MTV News cameras capture L.A. collective’s 2011 SXSW journey. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Christopher “CJ” Smith Odd Future’s Tyler, the Creator Photo: MTV News By now, the carnage has been cleared and the backlash has already begun, but earlier this month, Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All — the 10-member Los Angeles rap collective/sleeper cell with whom we are currently obsessed — stormed the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, playing more shows than anyone could possibly fathom (officially/unofficially, the number stands at seven), leaving a path of destruction and laceration in their wake.
From ‘Look at Me Now’ to ‘Bomb,’ the singer describes his album’s creation. By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by Rebecca Thomas Chris Brown Photo: MTV News On Tuesday (March 22), the day his album F.A.M.E. was released, Chris Brown struggled , and failed to keep the conversation on “Good Morning America” about his music. And while it is impossible to ignore his reported outburst backstage, following a line of questioning about Rihanna, the music is still worth talking about too. On F.A.M.E., Brown showcases his saccharine vocal pipes, and the accompanying production is designed to put swift feet in motion. Here, he shares his favorite tracks with MTV News:
Rapper responds to critics who say he’s gotten aggressive: ‘I don’t do anything that’s inappropriate for my style.’ By James Montgomery Wiz Khalifa Photo: MTV News AUSTIN, Texas — In recent months, first with the chart-topping success of “Black and Yellow” and then with his underground hit “Taylor Gang,” Wiz Khalifa seems to have gotten aggressive, a move that some see as a departure from his stony, laconic roots. But Wiz is not one of them. ” ‘Taylor Gang’ is not a departure for me or my style. Anybody who’s been connected to my whole career, they know the variations of where I go and my beat selections,” he told MTV News backstage at the Woodie Awards during South by Southwest. “Lex [Luger, who produced ‘Taylor Gang’] has been a real big fan since back in the day, and I’ve been up on his music for a long time as well, so it’s just been bound to happen. He’s a great guy and he’s really talented, so it’s just good to see him getting the shine he deserves.” And to anyone who still doesn’t agree with him, Wiz would like to point out that he’s actually been working with Luger for a while now — he produced a handful of songs on Wiz’s Cabin Fever mixtape — and that he wouldn’t sign on to work with anyone if he doesn’t feel like it would complement his music. “I just find that little pocket where it matches up. I don’t feel like I do anything that’s inappropriate for my style, and he’s always going to stay consistent as well,” he said. “So when we meet up, you know, that’s when it makes that magic. Cabin Fever has, like, six songs from Lex Luger on there, and people love that tape.” And with his hotly anticipated Rolling Papers album set to hit stores March 29, Khalifa said he’s hoping fans won’t bail on him just because he’s gotten a bit aggro as of late. Though, if they do, he’ll still continue doing what he does. “It’s definitely aggressive, but I’ve got songs on the album like ‘On My Level,’ ‘Black and Yellow’ is not really a calm song, so … they’ve got to keep listening,” he smiled. “Or, you know, they can stick there, but at the end of the day I know what I’m doing.” What do you think of Wiz’s new music? Let us know in the comments! Related Artists Wiz Khalifa
The Odd Future frontman says he’s not worried about ‘ people who don’t get it’ when his album drops May 10. By Alvin Blanco, with reporting by Christopher “CJ” Smith Tyler, the Creator Photo: MTV News After taking the stage at the mtvU Woodie Awards on Wednesday now, Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All is getting set to invade retail. The L.A. hip-hop clique’s frontman Tyler the Creator will drop his next solo album, Goblin, on May 10. While to date most of Odd Future’s music, including Tyler’s debut Bastard, was made available for free online, Goblin is being released via XL Recordings in a one-album deal.
