Odd Future
The Observatory
December 23, 2012
For LA's anarchistic hip-hop collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All's third annual Christmas show, they were kind enough to give Orange County and The Observatory a chance to experience one of the most aggressive, head-busting rap shows during a time when we are supposed to be at our most humble, appreciative, and charitable. The dichotomy between these forces aside, it is kind of like a gift to be receiving a fully spirited hip-hop event from a group not exactly known for their benevolent behavior. Even if we're quite positive there have been plenty of different types of injuries realized on days following past shows, you could easily come out of a Odd Future show with a hell of Christmas story.
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Lots of jumping, lots of apparel with “OF” on it, lots of oddly funkified on-stage dancing, a solid cache of no-longer-reusable Christmas props, and verses screamed and shouted all over the place. All of this just about sums up the core of Odd Future's holiday celebration at the Observatory. Most artists seem to become more weary as the time in their performance starts to extend passed an album's length of rapping, and there are many who put in no effort besides the formula of simply repeating the verses on their work. This was not the case with this crew.
Frontman Tyler, The Creator appeared to have an abundance of enthusiasm that resonated with most of the Golf Wang squad. For the entire time, the members on stage seemed to be genuinely having fun performing with each other as well, with most of them spending time between their spots on songs joking around and playing with the on-stage decorations. They all seemed to want to create as much of a good time as they could with the time they were allotted. Each member appeared to be soaking up their Sunday spotlight and basking in the opportunity to perform.
Besides their own bars, everyone appeared to be playing their own, singular part and revealing their own personality. Hodgy Beats, for example, was neck and neck with Tyler in terms of fervor behind the mic. Mike G was content with menacing around stage and grooving around as if he was the most authentically G-Funked, loc'ed out Los Angeles rapper out of his Los Angeles crew. Domo Genesis was the most well-rounded performer. Frank Ocean was the calmest and quietest, choosing instead to be silent and just enjoy the show from behind the DJ deck. And, for whatever reason, Left Brain seemed to be stuck on playing with the fake snow and confetti.
Where they all crossed path and unified at was their moods. For the majority of the night, everyone was nothing but smiles and fluid, not-so-common dance moves. This might as well have been a bunch of friends goofing off at home on a weekend night, albeit goofing off in a way that could entertain a vast multitude of other people and generate a clothing brand. Their reputation with the media and others has been inconsistent and a bit rocky over the year, but the show they put on is one of hip-hop's easiest to enjoy.
Critic's Bias:
Earl Sweatshirt performed “Chum” live for the first time.
Click here to find out why this is absolutely awesome. Technical difficulties aside, this was one of the moments that captured our attention the most.
The Crowd: Minors who probably spent much of their formative music listening years listening to hip-hop made in the mid to late 2000's, and who probably acquire expensive streetwear with their parents' funding.
Random Notebook Dump: Hodgy Beats and Earl need to embark on their own joint album or tour or something. If “Chum” is any indication, Earl is going to be coming out as one of the strongest young rappers out there in 2013, and Hodgy knows how to combine lyrical skill and energy to create one great show.
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