The Block

the

Block ISSUE 05/ MAY 2018

Donald Glover: The Modern Day Renaissance Man An artist with seemingly endless talents, and how he’s doing it

How Streaming Revolutionized Hip-hop Why so many hip-hop artists are making the permanent switch

Feelin’ Saturated

USD $7.99/CA $9.99

How Brockhampton is becoming America’s favorite new boyband

REDEFINING A GENRE

II  The Block

Donald Glover May 2018 III

Hello!

This issue means a lot to us, we hope it means the same to you.

Your editor, Courtney

IV  The Block

PRESIDENT Courtney Cheseborough

Contributors

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Courtney Cheseborough ASSISTANT EDITOR Rebekah McGeachy CREATIVE DIRECTOR Chelsea Bretal SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Austin Harvey Courtnay Tassillo FEATURES EDITOR BENJAMIN SALKIND | WRITER

KAITLYN TIFFANY | WRITER

Benjamin is a writer, and editor,

Kaitlyn is a writer who has been

FEATURES WRITERS

currently living in Boston. When

with the magazine for three years.

Benjamin Salkind

not working he enjoys heading to

She lives with her husband who

Kaitlyn Tiffany

local record stores to add to his

she loves almost as much as their

Paras Griffin

ever growing vinyl collection. In this

dog and two cats. In this issue, with

Edris Harrison

issue, Ben collaborates with writer

co-writer Ben Salkind, Kaitlyn

Annie Darling

Kaitlyn Tiffany to bring us the lastest

brings us an article on one of her

news on Brockhampton.

favorite bands.

PARAS GRIFFIN | WRITER

LYNDON FRENCH | PHOTOGRAPHER

Paras is a talented writer and super

Lyndon is a freelance photographer

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mom of three lovely children! She is

who loves nothing more than being

theblockmagazine.com

originally from Brooklyn, New York

behind the lense of her camera. If not

617.729.2290

and a proud Mets fan, despite living

on a photo shoot you can find Lyndon

in Boston for the past eight years.

at a live show in or around Boston.

© MassArt 2018

This is Paras’s first full length feature

Her favorite venues are The Sinclair,

All rights reserved.

in ‘The Block’ magazine.

The House of Blues, and The Royale.

Shelby Wang

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Chau Ngo BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Samuel Mecca The Block is published monthly. It is mailed directly and distributed at locations throughout the United States by: MassArt 621 Huntington Avenue Boston, MA 02115

Redefining a Genre

VI  The Block

Features

06 20 26 32

How Streaming Revolutionized Hip-Hop Streaming platforms are shifting dominance from large music corporations, and allowing artists to control how their music is consumed.

Feelin’ Saturated One house, three albums, and fifteen friends who are saturating the market, and challenging what it means to be hip-hop artists.

Vince Staples: The Risk Taker This rapper has taken more musical risks than any major label rapper this decade not named Kanye or Kendrick.

Donald Glover: The Modern Day Renaissance Man From Childish Gambino and Community, to Redbone and Atlanta, is there anything this man can’t do?

Departments 16 Interview Spotlight 30 Check Her Out 38 Music Video Mania 42 New Albums on The Block 44 News on The Block

HOW STR HIP-HOP WRITTEN BY PARAS GRIFFIN

06  The Block

REAMING

Hip-hop may reign supreme in 2017, but it took several years of a digital revolution to shift dominance from music corporations, empower artists and prioritize the consumer before rap and R&B could bring home the gold.

May 2018 07

08  The Block

THE CROWNING BEGAN with an unprecedented pocket of music history that saw hiphop’s pantheon of kings release last year’s most anticipated compositions within a first quarter once written off as a dead zone on the album release calendar.

