BROCKHAMPTON

BROCKHAMPTON surfaced from the underground youth scene as a self-proclaimed all-American boy band, their output stretching from dark-toned group tracks to gentle R&B ballads and drawing comparisons to other collaborative rap crews such as Odd Future and Wu-Tang Clan. Following a 2016 debut, the collective dropped three rapidly ascending full-length projects—Saturation, Saturation II, and Saturation III—across a tight six-month window in 2017. Over time the sound grew more refined as the members gained maturity, leading them to secure a major-label deal that yielded the late-decade releases iridescence and Ginger, both of which earned strong critical notice. In 2021 the crew launched a fresh chapter with Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine, then declared an open-ended break that aligned with the arrival of their closing projects, 2022’s The Family and TM.

The original roster began forming on New Year’s Day 2015 in San Marcos, Texas, and by year’s end BROCKHAMPTON had claimed victory in the VFILES Loud! talent search. That win cleared the path for the single “Dirt” on Fool’s Gold, after which the group independently released the mixtape All American Trash in March 2016. Their first widely available studio album, Saturation, surfaced in March 2017 and showcased contributions from Kevin Abstract (Ian Simpson), Matt Champion, Romil Hemnani, JOBA (Russell Boring), Dom McLennon (Dominique Simpson), Ameer Vann, and Merlyn Wood (William Wood).

Only months later the band delivered the follow-up Saturation II during the same summer; the project entered the Billboard 200 just outside the top fifty. By winter they completed the year’s third installment, Saturation III, which became their strongest performer to that point by reaching number fifteen on the Billboard 200 and number five on the R&B/hip-hop chart. Early in 2018, amid continuing momentum, BROCKHAMPTON parted ways with Vann following accusations of sexual misconduct. The remaining members pressed forward, tracking new material at Abbey Road and their Hawaiian studio before issuing their fourth album, iridescence, in September. Their debut effort for RCA, it opened at number one on the Billboard 200. The next year, alongside a successful solo album from Abstract, the group released Ginger, which included the singles “Boy Bye,” “If You Pray Right,” and “I Been Born Again.” Joined by Deb Never, slowthai, and newcomer Victor Roberts, the set debuted at number three.

BROCKHAMPTON resurfaced in 2020 amid the onset of COVID-19 lockdowns, issuing fresh material through a digital series titled Technical Difficulties. Portions of those recordings later shaped their sixth album, Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine, which arrived in April 2021 and carried guest spots from A$AP Rocky, A$AP Ferg, Danny Brown, Jpegmafia, Charlie Wilson, and additional artists. At the start of 2022 the band revealed plans for an indefinite hiatus after their scheduled Coachella performance and confirmed one last album. Ahead of that release they contributed “Hollywood Swinging” to the Minions: The Rise of Gru soundtrack that June. That November, BROCKHAMPTON delivered their seventh and reportedly final project, The Family, featuring the singles “Big Pussy” and “The Ending.” Less than a day afterward came their true closing album, TM, drawn from full-ensemble sessions recorded in 2021.