The 10 Best OFWGKTA Moments (Part 2)

Moving right along with the countdown, KWT is back to bring you part two of our 10 Best OFWGKTA Moments, this time featuring numbers six through four. Part two is home to some all-time  favorite moments from the Odd Future crew, including guest slots on albums from hip hop legend's as well as an album release that proved OF had really taken over.

Hit the jump to read the introduction to the entire countdown as well as numbers six through four of our 10 best OFWGKTA moments, or, if this is the first you're seeing of this list, check out part one HERE.

Update: The 10 Best OFWGKTA Moments (Part 3)


2011 has been a great year to break into the hip hop scene. We have witnessed some of rap's future superstars make their first widespread imprint on the genre. Whether it be through the help of record deals and star cosigns or through independent movements and internet domination, the past year has been home to undeniable rises to fame for some deserved and undeserved young talents.

Although some would claim they belong in the undeserved category, a list of artists to blow up recently would not be complete without LA hip hop collective Odd Future. A dozen members deep, all ranging from the ages of 17-23, OFWGKTA, with their startling, sometimes offensive, yet extremely effective content is the hip hop genre's version of shock advertising.


Featured below is part one of KWT's ten best, most integral moments to OFWGKTA's rise to fame. We're sure we ranked a certain event too high or too low for your liking or maybe even left a moment off that you thought was an obvious inclusion for this certain topic; therefore, let us know what you think, tell us what we did wrong and what we did right in the comment section. Over the next few days, check back with us, as we'll be revealing the three part post of our top ten best OFWGKTA moments.

EVENT: Tyler, The Creator featured on both Pusha T's and Game's most recent albums

DATE: Fear Of God 2: Let Us Pray; November 8, 2011 | The R.E.D. Album; August 23, 2011

The world already knew about all the cosigns. Pharrell. Kanye. Diddy. Pusha. Etcetera. But these were all merely artists stating they liked and supported what Odd Future was doing. What everybody really wanted was for an OF member to hop on a track with a respected figure in hip hop, to measure whether they could hold their own up against the genre's finest. 

Ask and you shall receive. In early July, Pusha T released "Trouble On My Mind" featuring Tyler, The Creator, proving that all of the rumors and tweets between the two were meaningful after all. The Neptunes supplied a banger of a beat, over which Push and Tyler definitely did their thing. Trading verses back and forth, the two talked shit about the fusing of Pusha's world with Tyler's, how their differing styles were somehow symmetrical, and, of course, cocaine, bitches, and Tyler's dick. And it was incredibly dope. Some might assume OF and G.O.O.D. Music wouldn't mesh well together, and even I had my doubts, but they somehow made it work. Eventually, even a video was shot for the track, following the dressed-alike Ace and Pushaton as they wrecked shit throughout the city. Some people may have been against it, while some may have just not felt the track, but "Trouble On My Mind" was an undeniable internet banger. 

OF's next A-list feature came with August's "Martians vs. Goblins" by fellow west coast rapper Game. Tyler, The Creator supplied the second verse on this guitar heavy track, while Game handled verses one and three as Lil Wayne uttered a feeble, one-line chorus. Tyler definitely outshone them both on this joint, his deep vocals perfectly complimenting the 1500 Or Nothin' production as he went hard at frequent victims Bruno Mars and Chris Brown, while sending fun, comical shots at Jayceon.

 

Although "Trouble On My Mind" and Fear Of God 2 were more of an underground, blogosphere success, Game's R.E.D. Album was surprisingly popular, selling almost 100K copies its first week alone. With each and every blog post "Trouble" warranted and the tens of thousands who purchased "Martians vs. Goblins," Tyler and the OF camp had again found a new way to get the name out. 

EVENT: Frank Ocean featured on two Watch The Throne tracks

DATE: August 12, 2011

First it was Tyler with Pusha and Game, but when Watch The Throne dropped a few months after "Trouble On My Mind" and "Martians vs. Goblins," Frank Ocean completely trumped Ace's collaborations. Solidifying his vocals onto what some have called "the most important hip hop album ever" by two of the most prolific rappers to ever step to the mic guaranteed Frank Ocean that those two incredibly dope hooks will live on forever. 

The fact that in literally a few months, Odd Future went from unknown nobodies to the camp responsible for the first human voice heard on Jay-Z and Kanye West's, for lack of a better word, epic Watch The Throne is genuinely baffling to me, as it should be for you all. Keep in mind, this has nothing to do with Frank's talents, which we can all agree are amazing, but rather the difference in status at which OFWGKTA found themselves in just a mere 6 months.

However, the repercussions of this collaboration extend beyond that. The exposure the smooth OF crooner generated for himself and his entire camp was inconceivable. Although the two tracks Ocean lent his vocals for weren't overly radio friendly, both "No Church For The Wild" and "Made In America" were greatly outplayed by superhits "N*ggas In Paris" and "Otis," WTT broke records for digital sales, moving close to 300K first week units on iTunes alone, giving more than enough people the chance to hear what Frankie brought to the table. 

Which was pure gold, by the way. Upon listening to each song, it can be argued quite validly that Ocean outshines both Hov and Yeezy, leaving listeners anticipating the entrancing, beautifully sang words. After hearing Nostalgia, ULTRA, we knew what Frank was capable of, but, knowing the stakes were higher than ever, he definitely took his talents to the next level. Which is exactly what Odd Future is all about.

EVENT: Tyler, The Creator's Goblin released

DATE: May 10, 2011

I think we can all agree that Tyler, The Creator is the centerpiece, the rock that holds OF together. After all, as his name suggests, he is the creator of the underground rap group. Along with all of these roles Tyler holds, it can be argued that, aside from the absent Earl, his music is the most well received and popular of OFWGKTA. 2009's Bastard was and still remains a blogosphere classic (you missed out 2DopeBoyz & NahRight, tsk tsk) with Tyler's blunt, boundary-pushing songwriting matching its dark, hypnotizing production perfectly. Whether they were undercover listeners or fully obsessive stans, those who didn't scathe at the mention of OF were impressed with Tyler's talents both lyrically and musically, leaving fans chomping at the bit for more music from the then 17 year old. It goes without saying that the hype and anticipation for his follow-up project and debut album Goblin were off the charts.

Goblin, then to be the first LP for the entire OF camp as well as the first retail project, was definitely a step in the right direction for Tyler and OFWGKTA. Seemingly a sequel to the aforementioned Bastard, fans and confused, curious onlookers were aching to purchase the album equipped that featured "Yonkers," the horrifyingly surprising hit of the spring and "Sandwitches," which was more widely known as "that creepy track I heard on Jimmy Fallon." 

After a month or two of goofy trailers, single releases, and the inevitable album leak, Goblin finally hit shelves to a respectable, but not spectacular reception. Although some people expected the album to sell more than it did, Goblin seemed to fit right where it belonged with approximately 50K copies pushed in its first week.

There is absolutely no question that this was huge for OF. The reaction to and sales of Goblin proved that Odd Future had broken mainstream, or close to it, without sacrificing their hallmark sound, and that they could be successful in today's music industry for a long time to come.

Head over to Part 1 and check back soon and often for Part 3 of The 10 Best OFWGKTA Moments, featuring our top three OF moments, as well as daily updated songs, mixtapes, videos, exclusive lists, and much more.

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