In March, Drake announced to the world that he would drop his anticipated More Life, a global cornucopia of a rap album the Candi-

model. As artists increasingly drop albums with

an MC referred to as a “playlist.” Three weeks

little or zero advance notice, the pre-announced

later, Kendrick Lamar deployed an Instagram

release date is nearing extinction. “They’re

post along with the last bar of “The Heart Part

the enemy of creativity,” as pre-eminent hip-hop

IV” — a lyrical exhibition that shot venom towards

producer Dr. Dre says in the HBO documentary

naysayers, Donald Trump and unnamed rap

The Defiant Ones.

peers — to announce the date for his eventual double-platinum triumph DAMN. The preceding cold months were kept lit

This new level of sovereignty today’s marquis rappers wield over their careers is a byproduct of the digital age and the on-demand culture

by a high wattage of trap music. In January,

resulting from it. Artists are increasingly charting

Migos clamped a vice grip onto 2017 that has yet

unpredictable album rollouts based on their own

to loosen with the release of Culture. Future,

strategic and creative self-interests. The trend

revered by loyalists as the current king of trap,

may be the biggest disruptor to the old way of

optimized February by serving fans his fifth (FU-

doing business since the emergence of Napster.

TURE) and sixth (HNDRXX) albums in succeeding

With compact discs joining the music biz muse-

weeks. The following month, Rick Ross offered

um and streaming sites sterilizing the impact

his ninth and arguably finest composition

of piracy on the most “bootlegged” genre of

Rather You Than Me.

music, hip-hop artists with leverage increasingly

But Ross’ March release date wasn’t selected by anyone employed by his label Maybach Music Group (MMG) or his distributor EPIC/Sony.

Instead, its inspiration derived from someone

have more input on when and how their music is disseminated.

When Kendrick Lamar released his album on the second Friday in April, the determining

much closer. “Way back in like August or Septem-

factor for that date was simple: K Dot was invited

ber [of last year], Ross said that he wanted to put

to headline one of the world’s biggest music

his next album out on his daughter’s birthday,”

festivals that same weekend.

Kendell “Sav” Freeman, president of MMG, says.

“That happened to be March 17.”

The days of major labels dictating album releases or manipulating consumer interest are gone.

The age-old formula of dropping an act’s lead single, announcing a release date, then

“With Kendrick, he’s going to work until we snatch [the album] out of his hands,” says Terrence “Punch” Henderson, president of Top Dawg Entertainment, Lamar’s boutique label.

“But we had Coachella coming up and we didn’t want to do a bunch of To Pimp A Butterfly songs.” “[Today] everyone is so savvy about what

shipping said act off on a promo tour of free

happens in the music business that you don’t

performances and media interviews is a dinosaur

necessarily need that structured roll out that the label used to set up back in the day,” says Henderson. “So if fans can get something refresh-

Drake performing during his ‘More Life’ tour.

Drake’s ‘More Life’, was originally released in 2017 exclusively on streaming platforms, with no physical copies. It was released on with only one day’s notice.

ing from the artist, then it’s a plus. But Kendrick is such a big artist that, at this point, we can minimize everything and it will still draw a gang of attention.”

For such artists, less truly is more. To launch a national ad campaign three weeks before releasing his latest album, Jay-Z erected clan-

May 2018 09

Only three dates in, Jay-Z’s 4:44 tour quickly became the rapper’s biggest, and highest grossing solo tour of his career.

destine billboards in L.A. and New York featuring

at SONY/ATV who signed Ocean to his BMI

BUT WHEN AN ARTIST DELIVERS AN

nothing more than the mysterious numerals 4:44.

publishing deal in 2011.

IMPORTANT AS HOW IT'S DELIVERED.

of 2016, 4:44 debuted exclusively on the stream-

ALBUM MAY NO LONGER BE AS

Like Lemonade, Beyonce’s surprise visual album ing service Tidal.

