How Earthgang Fought the Algorithm and Won

The Atlanta duo Earthgang released their latest album, Perfect Fantasy, on Oct. 29. A Tuesday. Ever since Beyoncé’s self-titled album surprise-dropped in 2013, the music industry had designated Friday as album-release day. Hence, the prevalence of Friday drops today. But Earthgang say they’re no longer interested in joining the bloated horde of pre-weekend drops. “Our thing is Earthgang vs. the Algorithm, and the algorithm is getting out of hand, man. It’s making people do all of these things on this platform for this reason,” Olu says. “And it’s like, why is everybody being forced to make these same decisions? Who’s deciding this? Why not [drop on a Tuesday]? We can drop music whenever we want.”

Earthgang vs. the Algorithm is a series of projects meant to examine our thirst to placate the algorithm. Last September, they dropped RIP Human Art, which Olu says was an exploration of AI’s potential to deplete our workforce — including creators. In February, they followed up with Robophobia, which Olu says asks, “How are we going to be able to use our creativity and not try to fight against this thing, but to outsmart it in a way that works for us?” 

Perfect Fantasy is the culmination of their trilogy. It contains songs from both projects as well as fresh tracks such as “Love U More” (with T-Pain) and “U Gotta” (with Pharrell Williams). The bulk of the project was recorded during quarantine, a time both men say was revelatory for them, specifically in regard to their relationships. Those qualms take shape on “Red Flag,” where WowGr8 rhymes “Second date, what’s your bank account? Red flag/I’m like, why these the questions that we even fuckin’ ask?” Wow’s pensive bars and Southern-fried delivery coalesce well with Olu’s more melodic approach. The guys say that releasing both EPs and then rolling them into Perfect Fantasy allowed their listeners to digest their music easier than one 18-song project would.  

The figurative setting of the project, developed by the group’s brand-development studio, Satin Heart, is “Tokyolanta.” The fantastic locale is a fusion of their Peach State hometown and Tokyo, a city that the guys laud for being one of the world’s most futuristic. It’s where they filmed the video for the Williams-featured “U Gotta.” The legendary producer joins Snoop Dogg, Imagine Dragons, Gorillaz, and Cochise as prominent Perfect Fantasy features.

Earthgang talked to us about crafting their latest album, modern technology, and filming a music video in the streets of Tokyo.

How did you initially come up with the Earthgang vs. the Algorithm idea, and what entailed the idea to break it up over multiple projects?
WowGr8: I think what was said earlier, the point of having the project deconstructed was to deliver differently, to give the fans time to digest it. We didn’t want to come out of nowhere, drop a big project and then say [bye]. The way these streaming services [are], they cater more to singles. So if we dropped a big project, there’s a chance that a lot of the music would get unheard or not even get a chance to be fully appreciated by anybody who isn’t super gung-ho about Earthgang.

So I think by deconstructing it and putting out a little bit and then showing the full picture, that was a risk because I was scared that people were going to say, “Man, y’all bullshitted us with this album, y’all didn’t give us no food.” But now people are like, “I get it now. I didn’t get a chance to really hear ‘Blacklight’ before, and now I’m putting it all together as one project.” It’s getting people a chance to absorb it differently.

What are the predominant themes of each EP?
Olu: The first EP is called RIP Human Art, which was the space everybody was in. They were like, “Oh no, what’s going to happen? The robots are coming. They’re going to replace all of us. They’re going to replace the producers.” And I remember one time there was this AI Black artist that was [using] a Black kid’s voice and style, and one of the labels was using it and they was like, “We can’t use this because we’re basically being culture vultures.” So it was like, OK, will the artist be replaced? 

The second theme is Robophobia, where it’s like, “OK, we realize these things are here. How are we going to be able to work with it? How are we going to be able to use our creativity and not try to fight against this thing, but outsmart it in a way that works for us?” And then lastly is Perfect Fantasy, where you develop a symbiotic nature with computers and technology. In the perfect world, we use computers, we use technology to facilitate making the human experience better, and not to replace the human experience. The issue comes when we try to create robots to do what humans do rather than make human life better. 

