OFWGKTA - Some O.F. Shit (2011)

After a giant 2010, full of solo releases and an instantly classic mixtape, Odd Future return to the new year with another mixtape that continues the same fiery lyrics and moody production they're infamous for, while also showcasing past material. Some O.F. Shit often sounds like a Mellowhype outtake session, cloudy billowing beats that emulate the vast history and culture of LA hip-hop layed down for Tyler and crew to swag all over. The - yeah I'm using the right word - beautiful instrumental courtesy Left Brain, "Mirage", rides out for almost six unfailingly serene minutes, and was the moment when everything I hoped would come true on this tape actually surfaced.

Tyler, in particular, seems to dominate the tape with a bunch of older B-sides and singles sporadically laced throughout the joint. With the glaring absence of his brother (although Earl shows up on the 'omg'-inducing "Deerskin"), he more than makes up for it with even more swag behind the mic and behind the beats. As does Left Brain, who proves he also has a future ahead of himself as a beat connoisseur.

The Wolf Gang also makes stunningly successful attempts at popular hip-hop trends, whether its fucking with autotune on "Love in Da Mall", or emulating fellow backpackers like Kid Cudi perfectly on "Inside the Clouds". They also capture the energy of live shows on "Who Dat", and make me want to catch them on tour even more now. Even when it's YouTube and low quality rips of swagged out beats, and the randomness of "Fuck This Christmas", it's all relatively enjoyable and pretty hilarious. It's almost as if they can't do anything wrong at this point.

As their interview on Shade 45 begins, everything falls into place with these guys. Tyler dominates the entire room of people singlehandedly, while Mike G. seems too high to talk. It fades into an a cappella version of "One, Two Step" that's declared 'swag'.

It's hard to say if they've actually bested Radical, or any of their solo joints, due to the sporadic and scattered chronological nature of Some O.F. Shit. But one thing is for sure, they keep showing that they aren't running out of tricks any time soon, and even more so, they might actually be improving as musicians on the newer tracks. Which is a scary but endlessly exciting conclusion that I've come to. The Future is looking bright at this point.

8.5