After four years of starving his faithful of a

“The A-list artists are setting the tone by creating an experience for the consumer. It’s up to us —

follow-up to the gorgeous Channel Orange, Frank

the industry, community of artists, managers,

Ocean dropped two albums in August 2016: End-

executives — to create an experience for the

less, a 45-minute video album released exclusive-

consumer. Because they don’t have a problem

ly through Apple Music, fulfilled Ocean’s contract

paying, they just don’t want to feel shorted.

with Def Jam Records. One day later, he released

Twenty years ago, we took the consumer for

a follow-up LP Blonde, which, due to his newly

granted and we dictated what we were gonna

independent status, earned him an estimated

give them and then charged what we wanted

$1 million in first-week profits, to the ire of his

to charge them. That was standard back then.”

former label and its parent company, Universal Music Group.

But when an artist delivers an album may

10 The Block

“Everyone is realizing the power in a rollout,” Holder, a 14-year industry vet, says.

But the game has been rearranged. Last year marked streaming’s full arrival in the world of music consumption. Beyoncé’s Lemonade was

no longer be as important as how it’s delivered,

streamed a record 115 million times in its first

according to Ian Holder, the VP of A&R

week, only for Drake to up the ante a week later

LAST YEAR STREAMING ACCOUNTED

FOR MORE THAN HALF OF THE

REVENUE GENERATED BY RECORDED

MUSIC FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER.

when his album, Views, was streamed 245 million

underestimated for years due to the increase of

times. The Harvard Business Review reports US

bootleg CDs and illegal MP3 sharing.

album sales have plummeted from a peak of 785 million in 2000 to just 241 million in 2015 — pre-

In fact, for the first time ever, R&B/Hip-Hop became the most dominant genre last year,

dominantly from people listening to individual

according to Nielson Media Research — the most

songs via Spotify or Apple Music, making physical

comprehensive measures of audio consumption

album sales and downloads relics of a

in the United States — with seven of the top 10

Billboard’s past.

most-consumed albums coming from that genre.

Last year, streaming accounted for more than

The popularity of R&B/Hip-Hop was powered by

half of the revenue generated by recorded music

a 72% increase in on-demand audio streaming

for the first time ever, as Craig Marks reports

from the year.

in Vulture’s recent look at the power of streaming

Jay-Z’s ‘4:44’ was released June 30th 2018, on his streaming platform Tidal.

“[Hip-hop has] been the No. 1 genre probably

playlists. Major streaming platforms — ranging

for the last 20 years,” Dina Marto, who formerly

from Spotify to Apple Music and YouTube to

ran Island Def Jam’s Atlanta office before starting

Pandora — combined to generate nearly $4

Twelve Music & Studios, says. “But it’s the way

billion in 2016. Considering that hip-hop outsold

we now measure music that has changed. So

country music in 1998, the year before the launch

now that we’ve had to change with the digital

of Napster, there’s an argument to be made that

age and are allowing streaming to be a part of

rap’s dominance in consumption may have gone

measurement, we’re now realizing that urban

May 2018 11

culture has always set pop culture.”

Before the impact of streaming, the fiscal

‘10 Days’, Chance the Rapper’s deput mixtape released on April 3th, 2012, on the streaming platform DatPiff.

interests of record companies governed album

should be his next hit, he can easily uncover

rollouts. Companies viewed the first quarter as

which of his songs are streaming best. In fact,

infertile ground for hip-hop, offering the lowest

he and his team did just that to identify the hit

volume of product. Five years ago, the only

potential of “Mask Off” before it went platinum

official rap releases in the first quarter of 2012

in April. “One thing streaming has done is it’s al-

were debut studio albums by Diggy Simmons

lowed you to actually measure the impact of your

and Odd Future, and Rick Ross’ Rich Forever, a

music,” Future’s manager Anthony Selah says.

mixtape pushed by Def Jam and MMG’s distrib-

“I loved [“Mask Off”]; I thought it was dope. But

utor Warner Bros to become one of the most

I didn’t know it was going to be [that] big. The

downloaded ever.

