There is no other group in the music industry that even vaguely resembles Brockhampton. At their core, they’re a rap group, but with fourteen official members ranging from MCs, to producers, to web designers, Brockhampton has essentially transcended into an artistic movement that just happens to be based around making hip hop.

Eight years ago, the self-proclaimed “boy band” (who lived in different places across the US- and for some, the world) connected on an online Kanye West forum, after a post from founding member Kevin Abstract. Abstract asked if anyone wanted to be in a band, and over thirty people replied. The group began sharing tracks they had been working on, and eventually, in 2014, they packed up and moved into a house in LA together.

This, of course, was a huge risk considering how hard it is to make it in the music industry- especially when they went in cold with no connections or professional experience. But a lot of the members had nothing to lose. Most of them were broke, depressed and searching for an outlet, so throwing everything they had left at a possible music career seemed like the best idea they had.

 

 

After three years of writing and collaboration in California, Brockhampton dropped their first official album titled “SATURATION,” which was the first of a trilogy of albums to drop in 2017. SATURATION was met with warm reception and helped the group build a solid following. The subsequent releases (SATURATION II and SATURATION III) saw even greater success. By the time 2018 came around, Brockhampton was one of the hottest new groups in rap, which led to their eventual signing by RCA.

This past summer the group went through a bit of a rough patch when member Ameer Vann was accused of sexual misconduct. They ended up removing Vann from the group and had to cancel their fourth album, PUPPY, which was set to be released in June. They spent July and August recording and writing new songs, but it wasn’t until August when they shacked up at Abby Road studios in London for ten days when they finally completed an album.

 

 

The new album, titled iridescence, shows Brockhampton at their most experimental and abrasive, yet it is their most vulnerable album as well. The lyrics and themes are clearly inspired by the falling out with Ameer Vann, but they still cover aspects of each member’s personal lives such as Kevin Abstract’s homosexuality and Joba’s depression. The album is more consistent and mature than anything they’ve done in the past, and it cements Brockhampton as one of the greatest artists of this decade.

Rags to riches has always been a common theme in the rap industry, particularly with acts like Jay Z, N.W.A, Biggie and so many more. These days, however, a lot of acts seem to gain popularity through industry connections and viral “SoundCloud” hits, so it’s refreshing to see a group of fourteen guys following the pattern of their greatest influences. And maybe that’s part of the reason they’ve been so successful- everyone loves a Cinderella story, plus it doesn’t hurt that they make fantastic music.

 

© Hank Michels, 2018