Brockhampton's Dreams Came True

San Marcos, Texas has all the hallmarks of a sleepy American town: a library, a university, a shopping mall or two. It also happens to be the adopted birthplace of the greatest boyband on earth.

Four years ago now, a pack of young men from across the sunscorched states centred on the city, creating a musical project that – whether they knew it or not – would eventually become one of the most talked about hip-hop groups of the decade. Their name is Brockhampton, and they’re America’s strongest creative brotherhood.

From top-left, clockwise: Jon Nunes, Joba, Romil Hemnani, Kevin Abstract, Bearface, Matt Champion, Merlyn Wood, Jabari Manwa, Dom McLennon, Robert Ontenient

Since that moment, kids of the internet and hip-hop heavyweights alike have embraced them: a group that steadily rose from their humble beginnings on a Kanye West fan forum (where founding member Kevin Abstract put a call-out for musicians wanting to start a band) to tearing up Coachella and performing primetime TV. Their ascent is particularly profound thanks to Abstract’s gay identity. The 22-year-old’s lyrics are laden with allusions to the man he loves and flagrant fellatio gags, but they also dwell on the pressures of being ‘othered’ – like so many of the Brockhampton boys – by the environment he grew up in.

Now located in LA, they’ve closed the door on the past few years of hysteria (chronicled on 2017’s energetic and hookish Saturation album trilogy) and started a new chapter that sees them ruminating on sudden change: the recent removal of founding member Ameer Vann following accusations of sexual misconduct and signing a major label record deal.

Recorded at London’s Abbey Road Studios, the band’s fourth fulllength LP iridescence is a singular hip-hop record shaped by the emotions of young men occupying a scrutinising and unfamiliar spotlight. It’s complicated and incensed, experimental and sad, but after years of clambering their way to the top, Brockhampton finally know we’re listening. It’s time for everybody to take note.

Romil Hemnani

“There is a lot of freedom. I get to live with my friends and do what we want all day. Obviously in the beginning it was a struggle because we were broke and worked jobs we didn’t want to work. But we made it here, we dropped everything, we left our whole lives [behind], let’s fuckin’ go all out. Leave it all in the music. We have nothing to lose.”

Shirt and Shorts: Round Two Vintage

Kevin Abstract

“We’ve had a little bit of time to reflect on our growth instead of making a bunch of fun stuff over and over. We’re trying to find a balance between fun and maturity. It’s real life.”

Matt Champion

“Moving to San Marcos, I learned a lot about everything that year. We’d all moved in together and it was my first time moving out. Being with people made it a lot easier to make that switch. For me, I feel it was a lot of figuring out who I am – myself and musically. Having people around me who understood me that well, it was the perfect thing to happen to me.”

Jumpsuit: Dickies

Dom McLennon

“I think Brockhampton is helping people see things exactly as they are. The identity that we represent revolves around transparency and honesty and sometimes that’s really abrasive and imperfect, and sometimes it’s really beautiful and clean. I think we do a great job at capturing it all on this album.”

Sweater: Round Two Vintage

Joba

"We all support each other. Growing up in therapy and having mental health issues – someone’s gonna come with just as much vulnerability and stand beside me on stage, so I don’t have to be the only one being honest about shit. We’re celebrating high moments, it goes hand in hand. We’re celebrating together.”

Jabari Manwa

“Before I’d even decided to be a music producer, it was just in me to write a lot of melodies and riddims. Now, it feels like I’m living a dream, everyday. I’m making money with my friends and I’m making music that impacts people. It’s everything I always wanted to do.”

Bearface

“We’d never met before, we all knew each other from the internet, and then we all met each other and now we’re best friends and live together. It’s genuine friendship. And it’s possible for this to happen again. There are kids who are meeting on subreddit, Twitter, group chats – kids are already inspired to start their own group.”

Sweater: Nike

Merlyn Wood

“My time in Ghana completely flipped my perspective on music. Because people in the country are much more involved in enjoying and creating music, it permeated through the culture everywhere. I learned that that’s what I want to do with my life – provide people with joy through music.”

Introduction: Douglas Greenwood | Photography: Damien Maloney | Styling: Ashley Guerzon | Studio: Forge LA