VIDEO: Tyler, the Creator - "Yonkers"

As most of you know, hip hop collective Odd Future (or OFWGKTA...or Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All) is, well, the most buzzed about thing in the music industry right now. And like most buzzed about acts, there really seems to be no gray area: you either like them or you dislike them. Like most buzzed about acts, hype can really ruin an act's reception simply because everyone is talking about them; there's a big expectation on the table. Hype has you approach the act in question with the impression that the music is going to be something that's absolutely amazing.

When I first heard about Odd Future, it was some time before I ever heard a second of their music. It was their debut TV performance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon a number of weeks ago that was my first real introduction to this apparent musical phenomenon. First impression? Really not that impressed. I didn't understand the hype at all. I had heard that their lyrics dealt with topics like rape, drugs, sex, and a whole sleu of other things that I'll pass on mentioning. I figured people, and the industry, had taken notice due to the shock factor, unforgiving lyrics, and the punk attitude with which Odd Future performed.

I've downloaded some of the Odd Future releases (all free at their website), but I still haven't found myself really into what they're doing. The only thing that's truly piqued my interest is the music video for the first single off Tyler, the Creator's forthcoming sophomore solo album, Goblin (Tyler is the leader of OFWGKTA). Shot in black and white, playing with camera focus and other simple off-camera tricks, this video is, relatively, straightforward but laced with quite a bit of dark undertones. Despite using only a single camera and point of view -- with what appears to be only two cuts -- the video manages to be one of the most textually and visually rich pieces of the past few years. It's there, there's no "let's hide behind this and allude to that." Most importantly, the video is graphic without being overbearing or losing a sense of direction.

It must be said that this video is not exactly safe for work. I also can't say I support the things Tyler raps about. My intent in posting this is to share something that I feel has some serious artistic depth both in its execution and its aesthetic. Obviously, there are people out there that might, or rather will, find these lyrics offensive, but there's no denying that this is something that's thought-provoking, controversial, and genuine -- it's raw, real hip hop. It's also amazing to watch this and consider that Tyler just turned 20 at the beginning of this month. And with the way he raps and holds himself, you'd think he's living his second life, reincarnated as a skilled rapper and producer.

"Yonkers" is from Tyler, the Creator's second LP, Goblin, out May 10.