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gxbtx · 2 months

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The Internet - A Retrospective on the Odd Future Splinter Project

In the early 2010s, Tyler Okonma, or ‘The Creator,’ banded together an experimental hip-hop group of young black artists, naming the group ‘Odd Future.’ While the brand is highly recognizable and respected in today’s world, it was not always this way. This new sound of black artists creating art tailored to the (at the time) dominantly white skate culture led the group to face the discrimination of being called ‘weird’ and ‘gay.’ However, this group persisted in committing to being themselves, serving as an incubation period for many reputable artists we know today. Tracks such as ‘Oldie’ and ‘White’ introduced many of the popular music artists in today’s musical landscape. Odd Future curated the talent for the likes of Tyler, The Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, and of course, Frank Ocean.

In 2011, OF members Syd ‘tha Kyd’ and Matt Martians ventured off to create the splinter project dubbed ‘The Internet,’ introducing their discography with the album “Purple Naked Ladies.” Two years later, “Feel Good” introduced Patrick Paige II as the bassist and Christopher Smith as the drummer, tailoring new elements to the foundational sound PNL created. In honing their signature style, they experimented with Raliegh Ritchie in a few remixes such as “Free Fall” and “Stronger than Ever.” Syd stepped up confidently to the role of lead singer, reaping the soothing vocals that represented her undeniable swagger; additionally, her assistance in engineering early 2010s albums such as Goblin by Tyler, the Creator, Doris by Earl Sweatshirt, and Ali by Mike G built up her reputation as a talented music engineer. Paired with Patrick’s admirable bass skills and Matt Martian’s dreamy keyboard presence, the band would come to put out projects establishing their contribution to the new sounds of R&B.

LOVE SONG - 1

This short, simple ballad of a break-up holds a steady beat throughout the piece, with a short verse delivered by Syd. Syd’s soft, yearnful analysis of the state of her affair represents a common struggle of figuring out when to give up on the relationship. What is uncommon about this piece is the signature dreamy keyboard harmony, notably introducing a signature element that would come to identify this new band in future projects to come.

STRONGER THAN EVER - THE INTERNET REMIX

In a remix of several tracks from the Game of Thrones actor Raliegh Ritchie, The Internet brings an electronic buzz to the table that electrifies the heartfelt lyrics of resilience. The echoing of every verse resonates with the notion that the hardships associated with the constant strive to succeed can feel like shouting into a tunnel that lacks a response. Towards the end, Ritchie raises his tone and intensity, reaching a breaking point of feeling lost and alone, revealing he is driven mad by the implication of no resolution. However, the melody, “I fall but when I rise I’ll be stronger than ever,” is repeated to remind him of his resilience that will allow him to persevere. I connect to this song as I too have felt the struggles of reaching success, and like the melody, I have to remind myself what I am capable of to drive myself to succeed.

In 2015, Steve Lacy joined the group as the leading guitarist, graduating high school that same year. Steve’s relationship with the strings represented an incredible symbol of talent, taking inspiration from artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Thundercat, and the Neptunes. Combining these elements into the artistry of The Internet led to the production of the critically acclaimed “Ego Death,” breaking through the R&B world with unheard combinations of funk, jazz, indie rock, and R&B. Tracks such as Get Away and Girl challenged the very idea of what R&B can offer, with Tyler’s feature at the end reminding us of the humble beginnings. Rightfully so, the album was nominated for Best Contemporary Urban Album in 2016, as well as winning two BET awards.

GET AWAY

Lowering the tone to a deep bass sound, this provocative track begins Ego Death with a new concept of what The Internet can produce. Syd’s lyrics make the track portray themes of ostentation, calling on her same-sex affairs to create a unique singing dynamic about a girl in the articulation of an R&B woman singer. The low and slow beat still contains those dreamy elements in every Internet song, with Steve Lacy strumming a soft and light riff during the melody. The bittersweet theme is found in the lyrics of using drugs to escape the worries of committing to a relationship and is reflected accordingly in the instrumentals.

SPECIAL AFFAIR

This irreverent track mimics the sounds of nature; the dark and tense motif continues the character of a heartbreaker embodied by Syd. Syd’s soothing confidence creates a comfortable environment for the listener, while the deep bass lines and light, dreamy elements of Steve Lacy’s riffs continue throughout the track. The lead singer’s presence endures privilege, as the lyrics signify that she’s purely interested in intimacy without feelings. This provocative piece uses the sounds of nature to enhance the track’s tenderness, serving as an excellent nocturnal sound to accompany night drives.

