Writing about music is probably the trickiest form of criticism out there. What's good to one set of ears can be hemlock to another and vice versa, and no two opinions are ever the same in intensity, regardless of medium. I've often heard "I don't love it" after I profess to do so, or "I see what it's trying to do but thought it was a bit much," a line I really hate though did use in regards to Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. (Really, it was a bit much.) So I only try to write about things I feel passionately about, things that stir me to write, things that make me want to tell everyone within earshot about them and keep hounding them down like some sort of relentless pop-culturally obsessed bounty hunter. And that's exactly how I feel about Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All.
OFWGKTA is an LA based hip-hop collective nine members deep, ages ranging from 17 to 20. The group is led by Tyler, the Creator, a charismatic, deep-voiced 19 year old who shows heaps of talent both behind and in front of the mic. The whole group does, actually, so much so that in two years they have gone from kids fooling around to indie-cult internet darlings, making enough noise with their free mixtapes and albums that two of the members recently performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, where they absolutely, irrefutably killed it.
These kids are just beginning to make their mark, and part of the appeal of OFWGKTA is knowing in a few years' time they'll will be on a whole other level, so high up and unknown not even Charlie Sheen could process it. And sure, they're damn talented, but this isn't the first time we've heard good rappers come out of nowhere; they'll continue to come and go, and as long as there's an ear to the ground, someone will be listening. To me, what I most like about this group--and believe me when I say I really like their music--is the ethos that holds them together, which can be summed up thus: Fuck Steve Harvey.
This three-word phrase can be likened to their mantra, but why Steve Harvey? you might be asking. Who knows? Maybe they don't like him and his uber-black mustache, and every utterance is a chance to voice their hate; maybe they do like him but are being subversive in an attempt to not lose their cool; maybe it's all calculated and the name evokes just the right level of celebrity to make people go, "Huh?" Honestly though, if you're asking yourself why Steve Harvey then you're missing the bigger picture: anyone and anything is fair game. They rap about rape, scat, necrophilia, violence, murder, along with the usual rap suspects drugs, sex, and hoes. And why not? It's not like they mean it, or have any intention of doing these disgusting acts in real life. I've always been of the persuasion the more you say "No" to something, the more someone else is saying "Yes," and Odd Future is saying yes to everything. They're a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stale room, doing whatever it is they want to because they know better, and we know they know better; that's what makes it so great, and so captivating. OFWGKTA isn't just hip-hop, though it is, and they're not just swag (their term of endearment for something cool), though they most certainly are, Odd Future is fucking punk. Just check out their videos and tell me otherwise.
3/3/11
1/7/11
I know it's a bit late - 2010
I like music, but I tend not to follow the trends and get into things years after they first appear. I only got into Pavement a few years ago, yet I'm already digging the skewed, irreverent attitude of Das Racist and blasting Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Go figure. I guess I'm selective. This tendency carries over into other areas of our vast pop-cultural landscape, and with the Internet and DVDs making it ever easier to catch up on things both new and old, a year end list can quickly become a "Man oh man was I late to join the party" refrain. This is list is somewhere in the middle, highlighting the things I was into this grand year of 2010.
Biggest Disappointment: Seeing Wu-Tang Clan live
I was so, so unbelievable hyped for this show you would not believe. My excitement could have single-handedly made Wyclef Jean president of Haiti AND made peace between him and Sean Penn. With this much riding on it I was bound to be disappointed, and I was, but the first 25 minutes were fucking banging. Hit after hit off of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), the whole crowd enthusiastically rapping and jumping along, energetic performances from the clan (minus RZA and Method Man who were MIA). Why did they have to get heavy into their solo stuff? No one knew it as well, and despite various efforts to amp up the crowd, the energy seeped out the room, leaving behind a bunch of idle bodies waiting to leave.
Best Show: Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Tour Chrimbus Spectacular
For those of you who don't know, Tim Heidecker and Eric Warheim of Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job! are two weird dudes. Their humor lies in cringe-inducing silences and awkwardness and shoddy post-production effects reminiscent of public access shows. And for those of you who do know Tim and Eric, you're perhaps wondering exactly what I was: How the hell would their show work in a live setting? Suprisingly well, it turns out. Tons of videos, costumes, sketches (including Jim and Derek!), and songs--the highlight being the Ted Nuget-esque "Gumbo Wumbo," detailing how to make a killer titular meal--made for a fantastic show. Idiosyncracies aside, these two know how to give a good show.
