Tyler, the Creator is debatably one of the most influential and unique hip hop artists of our generation. Producing almost all his songs himself, he has become very popular and well known amongst modern teenagers. 

However, a lot of listeners don’t know where his career first took off, Odd Future (OF). 

OF was a rap group consisting of about 20 artists formed in 2007. Other popular artists like Frank Ocean, Earl Sweatshirt, Hodgy Beats, Syd, Domo Genesis, and more also took off in this group. 

However, OF was more than a rap group, they were a whole era. They introduced a distinctive and almost eccentric genre of rap that influenced teenagers among that generation. 

The group always shared the message of not caring about what others thought, and never trying to fit in. Each member of OF had such a different music style which made the group so unique and enjoyable to listen to. 

In 2012, The Of Tape Vol. 2 was released to the public as a sequel to the original Odd Future Tape. The album has 18 tracks and ranges from R&B to hip hop. 

Oldie from The Of Tape Vol. 2, is the most popular track from OF in general. The song is 10 minutes and 37 seconds long and features most of the artists in the group. Every artist has their own verse on the same beat, except for Tyler, the Creator who has two verses. 

This song is like no other, as each verse is so drastically different lyrically. However, all their flows and voices come together to produce a one of a kind track. 

Tyler, the Creator’s last verse on Oldie is the most impactful and resonates the most with the group. Essentially, he’s telling the listeners that it’s okay to be different, and not fit in. He refers to the things he was made fun of for having an interest in and turns it into something others can relate to.

“And the ones that got called weird, f*g, b*tch, nerd Cause you was into jazz, kitty cats, and Steven Spielberg” said Tyler, the Creator in Oldie 

He also says, “They say we ain’t actin’ right Always try to turn our f*ckin’ color into black and white”

These lyrics can be interpreted in many different ways, but I believe it’s Tyler, the Creator’s way of responding to the critics that only point out their “flaws” (cursing, references to 666, and their carelessness). 

Instead of recognizing the pure talent OF displays or their success, people want to focus on the things that can take away from their success. 

Therefore, they’re trying to take away their uniqueness, and turn it into something negative. Just like taking the color out of something and turning it black and white. 

OF also used media and their clothing brand to express their creativity. 

Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA) was another one of their group names, and was often displayed on their merchandise. The iconic donut logo was their album cover for The Of Tape Vol. 2 and is the logo on their merchandise.

As for the media, they shared many pictures and videos on YouTube and Tumblr of them skating, working on music, and just hanging out with each other. 

For the kids who related to the struggles OF often talked about, OF was a group that made them feel included and “normal”. 

OF never really “broke up”, but all the artists eventually moved on to their solo careers. Whether or not the group will come back together again is up in the air. 

A group as special as Odd Future and their impact deserves to be known by our generation, as much as the individual artists are.