GIRL (w/ KAYTRANADA)

The Internet continues to provide impressive collaborations, as Kaytranada's role of electronic/house producer registers a mesmerizing track that pulses a vibe unheard of. Kaytranada’s trippy yet tender sound paired with Syd’s vocals creates a gentle presence that makes the listener feel at ease. The lully track serves as a testament to the themes of yearning Syd creates, which can be misleading as conceived in previous tracks. The pulsing of the guitar riff alternating in and out of the beat, along with the small balance of bass, comes together to form a contemporary jazz track that few can pull off.

PALACE/CURSE (w/ TYLER, the CREATOR)

Palace/Curse ends Ego Death on a chill note, with Tyler’s accompaniment creating a whimsical ode to the girl. In Palace, a crowd is present to create an atmosphere that gets the listener hyped as if they’re actually in the crowd. The metaphoric Palace Syd sings about refers to the idea of seducing someone into her life of luxury, in accordance to the theme of the album. Transitioning into the low and slow “Curse” creates a feeling of daze, allowing the daydreamy elements of this band to shine. In the repetition of Steve Lacy’s repeating melody, ‘Baby I’m under your curse,’ and Matt Martian’s hypnotizing keyboard element to end the album on a jazzy note, this track entails as the perfect wrap-up of the incredible work that is Ego Death.

In 2018, the band created their last studio album under the name The Internet, dubbed ‘Hive Mind.’ More coverage of talent that Steve Lacy obtained peeked through, allowing the development of a new audience for his solo career. Before the release of this album, several members put out their own solo projects, such as Stevy Lacy’s ‘Demos’ and Syd’s ‘Fin’, alluding to the direction the band would go after the album. This final album serves as a more conscious reflection on the growth of the members throughout the years and the effect that music had on the process.

LA DI DA

Launching with his groovy guitar riffs, La Di Da allows Steve Lacy to shine through his vocals on the melody. Elements of the band’s signature style persist throughout this track, with added elements of funk. The fresh sound transforms into a softer jazz improvisation with a saxophone ending the track.

IT GET’S BETTER (WITH TIME)

If you’ve ever heard the track from Lil Uzi Vert, ‘The Way Life Goes,’ you’ll definitely be reminded of the same message Uzi presented to the listener. This tender track uses a bendy guitar riff to interact with a steady foundation of percussion, to which Syd’s lyricism provides a hopeful message of healing through hard times. Syd’s higher register in this track creates a satisfying comfort to the intended audience and is accompanied by an unexpected conscious verse from ‘Big Rube.’ His message of ‘The easy path rarely leads to what the heart truly desires’ comments on the discomfort required towards the pursuit of happiness. The track ends with a sunny jazz background to accompany a story from bassist Patrick Paige, who ardently explains his struggle with alcoholism and how he persevered through what seemed like a never-ending battle.

Overall, The Internet left an impact on the R&B world leaving a lasting impression. The contemporary elements the unique members contributed honed a signature sound of lulling comfort accompanying passionate and tender lyricism. This splinter project created an outstanding representation of the talent Odd Future would end up making, shaping these artists to be highly respected members of the musical community. While the band may no longer be together, their core values of passion for music bleed through the discography of The Internet, leaving the listener with a concept of how we can use music to truly create an emotional atmosphere.

#the internet #music #retrospective #r&b #funk #2010s #odd future #tyler the creator #steve lacy #chill rap #dreamy #contemporary music #album review #Spotify

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universalanguage · 1 year

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Past to Present: The Hybrid in Retrospect

In the world of Hip-Hop few and far apart are the seminal voices that shake up traditional styles to birth something new and dynamic. Detroit's Danny Brown is one of those voices, who's managed to win over a cult-like fanbase due to his unique stylings and often strange antics.

With the recent release of his joint album w/ JPEGMAFIA accurately titled "Scaring the Hoes" I couldn't help but harken back to the Danny Brown cuts that initially caught my ear.

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Sometime in late 2010 an acquaintance of mine was playing various new rap cuts in between bits of a writing process to generate our own rhymes. Early in the mix of songs that was something that I had never heard before and it stood out like a sore thumb. The track was "Shooting Moves" from Danny Brown's critically acclaimed debut album "The Hybrid". To clarify, while many see "XXX" as his initial album there is a large swath of folks who remember and revere the former record as their intro.

To be quite honest, at the time I would've considered myself a purist of sorts whose favorite hip-hop records came with a more backpack kind of sound so my initial reaction to Danny was something of disgust. It's truly bizarre that I had an outright distaste for what I was hearing but for some reason or another I couldn't help but revisit that song for about a month wondering why someone would voluntarily listen to it. His voice was shrill at times and often totally out of tune and the beat selection was something otherworldly altogether but I couldn't leave it alone..... and then it clicked.