Best Thing I Got Into Way Late: Howard Stern
The man has been on the air for 35 years, and for good reason too: He's fucking hilarious, and one of the few people whose reputation completely, and unjustifiably, overshadows them. Sure, Stern can be dirty, and crass, and blue, and incredibly vicious, but he can be equally charming, insightful, caring, and intelligent, and always funny. No thought goes unspoken, and his candor is like the one bright light in a string of dead ones that refuses to give out. Why chastise a man for that?
Best Read: "The Legend of Pig Eye" by Rick Bass and World War Z by Max Brooks
Pig Eye is a short story I read in my creative writing class last spring about a boxer and the unusual, almost tortuous training regimen his trainer puts him through. The writing has a boxer's rhythm, with long, winding sentences and sharp, colorful language, that really packs a punch (pun intended). WWZ is an oral-retelling of the international zombie apocalypse. Funny sounding premise, yes, but this book is straight up serious. Brooks recounts how it spreads and overtakes the world, and ultimately how the human population gets back on top, but what really makes this book shine are the stray, little moments. Black market organs coming to shores and bodies already infected, a swindler making a fortune selling a bogus zombie cure (and governments' cooperating to calm the masses), zombies being forever stuck in cars (lacking the cognitive abilities to open doors). It's scary how no details are spared.
Best Movie: A Prophet, Black Swan
Totally different films, both tonally and thematically, but each highly entertaining in its own way. The former is a French film about a young man who goes to jail and learns how to come out on top in the prison hierarchy. It's well-worn territory, but its ace direction and performances cast a new light on a familiar story. The latter, meanwhile, is a psychological, cerebral tale about a ballerina who struggles to become her latest role, the dual White/Black Swan in the famed Swan Lake. More than just struggling for one's art, it's about the trials and insecurities we face trying to grow as selves. Kind of a cheesy and new-agey statement, I know, but this one really stuck with me. Like Ed said, you gotta take risks.
Best TV Shows: Parks and Recreation, Breaking Bad, Terriers
Best comedy, drama, and new show, respectively. All excellently cast, written, and performed, each with memorable characters with a true sense of shared history and camaraderie. The only thing wrong with them is that they're not on TV right now. Parks and Recreation comes back later this month, Breaking Bad returns in July, and Terriers, sadly, is no more. At least there's DVDs to keep us company.
Best Meal: Chicken Pad Thai at the Thai House, followed by dessert at Diddy Reese LA, CA
I don't know how to write about food. My palate isn't that refined, and the number of taste buds on my tongue leaves me in the 'non-taster' category (the other two being 'taster' and 'supertaster' according to food scientists). The little taste buds that I do have, however, were ecstatic when they encountered the pad thai at the Thai House and the cookies and ice cream sandwiches at Diddy Reese. They were so good my mouth came, which I didn't even think was possible.
Biggest Waste: Netflix
Don't get me wrong. Netflix is pretty cool. Holding a DVD as long as you want with no penalty and streaming an ass load of movies and TV shows for an abysmally cheap price is more than cool; it's revolutionary. The least that can be said is you get the most bang for your buck, yet this is predicated on one crucial thing: use. If you're like me, who holds movies for weeks at a time, and generally doesn't stream, that monthly fee of nine bucks goes straight down the tube. To date, I've watched eight movies and streamed about five things--and I've had this since July. Still, I'm gonna keep it; it's too good to pass up. giped
Biggest Disappointment: Seeing Wu-Tang Clan live
I was so, so unbelievable hyped for this show you would not believe. My excitement could have single-handedly made Wyclef Jean president of Haiti AND made peace between him and Sean Penn. With this much riding on it I was bound to be disappointed, and I was, but the first 25 minutes were fucking banging. Hit after hit off of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), the whole crowd enthusiastically rapping and jumping along, energetic performances from the clan (minus RZA and Method Man who were MIA). Why did they have to get heavy into their solo stuff? No one knew it as well, and despite various efforts to amp up the crowd, the energy seeped out the room, leaving behind a bunch of idle bodies waiting to leave.
