The 36 Best Odd Future Songs Not By Frank Ocean

By Collin Robinson

The earliest iteration of Odd Future was formed in 2007 although the collective didn’t release their first mixtape, The Odd Future Tape, until 2008. Ten years later, several members have grown from rebellious, defiant misfits with a penchant for fuckery into legitimate artists to be reckoned with. The Internet frontfigure Syd’s solo album, Fin, recently dropped, and it’s the second of six solo releases from all the members of her Grammy-nominated band.

Of course, the Internet aren’t the only Odd Future affiliates to receive a Grammy nod, but Frank Ocean has pretty much transcended any kind of affiliation with the group at this point in his career. Though the others will probably never grace any podiums other than the MTV Woodie Awards, it’s been incredible to see them transform from fake-gun-toting, shopping-cart-destroying, utterly recalcitrant, horrorcore-flirting shit-stirrers into artists who take themselves seriously and demand that critics do the same. Though the collective isn’t as tight-knit as it once was and it’s difficult to know which members still claim their affiliation, the OF umbrella is still touting Syd’s album and proudly tweeting lyrics from her lead single, “Body.” Without the original OF, none of this would be possible.

So, in honor of Odd Future’s 10th anniversary, we’re ranking the 36 best tracks to emerge from the Wolf Gang — minus their most famous member, Frank Ocean, who deserves his own Ultimate Playlist at this point. Of course there’s plenty more to come from these artists, but this is where they are right now, and this is how they got here.

36. Tyler, The Creator – “Odd Toddlers” (Feat. Casey Veggies) (from 2008’s The Odd Future Tape and 2009’s Bastard)

Tyler, The Creator got away with stealing an MF Doom beat on this one. He slowed and down-pitched Doom’s “One Beer” beat from Mm.. Food. The borrowed beat is indicative of where a fledgling Odd Future was in 2008; they were searching for an identity and seeking creative misfits to fill out the crew. Tyler, Matt Martians, Pyramid Vritra, and Left Brain were the sonic architects of the group, but they didn’t quite have a definitive sound or persona. You could hear their influences, and there were inklings of musical prowess, but nothing was fully formed. Tyler veered toward horrorcore in his rhymes, but how much of the vile, disgusting imagery are you going to believe from an 18-/19-year-old kid from the ‘burbs of LA? On “Odd Toddlers,” he mostly talked fashion and prestige. The latter would disappear completely from his narrative, and the former would become casual mentions of the Supreme box logo and five-panel hats. He wasn’t sure what any of this would amount to, and he needed the strength and affirmation that comes with numbers. Tyler and crew were certainly toddlers on this song, but the energy from this track shows up again in later iterations of the Wolf Gang.

35. The Jet Age Of Tomorrow – “But She’s Not My Lover” (From 2010’s Voyager)

The Jet Age Of Tomorrow is a slept-on Odd Future entity, but Matt Martians and Pyramid Vritra have been largely responsible for the crew’s distinctive sounds since 2007. The production duo laid down most of the framework for The Odd Future Tape as the Super 3. Though the crew would undergo something of an identity crisis following the tape and Casey Veggies’ departure, they remained integral to OF’s sound. Martians has contributed to almost every entry in the Odd Future catalogue, and Vritra isn’t far behind. As the Jet Age Of Tomorrow, they make inventive, experimental soundscapes that include elements of all the other Odd Future aesthetics with quirky twists that challenge the ear. They’ve both developed into solid solo acts on their own as well, but Odd Future wouldn’t have a lot of their defining songs were it not for the Jet Age Of Tomorrow. “But She’s Not My Lover” is an exemplary foray into their sound and the collective’s simultaneously.

34. The Internet – “Fastlane” (from 2011’s Purple Naked Ladies)

Syd’s subtle seduction and knack for depicting the different elements and stages of being in a relationship is a main staple of the Internet to this day, and it has been since the group’s early iterations. “Fastlane” is one of the brightest early examples of Syd’s pen skills as she extends a driving metaphor for the entire song. Matt Martians’ ability to glide through genres of black music including funk, soul, R&B, hip-hop, trap, and jazz is also front-and-center, and this smooth ride is an early indication of what was to come for the Interwebs.

