UPDATE: "Albino" Responds. Odd Future Update: Tyler Takes On Steve "Albino," OFWGKTA Rep Responds

Odd Future's leader, Tyler Okonma, aka "Tyler the Creator" (photo via myspace)

Steve Albini's critical, thought-provoking words about equally thought-provoking rap group Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA) is still getting attention. Here's an update, including a rebuttal from Odd Future press rep Healthcliff Barru and a tweet from Tyler, The Creator.

Albini's post about the collective's alleged rude behavior was compelling, both in terms of a narrative describing what reportedly happened and as a critique/defense of "ugly art." However, seeing as there can be multiple sides to every story, we reached out to Healthcliff Berru, who represents Odd Future, for comment.

At 3:36 AM CST Wednesday morning, Berru responded, saying he was a fan of Albini's, and didn't realize that he was on the Barcelona shuttle bus. Berru says he was nursing a head injury from stage diving at a show the night before, while also handling the roles of DJ, publicist and tour manager.

His take on the encounter? "Albini is exaggerating a bit. The kids were just messing around," Berru wrote in an email. "They were joking the entire time and Albini never picked up on it!"

Which, fair enough. But the issue isn't whether Albini picked up on the joking, but if the bus driver that OF allegedly swore at, or any other passengers who OF reportedly mistreated, picked up on it.

The whole point of Albini's post was that Odd Future was being horrible to everyone -- allegedly.

I wrote back to Berru with more questions -- and got more answers.

Here's a text of Berru's response:

... Tyler never harassed the driver ... i was sitting up there in the passenger seat next to him. they may have asked for Mcdonalds once but i told them we were late and we kept it moving. i also never heard anyone drop racial slurs in that manner. it was 5 or 6am. we were all tired and grumpy and i think Albini was also salty that they had to wait on us to get into the ride. ... flipping birds to a female passenger doesn't make any sense either! it's a cool story though bro!

No mentioning of the pot/pipe, but the plot here is thickening, isn't it? Meanwhile, OF leader Tyler Comma The Creator issued his own rebuttal to Albini's post on his prolific Twitter account, and well, yeah, here you go:

Unless "Albino" further writes about this encounter -- and its doubtful he will, considering he probably has better uses of his time -- this is likely the last of the "he said, he said" back-and-forth between these two provocateurs.

But just in case it isn't? Ya'll know where to reach us. We've also emailed the Electrical Audio info account at 2:00 pm to see if Albini wanted to further clarify or give a rebuttal on Berru's and Tyler's accounts. We'll update post-haste if and when a response is given.

Here's the post that started it all, and my take on Albini's words.

*Interesting side note: Pitchfork, whose longform article about the Odd Future collective arguably launched them into popular consciousness, has yet to write a single word about any this, as of 2:07 PM CST Wednesday.

Update: Steve "Albino" Albini responded to my email, saying "I'm not exaggerating anything." As far as everything else about Healthcliff Berru wrote to us?

Well, he's just plain lying here. He was obviously through with the whole ordeal by the time he got on the shuttle, and I wouldn't blame him for shutting down/tuning out, but he would have had to have been in a different vehicle not to have "heard" that shit. What I wrote is what I remembered happening. Sorry. His twitter yesterday said as much, and I posted a quote from it on the electrical thread.
Also, it's not a big deal. I was annoyed by some kids acting like grade-A assholes once when I was tired, big whoop. I didn't say anything about it for quite some time, and did so on a forum discussion, not in an article or critical piece. It was a conversation about Odd Future, and I had an anecdote. On the electrical forum somebody mentioned that I probably would have been equally annoyed by the Sex Pistols in their youth, and that sounds about right.

For what it's worth, that dude's voice is really cool, and they seem to be enjoying the ride. I didn't enjoy being around them, but that's hardly newsworthy.

And there you have it.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@chicagoist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jon Graef in Arts & Events on August 10, 2011 2:40 PM

Comments [rss]

Francis

I love Albini and his music, and his writing here is his usual perceptive/smartass awesomeness, but let's not forget this is the same guy who said the Pixies in their heyday "at their top-dollar best are blandly entertaining college rock," then admitted years later he was just more or less being a crank. He expresses instant strong opinions. Which is of course why he rocks, but is also why he wouldn't be my first choice for the role of Measured Impartial Judge.

