Odd Future

Twenty years after Wu-Tang Clan emerged to capture the rap imagination, a sprawling collective called Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA) surfaced in Los Angeles to put their own twist on the idea of a rap crew. Composed of surrealistic wordsmiths like Tyler, The Creator and Earl Sweatshirt, and idiosyncratic vocal stylists like Frank Ocean and Syd, the clique became an iconic one by turning creative nihilism into art. Leading the way were Earl, Tyler and Frank, whose respective breakout efforts—Earl (2010),Goblin (2011) and Nostalgia, Ultra (2011)—established the collective's eclectic blend of talents. In 2012, Odd Future unloaded their first commercial release, The OF Tape, Vol. 2. The project saw OF's artists reinforce their individual strengths for tracks that could be discordantly melodious ("Analog 2"), obnoxiously ironic ("We Got Bitches") and quirky but dexterous ("Oldie"). Even with some members operating more on a solo basis, Odd Future's initial mainstream impression proved indelible—a mark carved in the genius of millennial mischief.