future of music has a lot to do with experiential

Inversely, labels have historically viewed the

data and knowing what your consumers and

92 days of the year were reserved to hedge final

fans like, and focusing on that.” music has loosened major-label dictatorship and

were most excited to purchase. “Another reason

empowered the artists, creatives, entrepreneurs

[record companies favored fourth quarters] was

and fans. Drake has the freedom to drop a playlist

numbers tend to get inflated when released

to be consumed as an album. Jay and Bey can

during the holidays,” Holder says, explaining

stream their projects on their own platform. Ross

that year-end profits are the easiest to exagger-

is able to pinpoint his daughter’s birth date for

ate. “During Christmas, numbers are, at times,

a new release. And a new generation of Sound-

doubled and even tripled.”

cloud rappers has an audience at its fingertips.

Meanwhile, the Internet continues to make ticated and selective than ever. The on-demand boom has created the ability to quench consum-

So what exactly is the role of a major record label in 2017?

“It’s a collective effort,” Freeman, who’s worked in conjunction with EPIC since Ross

er thirst at the touch of a button. The increase

signed with the label at the top of 2016, says. “It’s

of media, and platforms on which to consume

everyone coming together to ensure the success

it, has stoked a ravenous hunger and shorter

of a record. The artist comes with their ideas and

attention span in the market. Subsequently, the

the label puts it in play. They’re the engines.”

resulting insatiability has caused rap/R&B artists

Yet still, some artists have used the freedom

to evolve by utilizing shorter windows and fortify-

audio-streaming provides to stay away from

ing new relationships with streaming companies

major labels, and to remain independent.

such as Spotify and Soundcloud. This is a revolution of reciprocity between music act and fan.

Future is clearly a student of the times. He

Chance the Rapper, last year, became the first artist to win a Grammy without selling physical copies of his music — or selling much of his music

only gave a week’s notice before dropping his

at all, for that matter. The 23-year-old rapper

first 2017 LP. He made history when, seven

from Chicago has built up a singular reputation

days after his self-titled album debuted atop

for remaining unsigned to any record label and

the Billboard 200 album chart, he doubled down

for dropping his songs online for free. (He was the

with another full-length LP that immediately

first to be nominated from such a background.)

shot to No. 1. By dropping two albums that were

His three wins — best new artist, best rap

fully supported by his record label, he set a new

album, and best rap performance — wouldn’t

industry precedent.

“Looking back on it, we couldn’t have released

12 The Block

This new day in the business of hip-hop

acts during the holiday season, when music fans

artists and consumers, respectively, more sophis-

‘Coloring Book’, Chance the Rapper’s third mixtape, released May 13th, 2016. It became the first album to chart on the US Billboard 200 solely on streams.

marketing and it has a lot to do with analyzing

fourth quarter as rap’s richest terrain. The latter fiscal sales by strategically releasing the largest

Chance the Rapper released ‘Acid Rap’, his second mixtape April 30th, 2013 as a free digital download. It was streamed over 1,000,000 times on DatPiff.

both albums show a very different, but brilliant side of [him].” If Future can’t decide which track

these albums any other way,” LaTrice Burnette, senior VP of marketing at Epic Records, says.

“Future first mentioned that there would be a FUTURE HNDRXX album release years ago [and]

have even been possible if the Grammy’s governing board hadn’t relaxed their rules last year to allow for the nomination of albums only released on streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music.

“This is for every indie artist!” Chance shouted

Chance the Rapper excepting his first ever Grammy at the 2017 awards. He became the first artist to ever receive a Grammy without selling physical copies of his music.

jubilantly on the Grammy stage, after winning

After I made my second mixtape and gave

enough so that “they’re almost like, ‘keep going,’”

best rap album for his May 2016 gospel-infused

it away online, my plan was to sign with a label

curious to see what his unusual model might

hip hop mixtape Coloring Book.

and figure out my music from there. But after

mean for the future of music.

