Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All

/wiki/Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them Allcreator
From left to right: Taco Bennett, Frank Ocean, Jasper, Matt, Domo Genesis, Wolf Haley, Tyler, The Creator, Mike G, Hodgy Beats, Syd Tha Kyd, Earl Sweatshirt, and Left Brain

Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, often abbreviated OFWGKTA or Odd Future, are a music, skateboarding and artist collective out of Los Angeles, California. The main members are Tyler, The Creator, Hodgy Beats, Earl Sweatshirt, Domo Genesis, Mike G, Frank Ocean, Left Brain, Matt Martians, Syd tha Kyd, Jasper "Dolphin" Loc and Taco Bennett. The group itself consists not only of hip hop and R&B artists but also skaters and other traditional artists; Tyler has given an estimate of 60 members total, all ranging in age from 17 to 25.

There are multiple groups inside the collective: MellowHype (rapper Hodgy Beats and producer Left Brain); EarlWolf (Earl Sweatshirt and Tyler, the Creator); The Jet Age of Tomorrow (producers Matt Martians and Hal Williams); The Internet (Syd tha Kyd and Matt Martians); The Super 3 (Matt Martians and others, see below) and I Smell Panties (Jasper Dolphin and Tyler, the Creator). The group's net-based promotion has also produced a staggering amount of individual tracks, including an R&B parody song called "Love in Da Mall" by T.T.D.D. (Tyler, Taco, DeVon and Domo Genesis) and a parody of Lil B by Young Nigga (aka Tyler in a wig) called "Come Threw Looking Clean".

They have garnered a cult following and have been receiving steady press from blogs as well as magazines. Tyler recently won the 2011 MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist (for his viral "Yonkers" video) and Frank Ocean snagged a few hooks on Kanye West's and Jay Z's Watch the Throne. Cartoon Network broadcast their own live-action TV show Loiter Squad, produced by Jackass producers Dickhouse, from 2012 to 2014.

OFWGKTA as a whole provides examples of:
  • Alternative Hip Hop: One of the few modern day groups to fit into this genre.
  • Anti-Christmas Song: "Fuck This Christmas" by Tyler, Earl and Hodgy.
  • Berserk Button: A few reporters learned firsthand not to ask about Earl's whereabouts.
  • Catch Phrase: Swag me out, Fuck Steve Harvey, and FREE EARL.
    • As well as KILL PEOPLE BURN SHIT FUCK SCHOOL, which is chanted at their concerts.
  • Circus of Fear: Used early on as part of their imagery.
  • Media Research Failure: Everyone in the group raps about rape, misogyny and murder, no expections. Fact of the matter is, Tyler and Earl are the only ones who do so and even then, a lot of Tyler's songs have nothing to do with evil (see Horrorcore, below.) Odd Future are apparently all devil worshippers, but several of them are atheist (or don't care about spirituality) and they only actively use anti-Christian imagery and lyrics to piss people off.

Tyler, from "Goblin": "'Oh that's a triple three six, isn't he a devil worshipper 'cause I'm too fuckin' ignorant to do some research?"