Best Show: Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Tour Chrimbus Spectacular
For those of you who don't know, Tim Heidecker and Eric Warheim of Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job! are two weird dudes. Their humor lies in cringe-inducing silences and awkwardness and shoddy post-production effects reminiscent of public access shows. And for those of you who do know Tim and Eric, you're perhaps wondering exactly what I was: How the hell would their show work in a live setting? Suprisingly well, it turns out. Tons of videos, costumes, sketches (including Jim and Derek!), and songs--the highlight being the Ted Nuget-esque "Gumbo Wumbo," detailing how to make a killer titular meal--made for a fantastic show. Idiosyncracies aside, these two know how to give a good show.
Best Thing I Got Into Way Late: Howard Stern
The man has been on the air for 35 years, and for good reason too: He's fucking hilarious, and one of the few people whose reputation completely, and unjustifiably, overshadows them. Sure, Stern can be dirty, and crass, and blue, and incredibly vicious, but he can be equally charming, insightful, caring, and intelligent, and always funny. No thought goes unspoken, and his candor is like the one bright light in a string of dead ones that refuses to give out. Why chastise a man for that?
Best Read: "The Legend of Pig Eye" by Rick Bass and World War Z by Max Brooks
Pig Eye is a short story I read in my creative writing class last spring about a boxer and the unusual, almost tortuous training regimen his trainer puts him through. The writing has a boxer's rhythm, with long, winding sentences and sharp, colorful language, that really packs a punch (pun intended). WWZ is an oral-retelling of the international zombie apocalypse. Funny sounding premise, yes, but this book is straight up serious. Brooks recounts how it spreads and overtakes the world, and ultimately how the human population gets back on top, but what really makes this book shine are the stray, little moments. Black market organs coming to shores and bodies already infected, a swindler making a fortune selling a bogus zombie cure (and governments' cooperating to calm the masses), zombies being forever stuck in cars (lacking the cognitive abilities to open doors). It's scary how no details are spared.
Best Movie: A Prophet, Black Swan
Totally different films, both tonally and thematically, but each highly entertaining in its own way. The former is a French film about a young man who goes to jail and learns how to come out on top in the prison hierarchy. It's well-worn territory, but its ace direction and performances cast a new light on a familiar story. The latter, meanwhile, is a psychological, cerebral tale about a ballerina who struggles to become her latest role, the dual White/Black Swan in the famed Swan Lake. More than just struggling for one's art, it's about the trials and insecurities we face trying to grow as selves. Kind of a cheesy and new-agey statement, I know, but this one really stuck with me. Like Ed said, you gotta take risks.
Best TV Shows: Parks and Recreation, Breaking Bad, Terriers
Best comedy, drama, and new show, respectively. All excellently cast, written, and performed, each with memorable characters with a true sense of shared history and camaraderie. The only thing wrong with them is that they're not on TV right now. Parks and Recreation comes back later this month, Breaking Bad returns in July, and Terriers, sadly, is no more. At least there's DVDs to keep us company.
Best Meal: Chicken Pad Thai at the Thai House, followed by dessert at Diddy Reese LA, CA
I don't know how to write about food. My palate isn't that refined, and the number of taste buds on my tongue leaves me in the 'non-taster' category (the other two being 'taster' and 'supertaster' according to food scientists). The little taste buds that I do have, however, were ecstatic when they encountered the pad thai at the Thai House and the cookies and ice cream sandwiches at Diddy Reese. They were so good my mouth came, which I didn't even think was possible.
Biggest Waste: Netflix
Don't get me wrong. Netflix is pretty cool. Holding a DVD as long as you want with no penalty and streaming an ass load of movies and TV shows for an abysmally cheap price is more than cool; it's revolutionary. The least that can be said is you get the most bang for your buck, yet this is predicated on one crucial thing: use. If you're like me, who holds movies for weeks at a time, and generally doesn't stream, that monthly fee of nine bucks goes straight down the tube. To date, I've watched eight movies and streamed about five things--and I've had this since July. Still, I'm gonna keep it; it's too good to pass up. giped
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