Odd Future

It’s telling that rap’s fastest-rising stars are a set of loud-mouthed youth who feel more affinity for Sid Vicious and Ian Curtis than Lil Wayne and Will.i.am. Hip-hop’s in need of a face-lift, and L.A. crew Odd Future isn’t interested in using anesthesia. The group came out swinging via a series of self-released free albums in 2010, and has since turned its reputation for punky sensationalism and off-the-cuff confessionalism into the makings of a long-term career. Mastermind Tyler, The Creator became a labelmate to M.I.A. en route to winning a VMA for Best New Artist, while subgroup Mellowhype has signed to Fat Possum. Other recent highlights include Odd Future signing an agreement with Sony’s RED to launch their own label, Odd Future Records, and landing a deal with Adult Swim to create a live-action show called Loiter Squad. Think Wu-Tang 2.0. 2012 will see album releases from the whole collective in the form of a mixtape, as well as from two segments of the collective: Tyler, The Creator will release Wolf, and Mellowhype will release Numbers.

Updated 02/29/2012