Joe

Tylers best response was, "...and whats good with rapeman?"

ElvisStojko

I don't see anything wrong with blogging about this whole situation. If I hadn't seen Hopper tweet it I probably would have found out about it from Chicagoist, and I thought Albini's message board post was an interesting read. Furthermore, I enjoyed hearing the other side of the story and Albini's reply via Chicagoist. Why the hate?

jongraef

So this is apparently a recording of Odd Future on the Barcelona shuttle, which emerged from The Album Leaf: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/334783...

Kaonashi

"It's a cool story though bro!"

My thoughts exactly. This is quickly becoming "he-said-she-said-they said" mess, and the truth is hidden somewhere in the middle. I don't think these kids were being angels on the bus, but I don't think it was as bad as Albini stated.

arizonabay88

Yeah, an email address is really comparable to lazy ass journalism. You hit it out of the park. It's okay, though, everyone else retweets, and reposts, so why shouldn't you?

jongraef

Yep. Because contacting the people involved is lazy-ass journalism. Offering commentary is lazy-ass journalism. Posting their original answers is lazy journalism. Stay in your closet, you anonymous twatwaffle. You are obviously intellectually lazy -- something your idol despised. But I love your work on Rescue Me! Too bad you had to steal jokes!

ChicagoD

Twatwaffle. You know, for what is essentially a food and entertainment blog, I don't see a list of the best twatwaffles in Chicago . . .

jongraef

You know, I think there are some amazing chicken and twatwaffles places in Chatham and Bronzeville. We really ought to cover that beat more.

Kaonashi

You should really check out the Blue Waffles in Lincoln Park; I've heard they're divine!

arizonabay88

It's really cool to lurk on message boards and take shit off of them to write a fantastic piece of journalism.

jongraef

Actually, I saw this through a friend of mine, and if I'm guilty of it, then many other media outlets who've written about it are too. Also, is someone ripping off Bill Hicks really accusing me of mediocrity? Denis Leary, is that you?

slatsg

but the plot here is thickening, isn't it?

No, actually it isn't. If anything the plot may have farted but it has now evaporated. This is a non-story, like when Anthony got yelled at by the Great Grant Achatz. Jon Graef went to Electrical Audio's message board and pulled a juicy quote from Albini! Now a response from the Twitterverse! Worlds collide!

Six music nerds care.

Here's the post that started it all ...

(gag)

b_hack

I don't know, I thought the original commentary by Albini that started it all was a pretty smart statement on the connection between an artist's personality and his or her art. This little drama is an awesome match of sarcastic and clever personalities from different generations. Back in the Big Black and Rapeman days Albini came across as a nihilistic jerk with a dark sense of humor who wrote awesome songs that offended a lot of people. Listen to some of Tyler the Creator's tunes and tell me you don't see some similarities in the personality that comes through in his music. TTC takes the offensive element to a more extreme level, but I think one could argue that the ante for what we consider offensive is always being upped by newer generations.

This may not win a fucking Pulitzer, but I've found it pretty fun to follow the past couple days and it got me to listen to the Odd Future stuff more closely and realize that Tyler the Creator can write some amazing shit.

jongraef

Glad you got something out of this, and thanks for reading.

jongraef

I'm guessing you're not going to like the next update on this.

slickpoetry

I like the idea of a plot farting.

jongraef

It's like the movie within Idiocracy, "Ass." Winner of best screenplay, wouldn't you know.

Joshua Wentz

Having been on a shuttle bus in Barcelona with random American teens in the recent past, I can't say that any of their behaviour is surprising. Pointless and rude, certainly - and I have no doubt that Albini's version of events is the more accurate account.

I can't really tell why people are getting so worked up (on both postive and negative sides) about what a bunch of 19-20 year old kids are saying. I hope nobody judges me based on anything I thought or said at that age. I'm glad nobody was paying attention.

If Ices Cube & T have taught us anything, it is that caustic rap artists, like the rest of us, grow up and get over it.