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album review | HIP-HOP

Odd Future, ‘Odd Future Tape Vol. 2’

There was perhaps nothing worse that could have happened to Odd Future than becoming famous, which they accomplished in spectacular fashion over the past year. For a group that staked its reputation on subversive DIY marketing and avant-garde debauchery, the sight of a giddy Tyler, the Creator accepting an MTV Award for best new artist signaled that the group had broken through from the Internet underground. But on “The Odd Future Tape Vol. 2,’’ the group isn’t letting go so easily. Tyler and the crew pick up where they left off before the hype: “NY (Ned Flander)’’ has Hodgy Beats playing off Tyler’s paranoid keys with gleefully sadistic imagery (“I send your wife dead photos of you taken by Satan’’), while Tyler brags about taking “male enhancement’’ pills on the jarring wobble of “Rella.’’ The 18-track showcase is expectedly disjointed, featuring next-up acts Frank Ocean and Domo Genesis. Even though the album produces only a handful of great moments - Earl Sweatshirt’s presence is still sorely missed - there’s relief in knowing that everything remains raw. (Out Tuesday)

ESSENTIAL “Analog 2’’

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