So what we wanted to do with the music overall, especially with Perfect Fantasy, is create a world where we are not following these rigid rules as to how our creativity is supposed to exist, or we’re not replacing the essence of our creativity to fit in. I think the reception has been very well, the music sounds different, the idea to put all these projects together and to deliver it in a different way, people have been appreciating that. And these were our ideas of “Let’s go against the grain real quick instead of just falling in line like another robot.”

What was it like filming the “U Gotta” video? It looked like y’all were just in downtown Tokyo, having fun. What were the vibes?
WowGr8: It was a lot of fun.

Olu: Yeah, it literally was that. It’s crazy because the scene where we outside and the Black girls pull up, those were some of our fans from Atlanta that we happened to see in an arcade. I got on the elevator and it came down, they was like, “Damn, Earthgang, what the fuck y’all doing over?” [I said], “We shooting this video.” She got off the elevator, went and got her friends, and then next thing you know they pulled up. It’s a serendipitous moment right there where it’s like, damn we got fans from Atlanta that’s in the Japan video with us.

When y’all were filming, was it a bunch of people crowding around watching y’all?
WowGr8: Yes.

Olu: Definitely, bro.

WowGr8: We stuck out so much. There definitely was a lot of people watching. At one point, the police came and asked us what we doing, and they, I guess, told us to move on about our day. But a lot of people were watching the video being shot downtown the whole time. We probably shot for 14 or 15 hours, too, so it’s all day throughout different parts. They got five or six Times Square-looking corners, so we just hitting multiple of those. We doing the go-kart, we doing everything, and partied afterward. It was a long day.

So, over the span of time creating the songs and the other projects that melded into this album, where would you say most of that was recorded?
WowGr8: This project? I would say a lot of it was recorded in Atlanta. A great deal of it was recorded in the pandemic. These are some real deep pandemic thoughts, especially “Red Flag” and songs like that. These was made while everybody had time to sit down and reflect

What would you say were some of your biggest breakthroughs in that quarantine period?
WowGr8: Man, I had some big reflections on relationships in all senses, romantic, platonic. In general respect, human respect, human decency. I had a lot of that. And that’s a big thing that we experienced a lot in Japan. The way people treat each other is generally pretty decent over there. But over here, being in America, being in the States in the pandemic, I had a lot of time to think about all the relationships with the people I was with and why was I in them. “Why am I friends with this person? Are we actually friends? Have they called me during this time period? Do we care about each other, or what’s this all for?”

We have a lot of different reasons to be friends in the world today. We got social media, and people do stuff for clout and business advancements and yada yada yada. And so I had to consider all those things. The girls I was dating: “Why do I bring this chick around? Do I like her? Is it just something me to have so people can be like, ‘Oh, look, you got a pretty girl with you’? Do I really care about her as a person? Does she care about me as a person?” And I think all of that is reflected in the project too. Like I said, “Red Flag” is a big song that addresses those things.

Olu: Definitely the relationships for sure. And like you said, the intention. Why do we want to connect? Are we connecting out of loneliness? I feel like a lot of people was connecting out of loneliness during the pandemic. I think that was the natural thing, like, “Damn, I’m in this house by myself, or you’re the closest person with me that I knew before this shit hit the fan, so why don’t we move in together or whatever and figure this out from here.” And throughout those three to four years, I think a lot of people are finally starting to realize the intention behind connecting with human beings and creating real genuine relationships that have a healthy purpose. It don’t have to be something crazy or monumental, but at the end of the day, is this relationship making your life better? Is this relationship helping you be a good person, or is this relationship adding to your life? Is it adding value? 

As we got back outside, have you been able to still be discerning about the kind of relationships that you pursue based on the things that you reflected on?
Olu: Most definitely. Even over the past month or two, I’ve been having a lot of conversations with people, and I feel like this year has shone a magnifying glass on those relationships that have been created over the past two to three years. It’s like, “What are we doing?” And especially with, even with our profession and how we move, we meet so many people and have so many interactions with all of these different people, it’s important to have solid people around you who care about you and who you care about. It’s easy [to see] a lot of people latching on just because they like what they see. 

