WTF is OFWGKTA?

You’ve been hearing about them everywhere, but what exactly is newly booming indie hip-hop collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All all about?

Most people know Odd Future or OFWGKTA by the performance of members Tyler, the Creator and Hodgy Beats on Jimmy Fallon a few weeks ago which ended in Tyler running around the show’s set then jumping on  Jimmy’s back and riding him around while Mos Def incessantly shouted “swag” into the camera.

The nine member hip hop crew from LA, including five rappers, a singer, and three DJs no older than their late teens or early 20s, showcase a unique, edgy style somewhat like a mix of punk rock and hip hop, ”horrorcore” as some call it. Although I believe it’s a bit immature, they’ve already been compared to the Wu Tang Clan, which is actually a good way to describe it to those not so familiar with the hip hop scene.

The teenagers are taking an uncommon, fresh approach to the music game and have released eight albums along with four mixtapes, all for free on their website, while each has also generated a decent amount of buzz through Twitter. They just performed in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago and are now set to hit up SXSW next week and Coachella, and I’m sure a ton of other shows are in the works worldwide.

Singer Frank Ocean is my particular favorite, probably since he’s a bit more mellow and R&B than the rest of the crew. Not the typical baby-making-music R&B but a funkier, more indie yet still a sexy sound. His mixtape nostalgia, ULTRA can, of course, be downloaded for free and will be all over the “Best of 2011″ lists come December, bet. Check out one of my favorites below.

[audio:http://pulse.sfstation.com/files/2011/03/frank-ocean-we-all-try.mp3]
Frank Ocean “We All Try”

Let me know what you think of Odd Future as a whole in the comments section.

Ellen Lovelidge is a writer and DJ, for more on her check out djlilelle.com or follow on Twitter at @djlilelle.