33. Tyler, The Creator – “Bastard” (from 2009’s Bastard)

“Bastard” is far from the best Odd Future song or even the best Tyler, The Creator song, but it’s an important entry in both his and the collective’s narrative arcs. The Wolf Gang didn’t have a public identity at the time this was recorded, and Casey Veggies’ departure was an early setback. Tyler hoisted the crew on his back, and was carrying the load solo until Earl Sweatshirt came along with Earl and introduced some legitimate skill to be reckoned with. Tyler held things down with Bastard, though, and its title track is one hell of an introduction. The self-deprecation, violent lashing out, misfit laments, misogyny, gay-bashing, youthful rebelliousness, and questionable sincerity in “Bastard” are all tenets of Tyler’s public persona, which extended to the larger crew. This song is much more than an intro to Tyler’s project — it was an intro to everything Odd Future came to be viewed as by the public, and it launched several noteworthy careers.

32. Domo Genesis – “Super Market” (Feat. Tyler, The Creator) (from 2010’s Rolling Papers)

Domo Genesis established himself as Odd Future’s resident cheefer on Rolling Papers, and much of the tape revolves around tree and the pleasures it brings. But “Super Market” hinted at how inventive and versatile Doms could be, trading shots that hit close to home with Tyler, The Creator. Tyler has a knack for maniacal storytelling, and a tendency to throw shots at any and every person he feels like attacking, so this track was his turf. Doms matched him bar-for-bar, and though things get outlandish, as they tend to do when Tyler’s around, the jabs they spit at each others’ expense are funny and piercing. Doms has since evolved to be more than a stoner rapper despite proudly owning that persona. Meeting Tyler at his level on this track is a precursor to Doms grooving with Anderson .Paak on “Dapper,” and holding his own with fellow stoners Smoke DZA and Curren$y on a track. He’s surprisingly malleable for what initially seemed like a limited identity.

31. Mellowhype – “Hell” (Feat. Frank Ocean) (from 2010’s BlackenedWhite)

Hodgy made vast improvements after releasing his first mixtape, The Dena Tape, in 2009, which was followed by Mellowhype’s 2010 debut, Yellowhite. But Hodgy and Left Brain really hit their stride on 2010’s Blackenedwhite, and “Hell” is its highlight. Hodgy’s self-reflective storytelling shines on this track, and Left Brain’s minimal beat gave Hodgy’s flow room to breathe and stretch out. Frank Ocean’s introspective hook nicely ties everything together.

30. Mellowhigh – “Troublesome2013″ (from 2013’s Mellowhigh)

The Mellowhigh trio of Hodgy, Left Brain, and Domo Genesis have some nice stoner anthems in their catalog, and “Troublesome” is for anyone who inhales paranoia along with their smoke. Doms and Hodgy both spit vivid verses with provocative imagery that perfectly depict an uncontrollable tweak session. Doms is the resident Odd Future weedhead, and Hodgy has been a rapidly improving storyteller since The Dena Tape. On this song, the two meet in the middle beautifully over a Left Brain beat that hits like drugs in sonic form. Spark one, then bump this.

[videoembed size="full_width" alignment="center"]

29. The Internet – “Cocaine” (from 2011’s Purple Naked Ladies)

Before the Internet became the powerhouse R&B sextet that they are today, there was just Matt Martians and Syd, but the duo showed early signs of who they would become from the very beginning. The whomping funk grooves of “Cocaine” are still present on Ego Death and Syd is still singing deceptively penetrating lyrics that contemplate the ups and downs of relationships. In many ways, “Cocaine” is the blueprint for the full-blown Internet that’s now getting Grammy nods and selling out national tours; they were never bad, just less developed.

28. Mike G – “DAM” (Feat. Left Brain) (from 2015’s Verses II and 2016’s Mike Check Vol. II)

Mike G is one of the most prolific members of Odd Future. He’s always been slightly removed from the early fuckery of the group, and is the most typically mainstream rapper of the crew. “DAM” is a highlight of his catalog; the beat leans trap, which the principal members of Odd Future don’t really rhyme over, and Mike turns in a couple solid verses that let you know what he’s about as a separate entity from the clique. It’s simple, but it’s a sound no one else in the crew really has, adding to Odd Future’s fluidity and range.

