OFWGKTA's Taco: "At the End of the Day, Nobody Really Believed in Us"

OFWGKTA fans are well familiar with frontman Tyler the Creator, smooth crooner Frank Ocean, word murderer Earl Sweatshirt, etc., but there's one Odd Future character who's always defied explanation.

Who the fuck is this kid Taco, and what does he even do?

Taco admits he didn't do much of anything those first years of breaking stardom, but now, he's a grown-ass man. He's 19, only for a couple more months, mind you, and he made enough money from Adult Swim's Loiter Squad to pay his car note and his parents' bills.

Now, he pulls his weight as the official tour DJ for both Tyler and Earl, and in preparation of the shit-show Tyler and Taco are bringing to Revolution on Wednesday, we spoke with the youngest OF member about old people, following your dreams, and growing up (sort of).

See also: Five Reasons Tyler the Creator Is a Sophomoric Genius

You're doing super well for yourselves, and deservedly so. When you guys were growing up, were there teachers or adults in your life that would tell you that you were fucking up and to get your shit together?

Of course. At the end of the day, nobody really believed in us. The people who believed in us are the people who are still with us, and the people who didn't got left behind.

Recently, I was going to pick up my friend Julian from his school, and I drove by my middle school and was like, "I'm going to go say hi to my teachers." None of the teachers know who the fuck I am. Everybody's like, "I don't remember you." It's a group of kids following me, and then I go to one teacher's room and he's like, "Who are you?" I'm like, "You don't remember me?" He's like, "No," I was like, "You remember Justin Tremain?" "Yeah, of course; who doesn't?" I'm like, "I was in that class." He's like, "What's your name?" and I was like "Travis." He's like, "No, don't remember." Then, another teacher walked up who was one of my favorite teachers, and she called me Trayvon. I was like, "Nope, not that one." Then she tried some other name that didn't even sound like my name, and then I was like, "No, Travis," and she's like, "Yeah, Syd's little brother." And then he was like, "Holy shit!" in front of a bunch of kids. He's like, "What the hell?" Then this kid goes, "He's famous! You don't know?" And he's like "What do you do?" And I said "I'm in a group?" He said, "What?" I said, "Odd Future." He was like, "You're in Odd Future?" He kept repeating it. It was tight.

The best part of the story is, I saw another teacher named Mrs. Garret who was the coolest teacher when I was younger and loved me when I was in fuckin' eighth grade. I saw her, and she was like, "Travis, wow, how are you doing?" I was like, "Great." She was like, "How's everything? Are you done with high school?" I said, "Actually, I dropped out of high school, but I made a living. I'm good." She said something about how I'm living and what I'm doing with my money, and I was like, "I'm good, I'm really just paying for bills for my parents and stuff because I like to be generous," and then she said a fucking comment that pissed me off. She was like, "Your parents should be responsible enough to take care of themselves." I was like, "I can't just give them money because I want to give them money because they birthed me, you asshole?" Like, bitch, leave me alone!

At what point when you guys were coming up did you turn from just having fun to thinking it could be something serious?

I don't take shit serious, one, and it was never a question to us. It was always like, we're going to do this, and we're going to get money, and we're going to be rich rappers. For me, it was more like, "Ima just sit here and do whatever the fuck I want to do and smile," and that's how it worked.

On the first tour, I went on the road and didn't do anything. I performed "Bitch Suck Dick" and then would sit my black ass down and watch the show with Clancy, and I loved it! I fucking loved it. I wish I could still do that. I wish I could sit on the stage, not get paid a dollar, go out just 'cause Tyler paid for me to go out and just go sit around and eat food. I had money from the TV show (Loiter Squad), but Adult Swim pays for all my flights and my hotel. Then we'd get on the bus, and I'd be bottom of the totem pole again -- back to being the bitch, the little brother of everyone. That's how I am around here: I'm just the little brother to every single person, no matter how short or tall they are.

Our generation gets a lot of flak for being lazy and superentitled. People told us we could do whatever we wanted when we grew up, so now we're supposedly a bunch of spoiled brats. But you guys are the proof of concept that you should just do what you want, because you never know what's going to happen.

Yeah! I mean, follow your fuckin' dreams because to be honest, as crazy as this might sound, I might actually regret this statement: I'd rather be happy and broke than rich -- nah, I don't think so, actually. I can't fully say it and back that quote, because then I'll feel like shit if I'm broke and not happy in like 25 years. Like, "Oh, I remember that one time you said that," and I'll be like, "Fuck you." I would totally off myself.

We're spoiled, yeah, but we're not spoiled at the same time. [Older generations] lived through the Depression, whatever the fuck. Bitch, we don't have to live like that no more! We all good. I hate when people say shit like, "Oh, well, we had to walk." Well, nigga, we have cars. Fuckin' suck one. Like, really? Honestly? One, I don't care if you walked; those aren't my feet. I'd much rather drive. It's what I like. I have a nice car. Why wouldn't I drive? Fuck you, old people.

Besides DJ'ing for Tyler and Earl, do you have any future plans?

I said I was going to release mixes last year. I didn't. I probably will this year at some point in time. I did make one for Valentine's Day. I fully made it, finished it, and then did not release it. I was nervous, to be honest, I didn't want it to suck. But I guess I have to be a grown man and just stop being a pussy.

Tyler the Creator, Wednesday, at Revolution Live,100 SW Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale. The show starts at 7:30 p.m., and tickets cost $28 to $32 plus fees via ticketmaster.com. Call 954-449-1025, or visit jointherevolution.net.

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