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.