Tyler, The Creator credits Eminem, JAY-Z, and Nas as guiding lights for odd future

Tyler, The Creator, the enigmatic artist known for pushing boundaries and defying conventions, recently sat down for an exclusive interview with De La Soul on their Apple Music 1 show, Art Official Intelligence Radio. The occasion? Celebrating the 35th anniversary of De La Soul’s groundbreaking album, 3 Feet High and Rising. But amidst the nostalgia, Tyler dropped some gems about the origins of his own rap collective, Odd Future.

The early 2000s: A crucible of inspiration

In the early 2000s, Tyler was a young kid growing up in Los Angeles. His formative years were marked by the emergence of rap crews that felt like family. Roc-A-Fella, Shady Records, and Aftermath—these names resonated with him. Jay-Z’s empire, Eminem’s lyrical prowess, and Nas’s poetic storytelling were the soundtrack to his youth.

"Man, I grew up in the year 2000,” Tyler reminisced. “I was eight turning nine. So let’s say it’s 2002, 10 turning 11. You’ve got Jay with the whole Roc-A-Fella, you’ve got Shady, Aftermath—these different crews that felt like family. Nas was bringing Queensbridge group like Jungle and them out. N-ggas had this thing. So in my formative years, I’m just watching these crews."

Odd future: The black sheep collective

Odd Future, also known as OFWGKTA (Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All), emerged as a force in the late 2000s. Tyler, along with Earl Sweatshirt, Frank Ocean, Domo Genesis, and others, formed a collective of outcasts. They were the black sheep of their respective families, rebels with a cause. Their music was raw, unfiltered, and unapologetic.

"When I was making Odd Future,” Tyler explained, “it felt like family for a bunch of outcasts. Everyone in Odd Future was the black sheep of their family. So us coming together was like, ‘Nah, f*** y’all.’ Who’s getting the opportunity first? It’s the person right next to me. It’s the family right next to me. And I was really on that for a while, and a lot of that is just because of growing up with the idea of rap crews."

Emulating the sentiment

Tyler’s admiration for rap crews like Roc-A-Fella and Shady Records influenced Odd Future’s ethos. The chains, the camaraderie, the sense of belonging—they all left an indelible mark.

"Seeing people get Roc-A-Fella chains was like, ‘Oh, you’re part of the family.’ So I think just subconsciously emulating the sentiment that they held was easy."

De La Soul: The soil of the sh*t

Tyler also paid homage to De La Soul, acknowledging their impact on his creative journey.

" I’m happy to be a branch of the tree that y’all helped grow because you guys are the soil of the sh*t, actually,” he said. “I’m just a branch off of the tree that’s grown from the soil that you guys have laid down."

Roots and branches

In the ever-evolving landscape of hip-hop, Tyler, The Creator stands as both a root and a branch. His influences—Eminem, Jay-Z, Nas, and De La Soul—continue to reverberate through the genre. Odd Future may have disbanded, but their legacy lives on, a testament to the power of family-knitted bonds and rebellious creativity.