That particular win is all the more magnifi-

meeting with the three major labels, I realized my

cent when considering who the rapper was

strength was being able to offer my best work to

up against in the category: Kanye West’s The Life

people without any limit on it.

of Pablo, Drake’s Views, and DJ Khaled’s Major

I make money from touring and selling

Key were also nominated. All those albums were

merchandise, and I honestly believe if you put

backed — and heavily marketed — by major record

effort into something and you execute properly,

labels; Chance released Coloring Book on his

you don’t necessarily have to go through

own with no promotion.

the traditional ways.

With neither a record label contract nor any

Remaining unsigned, Chance has said in pre-

physical album sales, Chance hinges his finances

vious interviews, also allows him to collaborate

off of the meager payouts from digital streaming.

more freely with other musicians and build up

Yet the rapper doesn’t care about missing out on

an authentic fan base. While his business strategy

lucrative profits. He explained why in a recent

may be “in uncharted territory,” it’s piquing

Vanity Fair interview:

the interest of longtime industry executives —

May 2018 13

2,000,000

Worldwide, on the day of its

‘Damn’ was released on May 1

release, ‘More Life’ broke

2th, 2017. It sold 353,000 copies 1,875,000

streaming records on both

in its first week and accumulated

Spotify and Apple Music. The

over 340 million streams.

tracks of the album achieved a total of 61.3 million streams on Spotify in a single day.

1,750,000

1,625,000

1,500,000

1,375,000

‘Culture’ debuted at number one on the US

1,250,000

Billboard 200. It also topped the US Top R&B/ Hip-Hop Albums chart,

1,125,000

becoming Migos’ first number-one album on both charts.

1,000,000

875,000

750,000

625,000

500,000 DAMN Kendrick Lamar

14 The Block

Divide Ed Sheeran

More Life Drake

24k Magic Bruno Mars

Culture Migos

HIP-HOP’S YEAR This includes all albums, track-equivalent albums, and on-demand audio streaming equivalent album sales. For the first time in Nielsen Music history, Hip-Hop has passed Rock to become the largest share of overall volume, with six of the 2017’s top albums coming from this genre.

On June 8th, 2017, ‘Starboy’ was certified double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for Post Malone’s ‘Stoney’

combined sales, streaming, and track sales equivalent of

debuted at number six on

two million units.

the US Billboard 200 with Future’s self titled album was released on February 17th, 2017,

58,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.

and announced only three days prior on social media.

Starboy The Weeknd

Moana O.S.TO. Various Artists

Future Future

Memories...Do Not Open The Chainsmokers

Stoney Post Malone

May 2018 15

Noname Hiding WRITTEN BY KIANA FITZGERALD

Where other female rappers have broken into the maledominated world of hip-hop by out-manning their competition, Noname flips the script, delivering soft, dense lines of poetry. In a rare conversation, I discussed with the Chicago rapper: patience, privacy, and her exceptional first solo project.

16  The Block

What were you doing at this time last year?

I wasn’t really doing anything. I was making random songs here and there. I had just moved into my apartment with two of my friends. We were getting ready to have a birthday party for me, so I remember planning for that. But in terms of music, I was pretty stagnant — not knowing where I wanted to go. I think I was doing feature verses here and there just to pay rent, but that was about it.

Your feature verses are how I got into you initially. I know there’s your verse on Mick Jenkins’s song [“Comfortable”], you’ve been on Chance’s songs, there’s a Lil B and Chance tape [Free] that you just popped up on, which was the greatest thing ever to me. I was like, How does she keep doing this? Do people come to you Yeah, usually people just hit me up. Chance and Mick, those are just the homies, so those happen more organically. I was randomly hanging out with Chance earlier that day when he ended up going to the studio to do the Lil B thing. So it was kind of like, “Oh! You’re here! Rap!” [laughs] And the other ones, I guess they had something real particular in mind. Like, “I want a female

To be frank, I’ve never heard anybody who sounds like you. Who are some of your influences?