How collaborative are y’all with the producers and instrumentalists you work with?
WowGr8: Pretty active, bro. Olu does a lot of the hands-on producing. But you can’t send me a beat and we just rap on it. You got to carve out space for your voice to shine. You got to put a spotlight on yourself. Arranging music is fun. We some music nerds, we like playing with the stems and everything to make the song a more immersive experience.

How does the vibe and the environment of where you’re recording dictate the tone of how you decide to approach a song?
WowGr8: I can’t say it doesn’t influence because we’ve been to different places, like recording in London. We’ve made stuff that I probably wouldn’t have made anywhere else. But I would say primarily for me, as much as it is where you are, it’s the people that’s in there with you. “What conversation were y’all having right before the beat start playing? Are y’all cooking up sounds? Are y’all going through samples? What were y’all talking about? What was funny? What wasn’t funny? What was the mood of the day?”

So, for example, with our producer, Natra, I’ve locked in with him on sad days and happy days. He did “Electric,” and he did “Red Flag” too. Completely opposite [sounding] songs, but he did both of those in one day. We did “Electric” on acid. We was playing video games, and we made a crazy acid video-game song. And then, one day, we were chilling at my house, made “Red Flag,” and it was a rainy day. We had nothing in our system. He put on a rainy-type beat, and that’s how we started working. So I think the conversation that you’re having with people that you’re working with goes into it just as much as the environment.

How did “U Gotta” come together?
WowGr8: We made that as the pandemic was starting to trickle away, but people were still unsure. So it was around 2022. We went down to Miami. That’s our first time meeting Pharrell. Honestly, we wanted to meet him. I didn’t know he was going to be recording right then, which I’m glad he was. We made a lot. We started a lot of ideas with him there. But that was a great session. Pharrell had this cocktail drink that he was making, this tequila purple-lemonade thing. It was delicious. So we all sipping and looking at the water; it was real. We all chilling, vibing, and got to talk for a while. And then we also were taking B12 vitamins at the same time. So we healthy and getting a little tipsy. And then we made that record.

I know Pharrell is inspirational and motivational in a lot of ways. Did he give you any specific game that kind of stuck with you?
WowGr8: I feel like the whole experience stuck with me; I can’t think of an exact quote. People always ask, “What he say to you?” I don’t know. It was like a dream come true, a kid in a candy store.

Olu: He set the space. Him and Chad. Chad didn’t say a word, but Chad was sitting there every time, being able to contribute ideas, vibes, and stuff. 

WowGr8: I didn’t hear Chad say more than a yes or a no to an idea. But he was locked in the music, though.

How did “Love You More” come together?
WowGr8: T-Pain, man. Pain is one of the most professional artists we’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. He’s never turned us down on a feature. He’s never took a long time to do it. With that song in particular, he let us have it after we collaborated with him on it. He said he didn’t have a home for it, so we was like, we got an album coming out. We’ll put it on there. And then even with that, we had to make some last-minute changes to it. He made the changes right away. I got to give him all the props for even starting that record, letting us have it, and being professional.

What mindset were you in when you made “Flavors of Karma?”
WowGr8: Watching Rick and Morty. Honestly, you know how many episodes they got alternate possibilities. So it got me thinking about alternate possibilities, and then one line after another. Just, “What if life was like this?” And I was watching a lot of French Dispatch. That was in 2021. I was watching that movie a lot, and those worlds blended together with that beat. Shout out to Amarah. I love that song. That song got me out a real place of … I don’t know. I don’t overthink a lot, but when I do get into overthinking space, I go deep into a rabbit hole, and I think I had to think my way out.

