Tyler, The Creator

The RZA — and maybe even GZA — of Odd Future (short for Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All), Tyler, the Creator is the alternative hip-hop crew’s main rapper, producer, and source of inspiration. He got his first taste of fame when The Los Angeles Times ran a “teen on the street”-type story on the then 16-year-old skateboarding enthusiast, who was also interested in music and fashion. In 2007 he began making music with Odd Future’s core members — Earl Sweatshirt, Left Brain, and Hodgy Beats — and by the summer of 2010 their bizarre, surreal, and filthy material had earned them a loyal following. It was during that year that a video Tyler directed for the Odd Future track “French” took off, topping a million views by December and drawing attention to the slew of crew-related mixtapes that would follow, including Tyler’s own, Bastard. He was also signed to the XL label in 2010 for a one-album deal. When Tyler’s XL album Goblin arrived in 2011, it became the first Odd Future-related product to be released through the usual music industry channels. Wolf followed in 2012 with Left Brain returning as guest.