rapper on this song, I specifically want you on this song, come

I probably got most of my inspiration from writers. I’m

to the studio.” Chicago is a pretty small-knit circle of artists that

a big Toni Morrison fan, so a lot of my writing is inspired

work together all the time.

by her writing, as well as Nina Simone. There’s a poet named Patricia Smith who’s really dope. So, more like

Noname. What does that mean for you?

novelists and poets. My mom owned a bookstore for

I try to exist without binding myself to labels. I’m not really into

like 20 years. She met my dad because he was a book

labels at all, even the way I dress; I usually don’t wear anything

distributor. It’s interesting because I was never reading

with a name brand. For me, not having a name expands my

as a kid — I hated reading until the later years of my

creativity. I’m able to do anything. Noname could potentially

high-school career. And then randomly I was like, Oh my

be a nurse, Noname could be a screenwriter. I’m not limited

God, literature is my life! [laughs]

to any one category of art or other existence, on a more existential level.

You definitely have a very literary style. You’re a storyteller. What is your writing process like?

I’m usually in the studio when I write, or at the crib.

All of Telefone was written once the music was made, or a draft of the production. I did a lot of the recording for it in L.A. in this Airbnb we rented.

There was a balcony attached, so I was writing a lot there, just outside, or in a park somewhere.

That is really tight, because it sounds like your music is very airy and open, warm and sunny — even when you’re talking about shit that is not like that at all. How much influence do you have over production?

It’s a give and pull. Usually, they will produce the record, then I’ll come back and be like, “OK, pull out the piano right here, put the drums right here” — editing, playing around with what they’ve already created. I let them creatively go crazy and then from there we find a balance, that way it still sounds like a Noname song.

Telefone sounds, front to back, just like you. I wanted to commend you because that’s not an easy thing to do. Did you reach out to any

18 The Block

new people to produce or are these the homies?

We kept everything in-house. These are

up. So, definitely not out here flossing. Very, very living within my means right now. But I’m planning to get one soon. I’m gonna get one.

people who I’ve known for the past couple years: Saba, who’s also a rapper. Phoelix, who, if you’re hearing backgrounds on any song, he’s probably a part of those harmonies. And then Cam O’bi, who’s done production with several other artists. We’re friends, we have a good relationship. I would just rather make music with artists who I have some sort of a connection with.

That way when we challenge each other,

What is it like for you to be a black woman in 2016?

Outside of all the violence and the death, take away all of the institutionalized oppression and colorism that exists — it’s fun as hell. Black women are taking over. I’m living in a time when Serena Williams is the greatest athlete in the world. Lemonade just came out and that shit was fucking fantastic. Ava DuVernay just aired her show [Queen Sugar].

Black women are going stupid right now. It’s very empowering to see. I feel good.

it’s coming from a very healthy place as opidea like, “You don’t know me, you don’t

As an artist who wants privacy, how do you take care of yourself?

know my vision!” The features, too. They’re

Stuff like this, I don’t usually do. I don’t typically do interviews.

all people who I consider the homie.

It’s just not my shit. I’m a very reserved person — even the

posed to me just turning down somebody’s

whole “Noname” thing is also about this idea of not being so

It sounds like that — like you guys are just having fun together. Whose decision was it to put Apparently Kid in the background of “All I Need”?

That actually was Saba, the record was produced like that.

That’s how I first heard it, I was like, “Yee, you went crazy!

I have to rap on this.” That was his whole idea and I kept it because it was super cute. I feel like it brings this lightheartedness to the record.

So how long did you work on Telefone?

2013 is when I started hashtagging it. Then I didn’t put anything out for like, a shit ton of years. I made “All I Need” this past winter, and that was the first record that ended up being the start of Telefone. So, maybe nine months? But there’s a lot of life and mental shit that happened within those three years that also was a part of the work, in a way.

Do you mind if I ask why you don’t have a computer?