  • Fun with Acronyms - Casey Veggies featured several members of the group on his most recent mixtape (Custom #3), Casey's crew is called Peas n' Carrots International. PNCIN for short. Now what would be a good name for a song featuring both PNCIN and OFWGKTA? PNCINOFWGKTA of course.
  • Genre Shift: While most of the publicly known group raps, Frank Ocean is an R&B singer. His lyrics are extremely heartfelt. Additionally, The Jet Age of Tomorrow and The Internet are far more psychedelic and less profane (when there's even lyrics) than the rest of the group's output.
  • Horrorcore: Odd Future have dismissed this label in multiple tweets and songs.
    • To elaborate, Tyler's said that he treats some of his songs like they're horror films and writes in the style of famous serial killers, like Jeffrey Dahmer, as if he was a storyteller; hence the dismissal of the Horrorcore tag. Only about eight of the 32 songs spread across Tyler's two albums actually hit the trope's definition full tilt (one of them, "Transylvania", goes to the extreme of being written from Dracula's perspective.) In the lyrics to "Goblin", Tyler cites "Parade" and "Inglorious" as songs that have nothing to do with horrorcore (they deal with his DIY outlook on life, specifically.)
    • All of Earl Sweatshirt's output either falls squarely into the horrorcore box or dances along the edge of it (even the Anti-Christmas Song, where he stabs a woman for no reason) and Hodgy Beats is the poster child for Rock Me, Asmodeus within the group. All of the other members of Odd Future go nowhere near horrorcore.
  • Kill'Em All: Part of the group's name.
  • Lyrical Dissonance: Most of their beats are smooth and laid-back, drawing heavy influence from The Neptunes and MF Doom. While not all of their lyrics are as gruesome as those that dominate Tyler and Earl's solo material, even their tamest material usually contains nods to vandalism, drug use, rough sex and heavy use of profanity (the latter often bordering on the politically incorrect side). This isn't always the case, though, as their beats can also be quite eerie to match the themes of songs like Tyler's "Transylvania" and Earl's "epaR", but even those songs' beats are nowhere near the grimdark theatrics of, say, Insane Clown Posse (who the group are sometimes asininely compared to).
  • Mind Screw/Surreal Music Video: Rella. And how.
  • Mood Whiplash: Going between Analog 2, a soft, slower love song, and 50, a loud, fast, and aggressive song, on OF Tape Vol. 2.
  • Refuge in Audacity: As much as humanly possible. In a very recent example, Tyler is a centaur, Hodgy's penis is a laser and Domo Genesis can slap women so hard they go from African-American to Asian.
  • Rock Me, Asmodeus: Though only some of them are atheists, they often use satanic imagery to piss people off.
  • Sampling: They usually avoid this (preferring original beats), with the exception of their Radical mixtape, in which each track was based on an already established beat that each member chose so they could outdo the original's lyrics.
  • Scary Musician, Harmless Music: Inverted. While Tyler, Earl, Jasper and even Hodgy's outputs are offensive and vitriolic, they're pretty down-to-earth people in street clothes and have good senses of humour.
  • Self-Made Man: Odd Future itself. All sixty members are skateboarding buddies and all have contributed to each other's works, whether it be shooting photos or videos, recording or engineer songs, providing artwork, lyrics, etc. Tyler brings this up a lot, including during his Best New Artist acceptance speech during the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards:

"To all the kids that's watchin', you can do this shit too. Be yourself. Fuck the system. Golf Wang. Thank you."

  • School Tropes: As several members were still in high school when they started out, a couple tropes show up in their early recordings. One track has Tyler as a teacher announcing that each rapper's verse is equivalent to a written assignment.
  • Stage Names: Every member uses one, save for Frank Ocean, who changed his legal name to Christopher Francis Ocean.
  • Studio Chatter: A lot of older songs feature this and it is all hilarious.
  • Supergroup: PNCINOFWGKTA, currently a one-song only deal. Consisting of Casey Veggies, Earl, Hodgy, Domo, and Tyler. Somewhat funny when you consider that Casey used to be a part of OFWGKTA too.
  • Tagalong Kid: Arguably, the other 40+ members of the group that skate and create art as they are rarely visible from a public standpoint (a few have shown up in their music videos, most notably a blonde boy named Lucas.)
    • There are also the OF-"affiliates" like Trizz and Jack Mushroom.
  • True Companions: Tyler and Hodgy have said in a few interviews that because they write, record and produce their own songs, direct their own videos and create their own artwork and photography that they don't require anyone but themselves and would prefer to work without outside influences. Each member is supportive of each other's work entirely and they appear as one unit during live shows.
  • Up to Eleven: The bar is currently set at the video for "Rella"
  • What Do You Mean It's Not Heinous?: In the Funny or Die video "Odd Future Gets Signed", they only walk out when the label guy sets his glass down on his table.

Tyler: What the fuck is your problem? Are you fucking stupid? It's a fucking coaster right there. You don't have any fucking respect? I know this table was expensive, fuckboy. You don't have the decency and respect to use a fucking coaster? I would never in my fucking life allow me and my fucking peers to work with someone with low class - fuck you, let's get out of here. Use a fucking coaster next time, bitch.

Because of the sprawling nature of this Troperiffic group, we've split up some artists and groups within the collective into manageable entries below.

Hodgy Beats

Rapper and one half of MellowHype. Originally exhibiting a mellow, unsure delivery, Hodgy Beats' rapping style hardened to a more aggressive style after working with producer Left Brain. Has a rather distinctive laugh that is heard across many tracks. Hodgy also has a good singing voice and has used it on several tracks, including Tyler's "Analog" and Domo Genesis' "Drunk".