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To those of you familiar with the Kingsway Sample Library the name Frank Dukes will ring plenty of bells. To those who aren't, just know that Frank is a sort of musical savant who plays and records original samples that have been used by producers such as Jake One, Hit-Boy, Kanye and even the elusive Madlib. Before the unfolding of what's become a brilliant career Frank Dukes was another producer on the rise and many early Danny Brown tunes including "Shooting Moves" featured Frank's inventive brand of sampling and arrangement.

"Shooting Moves" happened to be the tip of a rather bizarre iceberg. Once I managed to wrap my head around the wild sonics and strange flow patterns I was hooked. Soon after I discovered "The Hybrid" which was then and still is one of my personal favorite albums of all-time.

The opener "Greatest Rapper Ever" starts in with a spacey modulated sample and the perfect drum break crafted by none other than Quelle Chris. Danny's starts in immediately with the following lyrics:

My homie a magician with the Tec (Tec) Make your chain disappear and reappear on his neck (Neck) I ain't tricking with your hoes (Nah), but, shit, don't ask 'em (Nah) Only thing I give a bitch: A fucking orgasm (Chyeah) I'll throw you in the river (River), hands tied tight (Tight) Watch your ass drown, feel it in the air tonight (Tonight) I'm spitting that dope shit (Dope), smoking on regulars (Ugh) Writing sixteens like internet child predators (Chyeah)....

To say I was floored is an understatement. Never in my life had I heard something so awe inspiring, it's the kind of reaction that only happens on very rare occasions like when you first heard Kid A by radiohead or something but if I were to put it into a rap nerd perspective is comparable to the kind of feeling I get when I listen to "Ready to Die" by Biggie. Something so viseral yet indescribable that it makes you wanna punch something and cry heavy tears at the same time. I'd wager that I played that track at least ten times before starting in on the rest of the album which was immaculate from track to track.

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Most notable on this release in terms of cadence and approach to rapping is the intermingling of Danny's various vocal tones. Post "XXX" his signature high pitched register is a calling card of sorts but "The Hybrid" is an example of his early attempts at perfecting such a cadence. Albeit biased this is my favorite era of his work for just that reason. Danny was in the up and comer space and as a result was still trying various sounds and deliveries. As a result from track to track the album gives us a wise spectrum with which to engage and paints fine brush strokes with a myriad of colour palettes. Songs like "Greatest Rapper Ever" feature a more brash and confrontational tone that harkens to his background in the ghettos of Detroit while others like the closer "S.O.S." have a more soft and poetic undertone.

A great example of the projects versatility is a track titled "Juno" which I assume is titled after the Elliot Page (formerly Ellen Page) and Michael Cera film. This cut has Brown giving an unadulterated observation of the struggles and disappointments that are birthed as the result of unplanned pregnancy in a poverty ridden landscape. The opening line references Tupac's "Brenda's got a baby" directly paying homage to what might've been the songs direct inspiration but rather than take the more soft and thoughtful tone Danny's delivery embodies the type of frustration and disgust that breeds itself among those in dire straights. It's quite literally the ugly truth in it's purest form and as ugly as it might be it draws you in and keeps you coming back.

Another stand out is "Drinks on Me" features an utterly intoxicating instrumental and has Danny reflecting on the ills of alcoholism through an introspective lens. This track observes the various angles and vantage points that "normalize" alcohol within society and touches the core of the subject matter succinctly. From drinking as a means of celebration to drowning one's sorrows in a bottle of their choosing it's one of those songs that's managed to get me into my feels even when I'm in the best of moods and although counter-intuitive pairs well with a drink.

For those familiar with Danny's work beyond this period, you'll feel right at home with joints like "White Stripes". It's one of the earliest examples of the pitch and delivery we've all come to know so well. The sample is a grungy mix of dirty guitar fuzz and big drums that function like an 80's power ballad. The rapping is something all it's own as the vocal inflections aren't quite as embellished as Brown's subsequent releases. The tone is a great range of vocals from low to medium and higher registers and is a lot more fluid than the years that followed in my own opinion. You can hear the energy of something new being brought forth. It's the kind of thing that happens when someone makes something they know is good but hasn't field tested it to see if the flame will catch. Nonetheless it makes for one of the most memorable and awe inspiring offerings.

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I could wax nostalgic about this album from front to back for ages. it holds a really special place in my heart and in my library and for those who haven't explored it I urge that you do so with urgency and the utmost intent. From Danny's off the wall fashion to his unique and eclectic style of rapping/songwriting much of what the so called modern era syphons from is owed to albums such as this that birthed and inspired so much of what proceeded them.... but don't just take my word for it.

-YOSHI

#danny brown #the hybrid #rap music #2023 #early 2010s #musicians #detroit michigan #frank dukes #quelle chris #underground #album review #classic #indie artist #music #scaring the hoes #jpegmafia #kingsway #retrospective

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