It’s incredible how a group of weirdo skate kids from California have seemingly teleported from obscurity to the poster children for everything offbeat, and subsequently cool today. Odd Future is everywhere now: their clothes on mall shelves, their show on cable TV, their presence on stages across the world — and that’s not even taking into account the actual, recorded music that sparked this whole thing in the first place. The word “revolutionized” gets passed around advertising circles like a bottle of Fireball at a frat house these days, but I think it’s completely on-the-nose to say that Odd Future completely revolutionized the way we think about hip hop and its place within the cultural landscape.
In fact, it felt kind of trite writing that, like I’m reminiscing about the popularity of “The Macarena” at the end of 1997 —which makes it all the more assuring to see that this isn't all just a flash in a pan, that a few of them, including O.F.'s de-facto figurehead, Tyler, the Creator, are getting pretty serious about creating in this big-budget, creative sand box they've built for themselves.
Case-in-point, Tyler's dual announcement yesterday: first, of a new Odd Future app, Golfmedia, and second, of a surprise new album, Cherry Bomb, set to drop next Monday, April 13.
The app includes “a bunch of different things that are original, curated and constantly changing. Original series, content, live streaming, radio, tour stuff, Golf Wang, interactive and whatever other buzzwords that sound mildly annoying and marketing-like,” according to Tyler’s hilariously un-enthused manager, Christian Clancy.
It’ll cost $4.99 per month, but if you ACT NOW and register via golfwang.com, you’ll “receive 2 months of free programming as well as the inaugural issue of Golf Magazine, Tyler's new print publication,” says the same press release.
But, what you're probably here for is the album, Cherry Bomb, which you can pre-order on iTunes now. Set to drop on Monday, it includes appearances from Schoolboy Q, Pharrell, Kali Uchis, Kanye West and Lil Wayne, who will both appear on Track 11 according to some nice sleuthing from the people over at Complex.
Check out “DEATHCAMP”, “FUCKING YOUNG/PERFECT” and the Nick-Jr.-on-acid trip of a video combining the two below. Oh, and catch Tyler when he performs with fellow Odd Future-er Taco at Jannus Live in St. Pete on Sat., April 25. Tickets are $30 at jannuslive.com.