Discography:
  • The Odd Future Tape (Odd Future compilation, 2008)
  • The Dena Tape (2009)
  • Radical (Odd Future compilation, 2010)
  • 12 Odd Future Songs (Odd Future compilation, 2011)
  • OF Tape Vol. 2 (Odd Future compilation, 2012)
Hodgy Beats provides examples of the following tropes:
  • The Cameo: Some uncredited singing appearances across the board, most notably on Domo Genesis' "Drunk" (though he is mentioned by Domo himself in the first verse.)
  • Characterization Marches On: Early on, Hodgy was The Stoner. After hooking up with Left Brain, his delivery grew more aggressive and moved towards more gangsta rap topics such as money, police and illicit substances.
  • Department of Redundancy Department: On Domo Genesis' "Steam Roller": "Weed, you got it, I want it, I want it if you got weed."
  • One of Us: "Memorex CDs" samples a song from Chrono Trigger.
  • Piss-Take Rap: His songs performed under the name of Young Swag.
  • Rock Me, Asmodeus: Employed liberally in later works.
  • The Stoner: Hodgy's early records made him really look like a stoner. He enjoys weed, too.
  • Studio Chatter: His lone album is full of it.
  • Stylistic Suck: "Real Niggas" and "Respect My Gangsta", parodies of rap clichés released under the name Young Swag.

MellowHype

Hip hop group composed of rapper Hodgy Beats and producer Left Brain.

Discography:
  • YelloWhite (2010)
  • BlackenedWhite (2010)
  • 12 Odd Future Songs (Odd Future compilation, 2011)
  • OF Tape Vol. 2 (Odd Future compilation, 2012)
MellowHype provides examples of the following tropes:
  • Cluster F-Bomb
  • Nice Hat: Left Brain's dog hat, as seen in the page image.
  • Prophet Eyes: Hodgy Beats and Left Brain in "64."
  • Record Producer: Left Brain focuses mainly on producing and leaves Hodgy to appear in the press. He has produced not only for Hodgy and MellowHype, but for other members in the group.
  • Rock Me, Asmodeus: To the point that the re-issue cover of BlackenedWhite is an upside-down cross.
  • Shout-Out: "64" has shout outs to Village of the Damned and The Ring.
  • Updated Rerelease: BlackenedWhite was originally released online on October 31st, 2010, but a remastered version with a new cover was released on July 12, 2011. The tracklist was changed, notably removing the songs with Earl Sweatshirt due to his mother not signing release forms for his verses to be used.
  • White Mask of Doom: The Ring girl in MellowHype's video for "64."

Domo Genesis

Rapper with an affinity for marijuana.

Discography:
  • Rolling Papers (2010)
  • Radical (Odd Future compilation, 2010)
  • Under the Influence (mixtape, 2011)
  • 12 Odd Future Songs (Odd Future compilation, 2011)
  • OF Tape Vol. 2 (Odd Future compilation, 2012)
Domo Genesis provides examples of the following tropes:
  • Name's the Same: Rolling Papers is also an album by Wiz Khalifa, released in under a year from Domo's album.
  • The Stoner: Under the Influence was out at 4:20pm on the day it was released, even.

Mike G

Laidback rapper with a respectable flow. Produces chopped and screwed remixes on the side, including remixing the entirety of Tyler's Bastard.

Discography:
  • Mike Check (2009)
  • ALI (2010)
  • Radical (Odd Future compilation, 2010)
  • Screwed Up Saturdays (mixtape, 2011)
  • Screwed Up Saturdays Vol. II (mixtape, 2011)
  • 12 Odd Future Songs (Odd Future compilation, 2011)
  • OF Tape Vol. 2 (Odd Future compilation, 2012)
Mike G provides examples of the following tropes:
  • Cloudcuckoolander: Mike G is nearly always spaced out. One interviewer from Shade 45 had to ask if he was okay.
  • Mood Whiplash: "Stick Up" is a thoroughly serious heist narrative until Taco appears out of nowhere and accidentally walks in the path of Mike's bullet.
  • One of Us: Mike G, like Tyler, is a fan of Cartoon Network and has referenced Adventure Time and Aqua Teen Hunger Force in his songs.
  • The Stoner: Just listen to his voice.

Matt Martians

Matt Martians is Odd Future's foray into instrumental hip hop, with a decidedly psychedelic bent. When lyrics are employed, they usually revolve around women or space themes. Martians has headed two projects within OFWGKTA: The Super 3, featuring himself and either Hal Williams, or Betty Vasolean and Yoshi Jankins, Jr. (the internet is a bit fuzzy about this) and The Jet Age of Tomorrow with Hal Williams. A few of Odd Future's rappers appeared on Jet Age's album Journey to the 5th Echelon. Jet Age produced Kilo Kush's Homeschool album under the name Junior Varsity, as well as two songs for Soulja Boy. They've also used the name Dem Acura Boyz.

