Unknown to many, an Odd Future member not named Tyler the Creator has released an album.
Domo Genesism, a 25-year-old out of Los Angeles, gained popularity in 2009 when he dropped out of Arizona State University and joined rap collective Odd Future. Since then, he has released five mixtapes — all to mild success.
But his debut album, Genesis, just may be the start of his journey to the next level.
Like his fellow Odd Future member, Tyler the Creator, it is difficult to assign Domo Genesis to a rap sub-genre because all of his music is so different.
“Awkward Groove” features a very slow, calm instrumental with lyrics displaying self-confidence, while “Questions” is a high energy, urgent song about questioning himself.
But Odd Future influence is solid in nearly half his tracks. “Wanderer,” “My Own” and “Go (Gas)” could all arguably be taken directly from Tyler the Creator’s album Wolf.
But this doesn’t make Domo Genesis unoriginal. It is tough to avoid similar sounding music when someone is constantly recording with that person.
While Domo Genesis’ flow on the album gets repetitive at times, there are certainly redeeming moments. One can be found in “Coming Back,” where Domo Genesis trades his signature smooth voice for an uneven, almost mid-pubescent sounding voice — and it’s actually very refreshing.
One of the best songs is “Dapper,” a dance club/groovy track. Anderson .Paak injects high energy into the beginning of the song, followed by a calm Domo Genesis. The low/high contrast fits perfectly over the quick instrumental, making this track by far the brightest spot on the album.
Lyrically, Genesis is nothing spectacular. One can expect Domo Genesis to speak about his shaky past, visions for the future and living in the present, while both questioning and affirming his goals. It can be a bit confusing at times, but it makes sense coming from a mildly famous rapper fighting to make it big — he can’t be sure of anything.
While it is difficult to distinguish between some tracks and others seem to come from completely different albums, the best moments on Genesis are good enough to prove Domo Genesis has what it takes to be successful in the future.
But until he finds his niche that strikes a chord in the rap community, he’s probably best suited keeping his albums diverse.