The OF Tape, Vol. 2 might require prior knowledge of the Odd Future collective in order to properly enjoy it. For first-time listeners, the opening track, “Hi,” will probably be met with confusion or disgust — all it contains is L-Boy spewing insults at the various collective members.
Once you get into the meat of the album it becomes clear why Tyler, The Creator is the de facto leader of Odd Future. His salacious growl fits the tracks perfectly — regardless of the weight of the beat or the tempo of the track.
Hodgy Beats is also a prominent contributor, appearing in over half of the songs in the album. He makes his presence known, displaying some impressive lyrical prowess. The beats are consistently heavy, resulting an esophageal vibration that I found quite pleasant.
The stunning self-awareness of Tyler is prevalent in both the album design and the songs themselves. This is what helps elevate Odd Future above many other groups. For example, the seventh track on the album, “Analog 2,” starts out with the line “Bitches think I’m crazy but I’m normal/I just come off as a psycho maniac when I’m performing/That’s an act so I won’t bore you to death cause I adore you.”
The songs are consistently excellent, with the send-off, “Oldie,” being the highlight of the album — a 10-minute epic that includes a verse or two from everyone in the collective.
Overall, The OF Tape, Vol. 2 is an extremely solid effort and likely the best album I have heard so far this year.