Discography:

The Super 3

  • The Purple Cows EP (unreleased, 2008)
  • The Odd Future Tape (Odd Future compilation, 2008)
  • Panic on Pluto! (unreleased, 2009)
  • The Super D3Shay EP (with brandUn DeShay, 2009)
  • The Super 3 Instrumentals (2011)

The Jet Age of Tomorrow

  • Voyager (2010)
  • Journey to the 5th Echelon (2011)
  • The Story of Marsha Lotus (2011)
  • 12 Odd Future Songs (Odd Future compilation, 2011)
Matt Martians provides examples of the following tropes:

Taco Bennett and Jasper Dolphin

Two friends of Tyler's who happen to appear on a handful of songs. Neither has much skill in writing lyrics, but that doesn't necessarily stop them from trying. They have admitted to not doing much else and work very much like hype men during live performances. Jasper is one half of I Smell Panties, while Taco is one of the group's photographers. Taco is also OFWGKTA engineer Syd tha Kyd's younger brother and their house is used as the group's recording studio. Tyler, the Creator has thus far had both of them appear on one song off of each of his albums.

Taco and Jasper provides examples of the following tropes:
  • Butt Monkey: Taco. Roughly a third of Earl's twitter is talking shit about him (calling him by his real name, "Travis"). He also gets messed with the most on Loiter Squad.
  • Piss-Take Rap: Almost every time Taco or Jasper step up to the mic, they produce this. Especially hilarious is Tyler's song "Tina", where Taco is given eight bars to rap and ends up spending six of them eating potato chips very loudly instead. With no backing beat whatsoever.
  • Refuge in Audacity: During Tyler's "Tina", Jasper is in the mall and the club simulatneously. Taco is "with your girlfriend eating chips" and manages to prove so directly afterward.
  • Refuge in Vulgarity: Especially when paired with Tyler and Earl.
  • Rhyming with Itself: Jasper Dolphin ends up rhyming "shit" and "bitch" with themselves on occasion:

"I'm loud as fuck, I'm ignorant
Beat your bitch in her mouth just for talkin' shit
You lurkin' bitch? Well, I see that shit
Once again I gotta punch a bitch in her shit"

Jasper Dolphin: "You dead bitch, I'm hot as fuck
I ain't never cold, but I'm icy BITCH"

I Smell Panties

An early project by Tyler, the Creator and Jasper Dolphin. I Smell Panties was a comedy rap group, poking fun at all of the rap cliches that were big in the late noughties including clothes, bling, gang warfare and club culture. The most prominent subject was that of slutty women giving the group herpes and other STDs. Jasper's lyrical skill is practically non-existent in this group, providing off-the-cuff spoken word remarks and nervous laughter. While Tyler has to this day still recorded songs with Jasper, they have not released them under the I Smell Panties name.

Discography:
  • I Smell Panties (2008)
  • The Odd Future Tape (Odd Future compilation, 2008)
I Smell Panties provides examples of the following tropes:
  • Basso Profundo: Even at this early stage, Tyler was using pitchshifting software to drop his already low-pitched voice even further. Inverted as well, as both his and Jasper's voices are sped up; in "Hi to Me", Jasper plays a woman with his sped up voice.
  • Instrumentals: Drop the left channel on "Bapes" and "Bapes (freestyle)" and you suddenly have instrumental versions.
  • Mood Whiplash: The sudden hilarity of "Lisa" really brightened up The Odd Future Tape.
  • Piss-Take Rap: Everything. The start of "Bapes (freestyle)" is the only exception.
  • Refuge in Audacity
  • Rule 34: I Smell Panties made their own with the aptly titled "Lilo Fucks Stitch".
  • Spoken Word in Music: Aside from Jasper not being able to rap at this stage, "Hi to Me" contains extended speaking passages.
  • What Do You Mean It's Not Heinous?: After everyone (and their families) gets fantastical STDs in "Lisa", Jasper walks in and says, "Wait wait wait, that bitch stole my motherfuckin' Bapes!" A response of "She stole your Bapes!?" follows.

The Creative Bunch

A "sub-clique" within OFWGKTA that consists of some of the "other 40 or so" members of the group making rap music. They are officially a part of Odd Future, but rarely interact with the rest of the group outside the odd production credit. The group consists mainly of Jack Mushroom, Trizz, and Skoolie 300.

The Creative Bunch provides examples of the following tropes:
  • One of Us - "Kings" samples the original source of the "THIS! IS! SPARTA!" meme, so it's likely.
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