Skate Culture: All Things Odd Future

Playlist & Intro by TFN Writer: Sasha Vry

Spotify Link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3Cr2oJA884PaLZspy5K9YI?si=5e8e0ceb6628451d

Apple Music Link: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/skate-culture-all-things-odd-future/pl.u-WabZZeVId05dBmp

Imagine this: It’s the early 2010s, and you skate to your local Zumiez to open the doors to hear “Oldie” echoing from the skate shop. “Who’s that?” you ask. Its OFWGKTA. The pink, yellow, and teal doughnuts in shape are everywhere: stickers, skateboards, t-shirts, corny button-up Hawaiian shirts, and beanies, but it's not just the only thing you notice. Thrasher shirts folded nicely at the entrance, Vans showcased on the wall, Supreme stickers in a glass showcase, Obey on the racks, and Skateboard decks in the back corner for sale. You already have a sick skateboard of your own, but “Oldie” had you enough in a trance to cop one of those doughnut shirts. The group's hype and sound make you feel like you're part of this new community. You exit the shop with a new sick piece of clothing, a new passion for the skate community, and a new sense of belonging. That's what Odd Future was for me.

All of these songs have a place in my heart. If it means The Internet's choice of chords having me levitating, Frank Ocean's lyricism having me think deeply about my life or Earl Sweatshirt's storytelling, so be it! Most importantly, the impact of Tyler, the Creator’s music has helped me through some challenging points in my life. It was so hard to make this playlist as I had so many choices to work with. I hope you all take something new from one of these songs; it means I have done my job. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: During this era of Odd Future, a collective of skaters, photographers, artists, videographers, and publishers, the main man, Tyler, the creator, was known for being rather vulgar. If you know his older music, you know. He was known for making stories surrounding triggering topics to gain a reaction and some sort of notoriety. It worked but at the expense of people seeing him as a joke. During his Flower Boy era, he captured the public, not for his controversial words but for his growth as an artist. Please keep in mind that not only him but all his growth, visionary mindset, design, and overall maturity.