MTV News is with the L.A. collective as they take over Texas for South by Southwest. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Christopher “CJ” Smith and Dominic Masi Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/ Getty Images AUSTIN, Texas — If you’ve seen any of their performances — like, for example, their reign of terror last month on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” — then you probably knew what to expect from oddball L.A. rap collective Odd Future at the mtvU Woodie Awards on Wednesday: It was definitely going to be memorable, probably to the point of psychological scarring. And while what we got during the show was most certainly, well, odd (a pair of furry mascots, two beefy security guards, one masked little person, garden gnomes, rainbows and a whole lot of growling, to be precise), there was also a focused, snarling intensity to their set — perhaps due to the fact that, in their first South by Southwest, despite the thousands of other bands in attendance, Odd Future knew they were the center of attention. That much was apparent from the minute they arrived at Woodies rehearsals. Between photo-ops with Wiz Khalifa, hugs from Zoe Kravitz and onstage shout-outs from Pete Wentz, OF put on a show both on camera and off, tearing across the stage during rehearsals and then, minutes before stepping into the spotlight for their performance, pacing the backstage hallways, snarling and swearing, psyching themselves up, much to the delight (and terror) of those around them. (As one stagehand joked, “This is the best bar mitzvah I’ve ever been to.”) Much like last month, MTV News’ cameras were there , following the Odd Future crew every step of the way. And while we’ll be rolling out more in the coming days, in honor of their Woodies performance, here’s Odd Future seconds before stepping onstage. What did you think of Odd Future’s performance? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos Woodie Awards 2011: Show Highlights Woodie Awards 2011: Behind The Scenes
Duo’s ‘Opposite of Adults’ up against Duck Sauce for Best Video. By Gil Kaufman Chiddy Bang Photo: C. Brandon/ Redferns There’s no reason Philly alternative hip-hop duo Chiddy Bang should be afraid of a matronly 68-year-old standards singer. But, on the eve of the 2011 Woodie Awards in Austin, Texas, “Chiddy” Anamege and Noah “Xaphoon Jones” Beresin are sweatin’ the competition in the Best Video category thanks to “Barbra Streisand.” The Babs they fear is not, of course, the “Yentl” star herself, but the insanely catchy song that borrows her name from DJ duo Duck Sauce , whose video features cameos from Kanye West, the Roots, Chromeo and Vampire Weekend. “I think the biggest competitor in our category is gonna be ‘Barbra Streisand,’ ” Beresin told MTV News about the video that accompanies the poppy dance track. “That video is crazy. It’s like, ‘Oh man, we’re friends with this famous guy’ … They’ve got so many cameos, and it’s shot really well.” While Bang’s clever clip for the MGMT-sampling “Opposite of Adults” has its own merits, not limited to their cartoonishly gigantic heads, they’ve got plenty of stiff competition in the category from some other stellar clips, as well. They’re up against the Black Keys’ lauded schoolyard beat down in “Tighten Up,” Vampire Weekend’s equally cameo-heavy (Jake Gyllenhaal, Lil Jon, RZA and Joe Jonas) “Giving Up the Gun” tennis throwdown and the Gorillaz’ Bruce Willis-starring desert death race, “Stylo.” In fact, theirs is one of the only clips in that bunch that doesn’t have a marquee cameo, so maybe their lo-fi indie sensibility will win the day after all. Performers at this year’s show, hosted by Donald Glover, include the Foo Fighters, Wiz Khalifa, Odd Future, Sleigh Bells and Two Door Cinema Club. As in previous years, Woodie winners will be determined by fan voting. Voting in most Woodie categories closed Tuesday (March 15), but votes will continue to be counted in the Breaking Woodie category right up until the show. The 2011 mtvU Woodie Awards will air live on MTV, MTV2 and mtvU from the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday, March 16, at midnight ET/PT. Who is your choice for Best Video? Sound off below! Related Artists Chiddy Bang Duck Sauce