27. Pyramid Vritra – “224” (Feat. Huey Briss) (from 2014’s Palace EP)

Pyramid Vritra is one of the most underrated producers and MCs out right now. He was one of the early architects of Odd Future’s sound, along with Matt Martians, as one half of the production duo Super 3. His early solo work wasn’t much different than any LA beatsmith who was influenced by J Dilla and was aware of what Flying Lotus was brewing. Pyramid Vritra offered up a lot of celestial, digital synths and off-kilter drum-work without leaning heavily on sampling. Vritra has come a long way since his early daysm — in fact, he’s come full-circle it seems, signing with Stones Throw after developing an aesthetic that deftly mixes ambient sounds, banging drums, and swinging grooves. His rap skills have also improved, and he’s capable of pulling off some flawless verses. One such occasion is “224,” in which he spits an agile verse over a blipped-out, bouncy beat that’s smoothly infectious. PV gets slept on, but he’s making some solid, inventive hip-hop bops.

26. Tyler, The Creator – “IFHY” (from 2013’s Wolf)

Pharrell’s N.E.R.D. days were a big influence on Tyler, The Creator. Hence, half of Cherry Bomb sounds like an updated version of Fly Or Die mixed with some Seeing Sounds. As it turns out, Tyler and Pharrell can make some pretty good music together. “IFHY” is a rare vulnerable moment from Tyler. He’s still using violence and humor as defense mechanisms, but this song registers as his most raw and open. It shows that he has the versatility to make some kind of ballad and be serious at expressing emotion if he wants to, but he actively chooses not to. It hints at a more mature, subdued Tyler actually making music with feeling, without making fun of himself before others get a chance to. Some of the early shenanigans are embedded in Tyler’s persona still, but “kill people, burn shit, fuck school” can only be your mantra for so long.

25. Hodgy – “Barbell” (from 2016’s Fireplace:TheNotTheOtherSide)

Hodgy was the first Odd Future member to drop his own project, but he was known as Tyler’s sidekick until he proved himself a prolific rapper with untapped potential. His progressive leap from his first solo mixtape to his first with Left Brain as the duo MelloHype was hard to believe. He’s done nothing but improve since then, and his proper full-length debut, Fireplace:TheNotTheOtherSide, is his best album to date. It seems he worked hard to reinvent himself after thinking deeply about what his experience in Odd Future had earned him. As a result, the album is careful, introspective, and feels much wiser than you’d think possible from someone who was once under the tutelage of Tyler, The Creator. “Barbell” is the first look at a fully formed Hodgy, and it’s a soothing, beautiful bit of didacticism.

24. Earl Sweatshirt – “Drop” (from 2010’s Radical)

“Drop” would be higher on this list if it had an original beat, but damn did Earl Sweatshirt demolish Rich Boy’s “Drop” better than Rich Boy himself — or anyone else that hopped on the Cha Lo and Polow da Don-produced beat. He says so himself in the intro to the song, and the confidence he has at 16 to state the obvious adds to an already skilled tongue. “Drop” also proved that Earl wasn’t some kind of fluke, and cemented his spot in the crew as resident lyricist supreme. Radical was largely forgettable as a project, but Earl’s contribution still has some heft.

23. Tyler, The Creator – “French!” (from 2009’s Bastard)

This song is pretty despicable, but it was crucial to establishing what Odd Future were about. Tyler lists off a bunch of fairy tales and norms, and blows them up in the vilest way possible. “French!” was one of the first visuals we received from Tyler as well, and the music went with the crazy, unabashed, adolescent defiance of the images perfectly. The beat is mayhem in sonic form; the perfect soundtrack for destruction, delinquency, and teenage invincibility. Tyler carried the early load in defining Odd Future’s identity, and this song was a big part of that.

22. Pyramid Vritra – “YELLOW” (from 2016’s Yellowing)

Pyramid Vritra makes cosmic, off-time-on-purpose, disjointed soundscapes that owe a lot to J Dilla, minus the sampling. He took some years to develop an identity out of the crew, but his progressive arc is something to marvel at. “YELLOW” is a paragon of his style and shows how far he’s come as an artist. Pyramid Vritra’s latest offering, Yellowing, came out in a packed summer and got slept on, but there are some truly inventive and engaging moments on there.

