7.13.23

Video: Father – “So Awful ENT“

The Underground Hero and Awful Records Founder Re-Embraces the Label He Built in the Latest Video from HU$BAND 2 EP

Critical Praise:

“He reminds us that with good ideas and confidence in your own vision, you don’t need to play by any rules but your own.” – Pitchfork

“His flows are more versatile, his beats more lopsided and his sample-digging deeper, but Father’s lyrical threats and punchlines are as explicit and toxic as ever.” – Washington Post

“There’s never a dull moment with Father.” – i-D

“His lyrics melt into the beat to create a new melody in the foreground, creating a dizzying high.” – NME

The Announcement:

Father founded Awful Records in the early 2010s, giving a home and identity to a group of talented misfits in his hometown Atlanta scene and changing the face of the rap game in the process. Re-embracing the label he founded as a father embraces a prodigal son, Father shares “So Awful ENT,” a new video for the new Awful Records anthem from his recently released HU$BAND 2 EP.

Produced by Father’s longtime collaborator MeltyCannon, “So Awful ENT” is supremely chill, as Father works a laid back flow over floating guitar notes and a gently rollicking drumbeat, giving way to indie rock-inspired interludes that sparkle like VVS diamonds. Though the mood is mellow, Father is serious about his chosen family, stunting on their shine and casting doubt on followers and hangers-on, even as he pays tribute to another offbeat Atlanta native: “I’m a snake like a thug like a S/Only built for the links like a chef/YSL on my chest like a Jeff.”

In the video, Father relaxes at his fortress of solitude in a picturesque, winter wonderland, worlds away from the austere environment showcased in his recent video for “Oxenfree.” Directed by Father himself, the video has the serene look of a pastel-tinted snowglobe, befitting the music’s floating, transporting vibe.

Father explains the meaning behind “So Awful ENT”: “After leaving RCA and the team behind–the label deciding to part ways and pursue other endeavors during the pandemic–I was sort’ve at a loss what to do with Awful Records. I sort of shunned Awful for a bit, and really didn’t want to associate with what it’d become. I was on the verge of going scorched earth and killing it with fire, but I grew a soft spot. Like…it’s my baby, and you don’t kill your children. So this serves as a rallying cry and a call to arms.”

“So Awful ENT” kicks off Father’s HU$BAND 2 EP, which dropped last week. Returning to the gently melodic sound he pioneered with his 2019 HU$BAND EP, the upcoming sequel is an absorbing and hypnotic listen, as Father waxes poetic over production that borrows from jazz, trip-hop, and more. The EP is home to the lead single “Oxenfree,” praised by The FADER, and “Vodka Me Down,“ a spiritual sequel to “Vodka On The Weekend,” Father’s 2014 collaboration with ILoveMakonnen, among other highlights. The 6-track EP is available on all platforms via Awful Ent. / Too Lost.

Father plans to hit the road this summer for a short, 4-date tour. Starting this week, the tour makes stops in Brooklyn, Chicago, Atlanta, and Columbus. See details below.

With HU$BAND 2, Father continues to make the music that he loves, taking the first step toward re-forming his Awful collective and setting an example for all DIY artists to follow. Stay tuned for more music, and more videos, as the year moves along.

Watch “So Awful ENT”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6JiE_QMrko

Stream HU$BAND 2: https://too.fm/jm6nqjj

Watch “oxenfree”: https://youtu.be/ECIQ-3dvTzA

HU$BAND 2 tracklist:

So Awful ENT
Oxenfree
Spooktified
Tax The Church
Vodka Me Down
Sanctuary

Father Tour Dates
7/14 Chicago, IL – Subterranean
7/15 Columbus, OH – A&R Music Bar
7/18 Brooklyn, NY – The Rooftop @ Elsewhere
7/21 Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade

Photo credit: Bobby Palmer

Please contact Michelle or Kevin for more info.

The Background:

A seismic figure in the rap underground, Father’s alternative Atlanta rap ecosystem helped foster some of the most exciting artists and memorable music of the past decade. Father established himself as a crucial, idiosyncratic voice, following his muse wherever it would take him and maintaining an undeniable magnetism that drew fans into his world–”Look At Wrist” ft. ILoveMakonnen & Key! and albums like Young Hot Ebony busted down seemingly insurmountable bridges between the oddball underground and trap mainstream. He founded Awful Records in the early 2010s, creating a community of unconventional artists, including artists like Makonnen, Playboi Carti, Abra, and more, and ushering them into the broader consciousness. Awful Records signed a distribution deal with RCA in 2018, leading to acclaimed projects like Awful Swim and the original HU$BAND.

During the pandemic, Father took the time to dwell on the most important things in life–he fulfilled his destiny by becoming a biological father, settling down in atlanta with his new family. He returned to his DIY roots, releasing 2020 project Come Outside, We Not Gone Jump You as an independent artist, and sharing the buzzworthy single “Let’s Kick His Ass” ft. Zack Fox & Archibald Slim in 2021. Last summer, Father released Young Hot Ebony 2, the sequel to his 2014 breakthrough project. Father’s new EP, HU$BAND 2, is out now.

Links:

“So Awful ENT”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6JiE_QMrko

HU$BAND 2: https://too.fm/jm6nqjj

“oxenfree”: https://too.fm/1dlnd75 / https://youtu.be/ECIQ-3dvTzA