I’m just broke — but I’m gonna get a computer! Now that Telefone is out, more money is starting to come in, slowly.

I’m not signed, I’m an independent artist. So whatever money comes in, it goes back into the brand, into making music, paying for Ubers to the studio, all of that shit adds

readily in people’s faces all the time. I’m a very in-the-cut kind of person. I typically like to be in the background. So, it’s just making sure that I figure out healthy ways to compromise. I know I can’t go and have a healthy career without doing any press or anything. At least not right now.

What advice would you give to people who listen to your music and want more from you? How can we support you?

Just being mindful that I am a person. My purpose isn’t to just churn out a bunch of music. I care about how the music sounds. I want it to be good. I hate that we live in this immediate gratification age. Our culture right now is so gimme, gimme, gimme. It’s OK to be anxious, just be understanding of the fact that we need our time to grow and learn and deal with whatever we’re dealing with personally before we can just churn out a bunch of material.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LYNDON FRENCH

"Not having a name

expands my creativity.

May 2018 19

FEELIN’ WRITTEN BY KAITLYN TIFFANY & BENJAMIN SALKIND

Brockhampton is using DIY art, raw energy, and an innate understanding of online fandom to redefine one of the most loaded terms in pop music.

SATUR

20 The Block

Top Row: Kevin Abstract, Bearface, Merlyn Wood, Jon Nunes, Dom McLennon, Robert Ontenient, Jabari Manwa, Ameer Vann Bottom Row: Joba, Romil Hemnani, Matt Champion, Kiko Merely,

RATED

“ A self-proclaimed American boy band,

MAKE A BAND? wanna make a band?” and in 2014, the high

from their music videos) all assist in the creative direction of the group by bringing each member’s

Brockhampton is actually most similar to a

school buddies originally called AliveSinceFor-

creative collective or company. The members

ever annexed a bunch of new contributors and

visions to life. Rounding out the group, you’ve got

(which hit double digits), led by their founder

rebranded as Brockhampton (the name of

4 Strikes (Chris & Kelly Clancy, Brian Washington)

Kevin Abstract, dabble in a variety of arts ranging

the street that Abstract grew up on). The group

and Jon Nunes, who all run management for

from production to photography to graphic

swelled to over 40 members at one point, before

the team. They live together in a house in North

design, although they are most well-known for

it was winnowed down — via “cuts” — to what

Hollywood that they have dubbed — completely sincerely — the Factory.

their rapid ascent as a talented group of hip-hop

it is now. They moved to Los Angeles together

artists. And even though their music is nowhere

and gave themselves the nickname “Southside

near traditional rap or R&B, the genre-mixing

One Direction.”

collective has commanded the attention of

On vocal duty you’ll catch Kevin Abstract,

They embody a set of contradictions that would have seemed impossible only five years ago: they’re dodging major labels; they plan to

the hip-hop community throughout 2017 due to

Ameer Vann, Merlyn Wood, Dom McLennon,

be pop stars. They don’t have two dimes to rub

their explosive, Odd Future-esque style and lyrics

Matt Champion and Joba as the usual faces of

together; they’ve released 11 viral music videos

that tear apart any pre-conceived notions about

Brockhampton’s music. Behind the scenes, Joba

in a year. Recently, in response to some frequent

masculinity in hip-hop.

(who also does the engineering) is joined by

questions, founder Kevin Abstract tweeted, “No

Bearface (hailing from Ireland), Romil Hemnani,

we still haven’t signed and everything comes

Kevin Abstract (born Ian Simpson) met Vann,

Twenty-one-year-old rapper and singer

and the duo Q3 (Jabari Manwa and Kiko Merely)

from us and we make all of the art in our house

Champion, Wood, and Joba in high school in

on production. Then there’s the creative crew:

with each other and kiss sometimes.” They take

Texas, and the rest of the members in a Kanye

HK, Ashlan Grey and Robert Ontenient (who fans

turns rapping over beats they make in their

West fan forum. In 2011, he posted “Anybody

will recognize as the recurring character Roberto

bedrooms; they call themselves a boy band.