21. Matt Martians – “Diamond In Da Ruff” (from 2017’s The Drum/Chord Theory)

Matt Martians is probably the most influential member of the group after Tyler, The Creator himself, having worked in the Jet Age Of Tomorrow with Pyramid Vritra, the Internet, and Sweaty Martians with Earl Sweatshirt. He has production credits on 39 Odd Future efforts, including contributions to all of Frank Ocean’s albums (aside from Endless), all of Tyler, The Creator’s albums, and all of Earl Sweatshirt’s albums. His work as the groove-man in the Internet is the backbone of the sextet, and his solo effort The Drum/Chord Theory further exemplifies just how much he brings to the table. Those hidden tracks within tracks, crazy but somehow perfect groove and mood switches, and the cleverly syncopated drum patterns are all Martians. All of those elements are present on The Drum/Chord Theory’s first single, “Diamond In Da Ruff.” It glides along with a peanut butter-smooth groove until a phone call interrupts and the whole feel of the song shifts to something completely different but equally funky. Martians says The Drum/Chord Theory will be his “only album ever,” which is a damn shame.

20. Syd – “Body” (From 2017’s Fin)

Syd’s sensuality and sexual orientation have been written about to death. That’s for good reason, because it’s not every day the public is introduced to an all-black band fronted by a lesbian, and the fact that the dynamic exists should be celebrated, but it shouldn’t detract from the real reason why the Internet should be getting attention, which is: They make good music. That being said, it’s hard to ignore Syd as a sexual being on “Body” because she is more overtly sexual on this song than almost any Internet song. There are moments on Ego Death where she is very seductive and flirtatious like “Special Affair” (more on that later), but she mostly just approaches and alludes or goes more relational. She sets the second verse in the bedroom, and isn’t shy about cameras rolling, or taking on dominant and subordinate roles which exhibit her sexual fluidity and openness. Her sensual, gauzy voice, blended with the MeLo-X trap-tinged R&B soundscape may resemble Jhene Aiko and Kehlani, but the way she chooses to express her sexuality adds mystery and intrigue.

19. The Internet – “Dontcha” (from 2013’s Feel Good)

Earlier iterations of the Internet were criminally slept on and written off as a mediocre Odd Future offshoot, but “Dontcha” woke people up with its subtle sultry vibes and loose jam-band grooves. After Ego Death dropped, the view count for the “Dontcha” video nearly doubled, and it’s sitting at just over 7.5 million views in three years. You’d never guess Syd could hold down some funky R&B grooves if you remember her waving a toy Uzi in Tyler, The Creator’s “French!” video, but here we are.

18. Domo Genesis & Alchemist – “No Idols” (Feat. Tyler, The Creator) (from 2012’s No Idols)

It wasn’t immediately clear that Domo Genesis warranted production from Alchemist over which to talk silly shit about getting high and messing with women, but both he and Tyler did this beat justice. Uncle Al laced the sample-driven backdrop that switches energy at precise moments, and Doms delivers. No Odd Future rapper is a stranger to classic hip-hop beats, but no one kills them like Earl Sweatshirt. Doms comes the closest to getting on Earl’s level on this track, and though they’re two different kinds of rappers, to see this kind of lyricism from him elicited by a classic producer like Alchemist is awesome.

17. Hodgy – “Final Hour” (Feat. Busta Rhymes) (from 2016’s Fireplace:TheNotTheOtherSide)

Who would have thought Hodgy could hang with Busta Rhymes on a track? Not I. I knew he had been killing features and putting out solid songs for years with a crazy progressive arc, but Busta though? And especially a renewed Bus-A-Bus with the energy from We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service still coursing through him? Anyway, that’s what happened. Fireplace:TheNotTheOtherSide is quietly, both in buzz and sound, one of the better rap albums of 2016. It came out the same day as Post Malone’s Stoney, Tech N9ne’s The Storm, Ab-Soul’s Do What Thou Wilt, and J. Cole’s 4 Your Eyez Only, and the argument for it being the best album out that day is not as far-fetched as it would seem. It should place instead of getting a participation medal. “Final Hour” is a testament to how far Hodgy has come as a rapper.

