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About:
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Odd Future Merch
After a string of free online mixtapes, Los Angeles hip-hop collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (often abbreviated OFWGKTA) established itself at South by Southwest three years ago with a series of buzzworthy shows that made the average hip-hop set look as sedate as Glyndebourne. Among the most impressive of those was an Earl Sweatshirt performance that drew every audience member in from the moment his signature 'ayyyyy!' cut through the air, the powerful first line of 'DNA intercepting a fifth of whiskey and neckin it til I'm dizzy' resonating throughout the venue.
The 16-year-old Earl Sweatshirt, the youngest of OFWGKTA's MCs, was already a dynamic presence on stage with his hypnotic flow and sharply crafted rhymes, but it was his uncannily self-assured demeanor and morbid fantasies that made him one of the crew's most distinctive voices. He's reshaped his sound since then, dropping the violence and drugs of his early mixtapes in favor of poetic vignettes about family life and the struggles of being young.
Stickers
Although Odd Future hasn’t reunited since 2016, its members have moved on to wildly different projects. Tyler explores raw, conceptual R&B as a superstar; Frank and Earl continue to helm heady experimental rap with a touch of the occult; and Syd and Vritra remain a part of the groove-driven mashup that made OFWGKTA famous.
But they’ve also found success away from the spotlight. On the album covers for Tyler’s Flower Boy and Mike G’s Polyurethane, there’s a sense of freedom and liberation. And amidst a decade of nihilistic rap, the scatalogical youths proved they were more than just misogynists, violent criminals and slurs-collectors.
Even when they weren’t in the studio, the collective wowed crowds with raucous live performances. Whether they were flinging their shirts off the stage or popping kickflips on their skateboards, it was clear the members were unafraid to provoke. And they made a point of connecting to fashion, going beyond standard tour merch by opening a store and releasing their own independent clothing line.
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