • Steve Lacy
• The Jet Age of Tomorrow (2008–2013, 2017–present)
  • Matt Martians
  • Pyramid Vritra
• MellowHype (2008–2015, 2017–present)
  • Hodgy
  • Left Brain
• MellowHigh (2011–present)
  • Hodgy
  • Left Brain
  • Domo Genesis
• Hog Slaughta Boyz (2015–present)
  • Earl Sweatshirt
  • Na'kel

• I Smell Panties (2008)
  • Tyler, the Creator
  • Jasper Dolphin
• The Super D3Shay (2008–2010)
  • Matt Martians
  • Pyramid Vritra
  • brandUn DeShay
• EarlWolf (2010–2014)
  • Tyler, the Creator
  • Earl Sweatshirt
• Sweaty Martians (2012–2014)
  • Earl Sweatshirt
  • Matt Martians

• The Odd Future Tape (2008)
• Radical (2010)

• 12 Odd Future Songs (2011)