Woodie Awards host is surprised by positive response to his transition from comedy to rap. By Steven Roberts Donald Glover Photo: Gustavo Caballero/WireImage Woodie Awards host Donald Glover has been making a name for himself as an actor on NBC’s “Community,” as a member of the comedy group Derrick Comedy and as a writer on another NBC property, “30 Rock,” for quite some time. However, Glover has also been working on his rap skills, under the alias Childish Gambino. Tuesday morning (March 8), Glover released his latest Childish Gambino EP, which oddly enough he left untitled, via his blog . “I didn’t feel like it needed a name. I was trying not to give it a name, but a lot of people named it [anyway],” Glover said. “I just wanted it to be. But I like the fact that people are naming it.” Glover had been making a splash as of late thanks to his recent single and video for “Freaks and Geeks,” as well as his scene-stealing verse on Jamie XX’s remix of Adele’s phenomenal “Rolling in the Deep.” Each helped to build anticipation for the release of his EP, which he said people started calling “Be Alone,” “Freaks and Geeks” and then simply “EP.” Glover said he released his first project as a sophomore in college — the untitled EP is his seventh. He started making music for fun, but he wasn’t sure how people would receive Childish’s work at first. He thought he’d be dismissed as a rapper, but he has grown more confident as his skills have progressed. “I wouldn’t put out ‘Sick Boy’ now or ‘I Am Just a Rapper’ now. I would be like, ‘I can do much better than that.’ I guess I was just afraid for a long time because I didn’t want people to be like, ‘Oh, he’s a comedian, he can’t do that. He’s going to Eddie Murphy himself.’ But I was like, you know, I’m just having fun. If people want to just have fun with me, that’s fine. I’ve just been really amazed by the response.” A larger part of the response saw the New York leg of Glover’s I Am Donald Tour sell out in five hours and the D.C. leg sell out in three. He said he was thankful for the reaction, but he still found it very strange. “I’m very happy, and it’s very cool that people are willing to do that, because I know personally, it would be hard for me if Dane Cook just started playing the piccolo. That’s weird. I don’t know if I want to pay to see Dane Cook play the piccolo.”
Sleigh Bells, Two Door Cinema club also take the stage air when the show airs live on March 16 at midnight. By James Montgomery Wiz Khalifa Photo: Al Pereira/ WireImage On Tuesday (March 1), Wiz Khalifa, Sleigh Bells and Two Door Cinema Club were announced as performers at the 2011 mtvU Woodie Awards , set to air live on MTV, MTV2 and mtvU from the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday, March 16, at midnight (ET/PT). Wiz, Sleigh Bells and Two Door Cinema Club are also up for awards at the seventh-annual show — Wiz is in the running for Woodie of the Year, given to the year’s best artist, and Sleigh Bells and TDCC are facing off against each other in the Breaking Woodie category, given to the year’s best breakout act. But you don’t have to be an actual nominee to perform, as evidenced by the fourth act confirmed to take the stage: insane L.A. rap collective Odd Future , who will most certainly keep the censors on their toes. The Woodies also announced the first wave of presenters for the 2011 show: Matt and Kim, Lupe Fiasco, Dev, Chiddy Bang, emerging Eminem prot
Badu credits duo at beginning of her clip, and talked with them before filming. By James Montgomery Erykah Badu in her “Window Seat” video Photo: Universal/ Motown The first thing that flashes across the screen in Erykah Badu’s “Window Seat” video isn’t a bit of exposed flesh or some wondrously weird background character — it’s a message that reads “Inspired by Matt and Kim.” Erykah Badu’s ‘Window Seat’: Shot By Shot It’s a nod, of course, to the Brooklyn duo’s clothing-optional “Lessons Learned” video ,which saw them dash naked through Times Square and earned them a host of accolades, including the award for Video of the Year at the 2009 mtvU Woodie Awards . Badu’s “Window Seat” clip is sort of like its spiritual cousin, something she acknowledges right off the bat. But it didn’t start there. Before Badu even filmed her video, she reached out to Matt and Kim to discuss her plans for the project — and get their blessing — as Matt Johnson explained to MTV News late Tuesday night. “She’s an artist that I respect and like, and before she made the video I got a call from her and we talked about it for a little bit,” Johnson said. “We talked about the bigger picture she saw … and