16. Earl Sweatshirt – “Molasses” (from 2013’s Doris)

Earl went h.a.m. on this joint right here and RZA came correct with the beat. Earl’s spitting with an energy he rarely emits that makes it easy to imagine him as the only West Coast member of the Wu-Tang Clan in their prime. Bong. And of course the rhymes are still as complex as ever, packed full of multis that string together words you never imagined existing in the same sentence. Sample venom: “I’m at the deli scheming on a Fanta and a Camel Crush/ Screaming “Saddle up!” like fuck is beef? Get your cattle cut, pansy/ If them fans only local, why them flights trans-atlantied up?/ The rice and patty’s cooked, nice for the chancellor/ Them teeth with the gold bright, the light switches mad at us/ Snap chatting panty clad baddies, I’m a bachelor.” Earl plus any classic hip-hop producer is a recipe for a dope song, it just so happens that this one came out doper than most.

15. Tyler, The Creator – “She” (Feat. Frank Ocean) (from 2011’s Goblin)

Tyler, The Creator and Frank Ocean have an odd but cohesive energy on songs. Ocean’s croon and knack for inspiring deep introspection and emotion doesn’t seem like it would easily mesh with Tyler’s maniacal energy and storytelling that is equal parts imaginative and disgusting, but it does. Ocean’s sincerity and tenderness belie the overall creepiness of the song which includes stalking, Tyler calling the girl he’s pining for a “cunt” and making a death threat for spurning his advances. So yeah, not the sweetest song, but Ocean’s voice gives it the quality of an ironic ballad. It’s hard to get over the weirdness if you’re not into that kind of thing, but what did you expect on a Tyler, The Creator album?

14. EarlWolf (Tyler, The Creator & Earl Sweatshirt) – “Orange Juice” (from 2010’s Radical)

Tyler and Earl as a duo aren’t of the current gold standard of Killer Mike and El-P or classic duos like Method Man and Redman, EPMD, and Black Star, but they get into some maniacal, entertaining trade-offs à la Eminem and Royce Da 5’9″‘s Bad Meets Evil. Earl could easily eclipse Tyler on any given track, but Tyler either steps up the lunacy in his storytelling or the dexterity of his bars to match him (or at least approach him) every time. “Orange Juice” is arguably the best EarlWolf collaboration, and Earl has some utterly dizzying rhyme schemes on this one. Peep the first four bars: “So I’m guessin’ there’s questions that need addressin’, huh?/ Like how we fresh in our adolescence and wreckin’ ‘em/ Hand ‘em tracks, he destined to make a mess of ‘em/ Snappin’ necks and records in matter of seconds check ‘em son.” Sheesh. There’s no way Tyler can top that, but he cleverly flips some fairy tales and classic cartoons into some maniacal retelling and wills his verse to match Earl’s with raw energy. Tyler and Earl are responsible for cementing Odd Future’s legacy, whatever that may be, and though they’re less close now than they used to be, it’s nice to revisit “Orange Juice” for a reminder of how far the clique has come.

13. The Internet – “Sunset” (Feat. Yuna) (from 2013’s Feel Good)

“Sunset” is a soulful, healing, feel-good ditty. Syd’s subtly piercing writing and vocals mesh seamlessly with Yuna’s polished, sweeping indie-pop stylings as both have an uncanny ability to elicit a cathartic experience out of simplistic lyrics. Yuna has the versatility to lean R&B and hip-hop (hence later songs featuring Usher and production from DJ Premier), and Syd inhabits the overlapping space on the Venn diagram of R&B, hip-hop, trap, funk, and soul with the best of them. The two of them singing about the ups and downs of life and relationships, soaking up the sun’s rays with hope and yearning as affirmation that they’re truly living, is refreshing. Whatever liquor does to numb the pain of life, this song does in a much more pure and organic way. It also hints at the Internet’s potential, offering one of the best earlier glimpses of the musicianship that drives the full band now.

12. Tyler, The Creator – “Sandwitches” (Feat. Hodgy Beats) (from 2011’s Goblin)

Odd Future had solidified their persona as a crew after Tyler and Earl Sweatshirt’s one-two punch of Bastard and Earl, and built upon their principles with the Radical crew tape, and Tyler was looking to grow the movement even more with Goblin. The album had lots cult-like vibes with repeated chanting of phrases like “kill people, burn shit, fuck school” and some iteration of Wolf Gang blurted more times than any reasonable person would care to count. Hence, the simple hook of “Wolf Gang” that pulled you in no matter how much you resisted. During Tyler’s late-night television debut on Fallon, they used the song to introduce Odd Future to the wider world. Yaasin Bey (then Mos Def) was in the crowd and couldn’t help but be genuinely hyped, screaming into the camera before the show’s credits rolled. Tyler’s rhymes are tight, his youthful disregard and exuberance are way up, and the beat has a menacing punk energy to it that’s hard to deny.

