On the opposite end of the teen sensation spectrum from the Beibs, nineteen year old rapper Tyler, the Creator leads the young, brash rap crew Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA). The crew are often labeled as horrorcore (though they vehemently deny this) and definitely owe a debt to the bizarre rap of early Eminem and fringe horrorcore rapper Brotha Lynch Hung. Their profanity-laced, shock-inducing rants are equally captivating and difficult to listen to. Beneath the angst and violence there is skill as Tyler has a good ear crafting woozy, minimal beats and both he and collaborator Hodgy Beats are skilled MCs who effortlessly mix humor and cleverness within their unpredictability. All their albums can be downloaded for free on the OFWGKTA webpage, but regardless of what you thing of the collective, Tyler and Hodgy have created a huge internet buzz for their Wednesday performance on Jimmy Kimmel.
Tyler has also caused an online stir with his new music video for the first single "Yonkers" off his upcoming second album Goblin. "Yonkers" is the most cohesive and fully-formed Tyler, the Creator song and as such is easily his best work to date.
This isn't a new song by any means, but I just came across this catchy tune by Mac Miller. He's currently traveling up the west coast on tour before he heads through the midwest and ends his current tour in Philadelphia. Miller is an 19 year old recent high school graduate from Pittsburgh who has been releasing mixtapes for the last few years. His K.I.D.S. mixtape last year garnered some buzz and his YouTube page has over 15 million views, but at this point Mac Miller is mostly banking on potential. The future does look bright as the early exposure at such a young age and sharing a label with Wiz Khalifa both bode well. For now we have a few excellently infectious early singles highlighted by "Knock Knock" that you can check out below.
