No one could have guessed how the members of Odd Future would so impressively mature over the years. Tyler, The Creator broke first, and it was impossible to see that all the teens in the background holding prop guns, lighting things on fire, and causing all sorts of stupid-ass mayhem in his videos each had talents of their own. Tyler, Earl Sweatshirt, Syd Tha Kyd and the Internet, Frank Ocean, Domo Genesis, and Left Brain have all blossomed into artists worth keeping tabs on to different degrees.

Now it’s Hodgy’s turn. He’s dropped the “Beats” from his name (which fits because he’s much more than just a beatsmith), and is ready to drop his debut solo LP Fireplace: TheNotTheOtherSide next month. The album boasts features from Lil Wayne, Busta Rhymes, and Salomon Faye, and production credits for BadBadNotGood, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Knxwledge, 88-Keys, and Nottz among others. Here’s the mission statement for the album:

Trade the past for a never ending story.
Trade the end for a new beginning.
Trade hatred for a better understanding.
Trade slavery for freedom.
Trade anger for artistic expression.
Trade like for eternal love.
8.

The first foray into the project is the smooth, reflective “Barbell,” which comes with a matching set of visuals. The song showcases Hodgy’s development as an artist unattached to his crew. He comes with stellar pen skills and a fully-formed persona with charismatic eccentricity as he weaves intricate rhymes in and out of some silky boom bap. As for the accompanying clip, we see him enjoying the outdoors with some catch-and-release fishing and he spits his contemplative bars with serene greenery in the background. Check it out below.

Artwork:

Tracklist:

01 “Nitro”
02 “Kundalini (feat. Salomon Faye)”
03 “Barbell”
04 “Resurrection”
05 “They Want”
06 “Final Hour” (feat. Busta Rhymes)
07 “Glory”
08 “Laguna”
09 “Turkuoise”
10 “Tape Beat” (feat. Lil Wayne)
11 “Dreaminofthinkin”
12 “The Now”
13 “DYSLM”

Fireplace: TheNotTheOtherSide is out 12/9 on Columbia. Pre-order it here.