A hometown runaway. A Ghanan University of Texas dropout. An ex-drug dealer. These are just a few of the unorthodox characters featured in Alternative Hip-hop collective and self-referential “boyband” Brockhampton, and they are coming for the music industry with no holds barred and no societal norms to hold them back. With lyrics pertaining to their painful past, unique lifestyles and homosexuality, something not often seen in hip-hop, they are taking the internet by storm and continue to rise in popularity with the defense of their cult following.

Nowadays, they are on tour after their release of their album SATURATION II, a sequel to SATURATION, both released very soon after another, with SATURATION III on the way. As their tour bus brought them to Dallas, I had a chance to cop a ticket to see the self-proclaimed “greatest boyband in the world” in their native state and meet them after the concert. The show was incredible, and I can say with confidence I have never seen anything like it. Each member’s stage presence was impeccable, especially for a relatively new group. They bounced up and off the stage, all singing and rapping their verses to completion with no backing track cop-out seen in most rap concerts today. With their graphic/production designer Henock Sileshi at their belt, the lighting was worked seamlessly into the music and made each and every track more immersive. I truly felt like I was part of something new, exciting and surreal.

After the show, meeting Brockhampton was an even more surreal experience. Having been to several concerts myself, I expected interacting with them in person would not be that much of a memorable experience, as most artists tend to be reclusive at meet and greets and shy away from any real conversation. However, this was not the case. I shook every hand of every member, and spoke to all of them about what they did that I loved. They all seemed so grateful of my compliments, and several of them even complimented my shirt. Having that experience with some of my favorite artists was truly rewarding, and I know my expectations will be set quite high the next time I have the chance to meet an artist.

Brockhampton is held together by 17 total members, with most hailing from the Woodlands, Texas. The group contains seven vocalists, with the rest involved in production, web design, graphic design and more. Their leader, forming the base of the group on the music forum “KanyeToThe,” is Ian Simpson, better known as Kevin Abstract. His rising popularity as a solo artist, endorsed by industry genius Tyler, The Creator, brought most of the attention to Brockhampton.

With their creative grind still in motion even while they are on the road and their no-boundaries, always honest lyricism, the boyband could soon be one of the most revolutionary groups to form out of hip-hop in this generation.