11. Earl Sweatshirt – “Wool” (Feat. Vince Staples) (from 2015’s I Don’t Like Shit I Don’t Go Outside)

Young Big Lips and Shyne Coldchain going in for 24-bar verses over a minimal beat? Yes, please. It takes a rare breed of rapper to keep you engaged when they throw form out the window and don’t even bother to reorient you with a hook. Luckily both Sweatshirt and Staples are cut from a special, similar cloth. There are few people that can keep up with Earl when he’s in destroy mode (ask Kendrick Lamar, Danny Brown, and Ab-Soul about “Really Doe”), but Staples goes bar-for-bar with him. Sweatshirt (as randomblackdude) ramps up the dramatics with piano hits that ring through the dense verses and add punctuation so the rhymes register sharply.

10. Earl Sweatshirt – “Hive” (Feat. Vince Staples & Casey Veggies) (from 2013’s Doris)

Seriously, can we get that Sweaty Staples project one time? Earl Sweatshirt and Vince Staples on a track together is magic, with Sweatshirt’s density balanced by Staples’ efficiency. They’ve been making music together for almost a decade now, and early evidence is exhibited on 2010’s Earl with “epaR.” Sweatshirt got a young Coldchain into rapping, and both rappers have only improved since then, so the songs get better and better. “Hive” is a prime example. Earl just goes completely nuts on the menacing, skulking beat, stuffing an incredible number of syllables and rhymes into every bar like fried rice in a take-out container. Then Coldchain comes in to execute all the bodies that Sweatshirt lined up with a lengthy verse full of subdued but potent energy, gunplay, and gangster bona fides. Casey Veggies lends his LA lisp on the hook in a return to his Odd Future roots to wrap everything up with a West Coast bow. It doesn’t matter what they call the duo, just get it cracking already.

9. The Internet – “Gabby” (Feat. Janelle Monáe) (from 2015’s Ego Death)

You’ll notice a lot of songs from Ego Death in the top 10; that album is no-skip, sultry soul. “Gabby” is one of the sexiest moments on the album due to its fluidity and nuanced approach to sexual orientation. Syd is openly gay, but Janelle Monáe has been subjected to rumors regarding her sexuality since releasing The Electric Lady in 2013. Monáe is aware that she appeals to both men and women, and has plainly stated that she wants to keep her air of sexy sophistication ambiguous in order to maximize and diversify her fanbase. Her mystery and Syd’s already potent allure combined with their obvious vocal talents and writing chops make for an irresistibly sexy romp. The sultry feel doesn’t take over the song’s arrangement, either. The combination of the deep, almost menacing bassline balanced by the slow-plucked chicken grease chord, and the perfect timing on the groove switch for the outro is just exquisite.

8. Domo Genesis – “Dapper” (Feat. Anderson .Paak) (from 2016’s Genesis)

Domo Genesis’ somewhat eponymous proper debut, Genesis, was slept on, but it was a solid outing. Genesis pushed past the stoner persona, elevated his bars, switched cadences and styles, and rhymed over an eclectic collection of beats. Often the lead single is far from the best track on the album, but Anderson .Paak can do no wrong, and this feelgood joint is as smooth as they come. Genesis rhymes with agility, weaving multis and subtly clever wordplay through that soulful Wurlitzer sample from Dexter Wansel’s “Voyager.” There aren’t many Odd Future tracks you can just two-step or zone out to, but this one is too easy to get your groove on to. To top it off, .Paak flips one of the best (of far too many) wet vagina lines of 2016 with, “Now I could turn a pussy to a kiddie pool/ And I could swim around until my fingers prune.” Smooth as eggs, as Dave Chappelle would say.

