Tyler, The Creator Blackface Merch Sparks Odd Future Backlash

Turmoil in the Odd Future camp, with OFWGKTA alumni Syd Tha Kyd and Matt Martians, who perform together in the band The Internet as well as maintaining side-projects, hitting out at OF leader Tyler, The Creator for racial insensitivity.

Syd and Matt are taking the notoriously iconoclastic and insurrectionary Tyler to task for some of the merch being sold by Tyler’s clothing label Golf Wang, almost all of which the prolific 22-year-old artist designs himself. In particular, Tyler’s former next door neighbour Syd and pal Matt are calling him out for some racially insensitive merchandise, which prominently features a stereotypical blackface or “darky” image.

Reddit user ReconEG posted screen grabs of the barbs exchanged between Tyler, Syd and Matt, which began with Syd expressing concern regarding white fans wearing the offending garb, tweeting “All these white kids wearing blackface hats n shit n don’t even know what it is, but wanna tell us it isn’t that serious. It is.”

Matt retweeted Syd’s message and continued with his own sentiments, stating “Smacking the shit out if any white dude wearing that Golf “blackface” shit. On site. Don’t care who designed it. Some shit is just too far.” The normally placid Syd said her main concern was the ignorance that such merchandise could foster, tweeting “Desensitizing is one thing. But when you don’t educate your followers on what it even is, it becomes a problem.”

It appears that Tyler Gregory Okonma a.k.a. Tyler, The Creator didn’t take kindly to the dissent in his ranks, with the young rapper soon launching into an argument with both Syd and Matt over the perceived slight, revealing a possible fracture in the group.

Readers can see the screen captures of the exchanges below, which culminated with Syd dispelling a myth about the ties between the group’s members, tweeting “We are not close. Biggest misconception about odd future is that we are close.”

The argument also had The Jet Age of Tomorrow member Matt Martians goading Tyler, who communicated via his private account, to “drop us,” presumably from the Odd Future label, and indicating ungratefulness on Tyler’s part, stating “We see the backhand shit u do to Syd” and “and u used syd studio to record the albums?” Martians later deleted his tweets.

Syd likewise dared Tyler to remove her from the collective, tweeting “Tyler kick us out then” and “take the checks bruh.” It seems the argument has been resolved though, not long after the defiant tweets, Syd stated “we good man” and today took to Twitter to assure fans “Odd Future is a family.” While Martians stated simply “Arguing with your good friends is some funny shit haha.”

Odd Future “Blackface” Merch

All these white kids wearing blackface hats n shit n don't even know what it is, but wanna tell us it isn't that serious. It is.

— the internet (@intanetz) September 21, 2013

Desensitizing is one thing. But when you don't educate your followers on what it even is, it becomes a problem. Too far.

— the internet (@intanetz) September 21, 2013

Not mad at anyone. Just some things I guess I'll never understand. That's all I'll say about it.

— the internet (@intanetz) September 21, 2013

But real quick, google blackface. Do some research. Get educated. Because if Matt sees you in the hat and you don't know what it means….

— the internet (@intanetz) September 21, 2013

@No_Fuck_You @TheSuper3 Matt and I.

— the internet (@intanetz) September 21, 2013

@fasteddie119 I believe it's a golf wang hat. With a blackface on it.

— the internet (@intanetz) September 21, 2013

@tripsixx_ @TheSuper3 bruh it's Tyler's hat. On his own line. And he knows how we feel about it.

— the internet (@intanetz) September 21, 2013

@Betty_white00 that's the problem. No one thinks it's a big deal because they don't know. The person who made the shit isn't educating them.

— the internet (@intanetz) September 21, 2013

@Jetlife_fool we are not close. Biggest misconception about odd future is that we are close.

— the internet (@intanetz) September 21, 2013

@benakt we aren't blaming the kids. It's the creator.

— the internet (@intanetz) September 21, 2013

@mike_madden_ @benakt @TheSuper3 that isn't what we're doing. We're encouraging you all to educate yourselves on what you're wearing.

— the internet (@intanetz) September 21, 2013