There is a specific line in the song: “I’m mad smart. I’d be better off happy and dumb.” How often do you come to that feeling, and how do you grapple with that?
WowGr8: Probably every two weeks since second grade, deadass. All the time, bro. I’ll be like, dang. They say ignorance is bliss. That is not a lie, bro. That is a hundred percent facts. Sometimes, knowledge and information are a burden. And we have, as a society, more knowledge and information than we have ever had in human history. We have all that.

Olu: Too much.

WowGr8: Some of it we consent to, some of it we beg for, some of it we don’t want at all and we still have it all. I think sometimes you can be envious of a person who knows less. There’s nothing wrong with that. And you don’t know that they know less. But even assuming that somebody knows less and they’re happier for it, I think that’s a natural human feeling. And I think we’ve seen it more among people because of the age we living.

How did “Perfect Fantasy” come together with Snoop?
WowGr8: That’s probably the oldest song on the album. That was the demo I was doing with my boy Dish. They also produced “Blacklight,” but Dish and I became really good friends in 2019 and 2020. So through the pandemic, we was always cooking up. We created the initial idea for it and made a bunch of different versions of it. And that was with some horns. The horns was from Splice, the bass line was from something else, but we were trying to make a period song. We was really into making period songs. I and Dish would get up, and we try to make an Eighties song, try to make a Sixties song, and try to make different songs from different periods. And we continued that for a month. And that was one that felt good when you listened back later.

So we ended up sending it to Snoop, and he rapped so good on that song. It was like, damn, I remember when we got it back it was almost going to be on the Ghetto Gods album because we made it a while ago. And I remember KP was like, “Man, Snoop, walk the dog on y’all. He did good.” I was like, “Yeah, bro, let’s keep it, bro.” I love to see Snoop in his bag. So that was an excellent experience, man. We met Snoop years ago. He always been cool, always been obviously an idol. We grew up listening to him. But, yeah, that was great.

What was it like doing this project independently? Was there any major differences between this one and your previous work in terms of the creative process or any aspect?
WowGr8: That’s a good question. One thing I would say is we was definitely left alone to do this. Nobody was bothering us the whole time.

Olu: Yeah. And I think some of the ideas that we wanted to do was like, “Man, do this shit ASAP.” We didn’t have to go through a whole lot of red tape and stuff. So that was an enjoyable part.

WowGr8: It was a pretty free-flowing process.

In general, how do you feel about where your careers are at?
Olu: Yeah. I don’t want to do hindsight or what ifs or none of that stuff. I think we’re in a position where we’ve laid a great foundation for our fan base, and with Dreamville and the things that we’ve done to open up a new chapter for Earthgang. We’ve been creating a lot of music. We have a huge catalog. We have a track record where our fans know that we give quality music, quality experiences.

WowGr8: I think we were blessed to have our versatility shine early enough in our career that we could always adapt. When you don’t have as much of a box to go in, and at a time where everybody’s more boxed in than ever, then you get a little lasting power.

Olu, can you take me to the work you’re doing with Compxss?
Olu: Yeah, so Compxss is a health and wellness platform that I created to help people navigate their journey. Our slogan is “Find your Way.” We use our inner compass or moral compass to help people navigate their journey. We do that through yoga, breath work, meditation, activations, community engagements, products, all of these things. The things that I found that I need, in order to keep moving through life and being free and enjoying it. If you don’t have that person who you could call, that best friend sometimes you could call and be like, “Yo, this is what I got going on.” It’s like, man. Sometimes in life you all you got. So why not put yourself in the position with the things that you need to continue to enjoy your journey and continue to do what you love? We’ve been having some good responses working on this event with Hulu at the end of November with Every Nigga Deserves. We’re putting together some activations and stuff. 

It’s been a beautiful journey because as artists we’re always growing real-time under the spotlight. We don’t have those moments where we can shut things down and incubate and take care of [ourselves]. So even as this album rollout is going, or projects are coming out, it’s like, man, you never know what people are dealing with. 

But you still have to be able to toe that line and jump back and forth and play the game of being engaged in what you love, and then being engaged in your personal life and doing that to the highest level, too, and seeing where the beauty is between them.

From Rolling Stone US.