7. Odd Future – “Oldie” (from 2012’s The OF Tape Vol. 2)

Though members of Odd Future are all over each other’s projects, this is the one and only true posse cut. “Oldie” is a nice reminder of what Odd Future is about. Everyone stepped up their bars a bit on this song, and there are some nuggets that hint at each member’s individuality and what they bring to the crew. Tyler, The Creator bookends the track, taking on his usual leadership role with a couple of solid verses. Resident lyricist supreme Earl Sweatshirt turns in the best and longest verse, which happens to be the only verse he wrote while at the Coral Reef Academy in Samoa. Frank Ocean took a break from crooning to show that he could spit, turning in a clever verse that would foreshadow him coming out on Tumblr four months later with the brilliant triple entendre: “I’m high and I’m bi, wait, I mean I’m straight.” Domo Genesis, Mike G, Left Brain, and Hodgy contribute pretty good verses. The group’s clown and hypeman Jasper Dolphin picks up the mic for a surprisingly decent verse, and we even hear from Taco on the intro. Everything comes together for a cohesive 10-and-a-half-minute manifesto, and the video shoot is most likely the last time these people were all together in the same room, as the principal members would blow up soon after. The only thing missing is a verse from Syd — she could pull off a dope one if she wanted.

6. Earl Sweatshirt – “Grief” (from 2015’s I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside)

If it’s one thing young Sweatshirt knows, it’s grief. He’s been lamenting the death of his grandmother for years now, and her death haunts many of Earl’s songs. He’s generally a gloomy dude, but “Grief” takes his normal melancholy down into the darkest depths as the “final lament and epilogue.” Earl wrote the song during a prescription to stay indoors to remedy “medical exhaustion,” in which he slept “for, like, three weeks.” Few rappers can make a song this depressing, vulnerable, and heartfelt, have it not be utterly boring or mood-killing, and include some shit-talk with nothing but multi-syllable rhymes in complicated schemes. Rappers this far in their head and this wordy usually don’t make it very far, but Earl has perfected the art of sadness. “Grief” marks the furthest he’s gotten away from the early days of guzzling “death juice” and not giving the slightest fuck about his life. He does sorrow better than pretty much any other young rapper in the game.

5. The Internet – “Girl” (from 2015’s Ego Death)

This song wraps up the Internet’s appeal and intrigue in a sexy, smooth, groovy package. It took time to flesh out the full sextet, but their dynamic as a musically sound R&B jam band with a smoldering, sultry edge is well worth the wait. “Girl” is an occasion where Syd’s love of women is bolstered by the silky smooth sonics that each individual member of the band brings to the equation, and they coalesce into something exponentially greater than the sum of their parts. This song is a testament to the Internet’s ability to make good music, earning a place in the zeitgeist on the their own accord beyond the Odd Future affiliation.

4. Tyler, The Creator – “Yonkers” (from 2011’s Goblin)

OF stans will tell you you’re late if the first you heard of the collective was “Yonkers,” but this song is just undeniably good. The song itself was overshadowed by the video which is currently sitting at more than 87 million views on YouTube over a little less than six years, and it hit millions of views in its first two days online. With new eyes on the video came new minds wondering if Odd Future were a bunch of fake horrorcore misfits or if they warranted a serious look for their artistic merit. Usually when that kind of debate is started, something extraordinary sparks it. The “Yonkers” video is an anomaly if nothing else, but if the song weren’t at least decent, then the video would be merely an empty attempt at shock value. The song is much more than decent.

The track’s three verses in their entirety never let up on double entendre and defiant, youthful, violent angst. The first few bars alone contain a triple metaphor that manages to reference Tyler’s three split personalities on the album (the narrating therapist, Tyler himself, and Wolf Haley), three triceratops horns as dildos, and Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen who has three limbs instead of four after losing an arm in a car crash. The density continues with more metaphors galore, literal stabs at Bruno Mars, shots at B.o.B and Hayley Williams for “Airplanes,” pokes at Stevie Wonder, and even takes shots at Pitchfork. Tyler hasn’t put out a song as lyrically complex since. And with all that going on, the beat knocks with a bassline that descends into the depths of the underworld. This song is the starting point for any longevity Odd Future enjoyed.

3. Earl Sweatshirt – “Earl” (from 2010’s Earl)

Damn could this 16-year-old kid spit. He had already had a couple of projects and mixtapes coming into the game as Sly Tendencies and one third of the Backpackerz trio; it was apparent he could rap his ass off as a freshman in high school, but Earl and its title track were a completely different, more voracious beast.

