Well before Tyler, the Creator and OFWGKTA hit the stage for their NYC debut at Webster’s Hall last night, the pre-show buzz these Californian hip-hop phenomena had generated online made this performance one of the most hyped and anticipated concerts of the year. It’s a rare occurrence indicative of something even more rare when an unsigned group, yet to make a penny off any of their freely released music, manages to attract every major blog (Pitchfork, Noz), music mag (Spin, Fader, GQ, XXL) and newspaper (New York Times) to what is only their second concert away from home. And attendees knew why they were there: to witness what is already being called a “historical” event.
A handful of hip-hop legends were also there to peep Odd Future, including Mos Def in an “amazing leopard hat” reports Billboard, and NYC’s own Skyzoo, who was tweeting about the scene and “watching them about to get signed. Like figuratively. Mark my words. They getting signed like yesterday.”
Indeed, it remains a huge question who will be the lucky ones to sign these wild cards, and already all sorts of names have been thrown around including Paul Rosenberg and James Jebia who were both in attendance. NickyDiamonds also tweeted that both Warner Bros and Interscope were in the house: “Fuck it every1 is here to see Odd Future.”
Whatever label does score these hyped kids will need to swallow their pride or at least overlook it, because Tyler, the Creator and OFWGKTA have already built a moth-to-flame fuck it all brand that is all about negating everything but themselves: “Fuck every label and magazine in here, suck my dick,” screamed Tyler, before taking a puff from his asthma inhaler. “Swag, Swag, Swag…” “Wolf- Gang-Wolf-Gang…” chants filled the small underground room, thick from their cult-aura presence that had swallowed up the little air that remained. Now the only places left where OFWGKTA can breathe are up.
via FDR.