22 The Block

“They live together in a house in North Hollywood that they have dubbed — completely sincerely — The Factory.”

Members of Brockhampton on set of a DIY music video, in their California home.

May 2018 23

Left to Right: Jon Nunes, Joba, Romil Hemmani, Robert Ontenient, Kevin Abstract, Bearface, Matt Champion, Merlyn Wood, Jabari Manwa, Dom McLennon

“COLLECTIVE OF FRIENDS THE BEST sometimes.” They take turns rapping over beats

address their insecurities, either fixing them

and Kevin in particular, are blowing up

they make in their bedrooms; they call them-

while collaborating on a song in the studio, or

without adhering to the traditional ideas of

selves a boy band.

sometimes throwing them straight on wax. Most

hip-hop masculinity.

This year, Brockhampton has self-released

notably, you’ll often hear Abstract addressing

There’s an obvious hunger for this kind

three albums of genre-swirling hip-hop. They

his sexuality and how he can’t come out to his

of work, and an ever-widening community of

put out their debut album Saturation in June,

family, but also spitting playful lines about giving

Tumblr fans write in appreciation every day,

Saturation II in August, and the trilogy-ending

head or the fan favorite lyric from “STAR”: “I

notes like: “Frank Ocean made straight men sing

Saturation III in December. (That’s a far wilder

don’t fuck with no white boys, unless the nigga

‘my guy pretty like a girl’ loud and proud. Kevin

pace than even the most crushing of boy band

Shawn Mendes.”

Abstract made them shout ‘I just gave my nigga

production schedules.) The songs are both party

In previous interviews, Kevin Abstract has

head.’” That’s their defining quality: a level of

and political, some sticky-sweet and adolescent

stated that he wants to be an idol for gay kids.

frankness that is neither truly aggressive nor

to the point where you actually might believe

As much as there are gay idols in pop and rock

entirely palatable. Too blunt for what we usually call a boy band, too sweet for anything else.

they’ve been recovered from a lost One Direction

music, rap culture has a long history of ho-

album — and with their every breath they’ve

mophobia. In recent years, artists like Le1f and

insisted on that title, “boy band.” Fair enough.

Angel Haze have been vocal about their sexuality

ing. When so many rappers are calling Marilyn

They’re selling out major concert halls; they’re

in their music, and Kevin is building on their

Manson their biggest influence out of nowhere

asking fans to stop trying to follow their moms

progress as part of a group of artists with varying

and wearing metal t-shirts to keep up with trends,

on Instagram. One of the most popular posts in

sexual orientations.

Brockhampton only seem all the more genuine.

the group’s Tumblr tag is “One Direction died so Brockhampton could live.”

Most hip-hop groups nowadays definitely

Brockhampton are open, honest, and refresh-

In a now deleted tweet, he explained,

Rather than creating an artificial alternative per-

“The goal is to fucking normalize this shit so if a

sona to stand out, these guys are truly standing

gay black kid wanna talk about hooking up with

up for kids that are actually different. Watching

wouldn’t pick the term “boy band” over “rap

dudes next to his homie it’s not a big deal.” It’s all

them kind of feels like waiting for the end of a

crew.” Brockhampton, conversely, are completely

about avoiding the segregation of queer artists

magic trick, or, I guess, to find out what it might

unafraid of just being a collective of friends that

from straight artists. Kevin Abstract has all the

be possible to will into being with sheer effort,

bring out the best in each other. They openly

tools to be a rap star, it’s just that Brockhampton,

insistence, and really good tweets.

24 The Block

Left to Right: Matt Champion, Kevin Abstract, Ashlan Grey, Merlyn Wood, Kiko Merley filming a music video in the band’s backyard.

May 2018 25

the

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