The newborn Odd Future crew had dropped The Odd Future Tape, and it was mostly carried by Tyler, The Creator, Hodgy (then Hodgy Beats), Left Brain, and Inglewood upstart Casey Veggies. Veggies would leave the group shortly after to do his own thing, and he was arguably the best rapper in a mediocre group of rappers. The crew was really only a trio, and still searching for an identity at that point. Hodgy dropped the first official solo outing from any Odd Future member, The Dena Tape, but it was forgettable. Mike G followed with Mike Check, but that was just as dismissable. Tyler showed vast improvement on the buzz catalyst Bastard, particularly as a producer and less so as a rapper. Hodgy found his stride on Left Brain production with Mellowhype’s Yellowhite, but it wasn’t a transcendent project for the crew.

Earl reframed the collective as more than just a bunch of Tyler offshoots despite Earl himself being written off as an early Eminem disciple, and the title track defined not only the project, but also Earl as an artist. Most of the elements from this song are still intact in Earl’s latest songs — the dizzying rhyme schemes, inventive wordplay, ear for great samples, flow switches, and a subdued energy that still smacks you in the mouth without him acting hard. What’s changed, thankfully, is the talk about rape, hard drugs, beating women, and adolescent debauchery. But we wouldn’t have been listening for his maturation had the seed from “Earl” not have been planted, and Odd Future may have died before they truly got started.

2. The Internet – “Special Affair” (from 2015’s Ego Death)

Though a Grammy really doesn’t mean much from a critical standpoint, there is a fair amount of weight assigned to the fact that the Internet is the only Odd Future act to be nominated for the award besides Frank Ocean. This song is a huge reason why “Grammy-nominated” will be in all of the press releases for each individual member’s solo albums and their next full-length as a band.

It’s musical seduction at its finest. That irresistibly smooth bassline, Matt Martians’ cleverly syncopated drums, Steve Lacy’s soulful yet minimal guitar that’s chill-inducing when it comes in, and Syd’s feathery, gauzy vocals all come together for an exquisite lesson in coquetry. It’s something that no other OF act besides Ocean could pull off, and it’s distinctly their own. “Special Affair” is firmly rooted in R&B, resisting the influence of trap, punk, boom bap, and synthwork coursing throughout other Odd Future sounds. Straight-up R&B that doesn’t lean toward other genres is rare nowadays, and with this song, the Internet showed they hang with the best in their genre.

1. Earl Sweatshirt – “Chum” (from 2013’s Doris)

Earl has always been the most gifted lyricist of his crew — even at age 16 — but as many teenagers tend to do, he formed his identity based on his peers.

“Chum” was the first single from Doris, and it marked a complete change in Earl after returning from boarding school in Samoa. It was easily the most inward and revealing song he had released to date, and though we now know him as an introspective wordsmith who dazzlingly flirts with depression and agoraphobia, we didn’t then. Just two years before the re-introductory “Chum” was released, Earl guzzled “death juice” full of coke, tree, oxy, cough syrup, and beer in the video for “Earl.” The darkly shaded humor, teenage invincibility, and purposeful stupidity that defined Odd Future were solidified in that video, and Earl was integral in cementing the crew’s identity while finding his own as an artist.

As quickly as he defined himself and the group collectively with “Earl,” he shed that persona with “Chum.” The same rhyme skills were there, but they were clearly coming from a more focused individual, who was confident in himself outside of his crew. All of the ostentation and showiness was gone, and Earl was just a dexterous rhymer and rapidly improving producer (as randomblackdude) making songs about a life that was interesting without the theatrics. Doris still had moments where the old Earl would show up, like “Whoa,” but Tyler himself acknowledged the marked change in Earl on the intro:

Tyler tried to keep the old Earl alive, but there was really no going back. Earl was too valuable of an artist to have his potential and artistry muffled in a group where talent and fuckery were closely knotted. He paved the way for Hodgy, the Internet, Pyramid Vritra, and everyone else to be serious artists and to be respected as such. All of that started with “Chum,” and that’s why it’s at the top of this list.

This post The 36 Best Odd Future Songs Not By Frank Ocean first appeared on Stereogum.