Brockhampton was an American hip-hop group founded in San Marcos, Texas, in 2014. Formed partially through online forums, the group was often noted for their size, diversity, and prolific discography. The group's final line-up included vocalists Kevin Abstract, Matt Champion, Merlyn Wood, and Dom McLennon, producers/vocalists JOBA, Bearface, and Jabari Manwa, producers Romil Hemnani and Kiko Merley, graphic designer Henock Sileshi (HK), photographer Ashlan Grey, web designer Roberto Ontenient, and manager Jon Nunes.
Brockhampton was an American hip-hop group founded in San Marcos, Texas, in 2014. Formed partially through online forums, the group was often noted for their size, diversity, and prolific discography. The group's final line-up included vocalists Kevin Abstract, Matt Champion, Merlyn Wood, and Dom McLennon, producers/vocalists JOBA, Bearface, and Jabari Manwa, producers Romil Hemnani and Kiko Merley, graphic designer Henock Sileshi (HK), photographer Ashlan Grey, web designer Roberto Ontenient, and manager Jon Nunes.
Founded by de facto leader Kevin Abstract in 2014, Brockhampton consisted of members of the defunct Internet music collective AliveSinceForever. Their debut mixtape, All-American Trash, was independently released in 2016. After relocating to Los Angeles, the group achieved critical and commercial success with their studio albums Saturation, Saturation II, Saturation III, which were released in quick succession over six months in 2017. The next year, they signed to RCA Records, and shortly afterwards founding member Ameer Vann was removed from the group following accusations of sexual misconduct. After repeated delays, Iridescence (2018) debuted atop the Billboard 200 and earned the group a nomination at the Brit Awards. Ginger (2019) and Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine (2021) were released to similar commercial success, with the former producing the multi-platinum single "Sugar". In 2022, the group disbanded following the release of their final studio albums The Family and TM.
Generally categorized as a hip-hop collective, the group was notable in their early years for branding themselves as a boy band, in what they referred to as an effort to redefine the term. The group's size and diversity was often noted, with the group's roster containing rappers, singers, producers, photographers, and more of various sexualities, ethnicities, and nationalities. The band was also recognized for their output, having released eight studio albums within five years of their debut project.
In 2009, a 13-year-old Kevin Abstract (real name, Ian Simpson) made a post on the internet music discussion forum KanyeLive asking for members to form a collective. Several of the group's members were previously acquainted through the forum: producers Robert "Roberto" Ontenient and Romil Hemnani met on the website's Lupe Fiasco section, while graphic designer Henock "HK" Sileshi was well known for creating and posting custom cover art for popular songs. HK was introduced to the rest of the group after Hemnani responded positively to a 2 Chainz and Barack Obama parody cover HK had posted. Producer Jabari Manwa, who lived in Grenada, also met Abstract through the forum.
Aside from the forum, many of the group's members were recruited through prior connections. Abstract, Merlyn Wood (real name, William Wood Jr.), Matt Champion, and Ameer Vann began making music together as classmates at The Woodlands High School. Russell "JOBA" Boring, who worked at a recording studio in Houston, was originally hired by the four as a recording engineer before being asked by Abstract to join the group. Hemnani, Dom McLennon (real name, Dominique Simpson), Rodney Tenor, and Jon Nunes all lived in Connecticut, and worked on music together before being recruited by Abstract. Northern Irish singer and producer Ciarán "Bearface" McDonald was introduced to Hemnani through a mutual friend during a recording session in New York City.
The collective, named AliveSinceForever, included approximately 40 members and was heavily decentralized, with each member working to establish their own solo careers in different cities. The group played several sparsely populated shows together, including an appearance at South by Southwest. In 2013, the collective released an EP, titled The ASF EP. In 2014, AliveSinceForever collaborated on Abstract's debut studio album, MTV1987; Hemnani, Champion, JOBA, Vann, Wood, HK, Ontenient, and Kiko Merley contributed to the record alongside Abstract.
Brockhampton was an American hip-hop group founded in San Marcos, Texas, in 2014. Formed partially through online forums, the group was often noted for their size, diversity, and prolific discography. The group's final line-up included vocalists Kevin Abstract, Matt Champion, Merlyn Wood, and Dom McLennon, producers/vocalists JOBA, Bearface, and Jabari Manwa, producers Romil Hemnani and Kiko Merley, graphic designer Henock Sileshi (HK), photographer Ashlan Grey, web designer Roberto Ontenient, and manager Jon Nunes.
Brockhampton was an American hip-hop group founded in San Marcos, Texas, in 2014. Formed partially through online forums, the group was often noted for their size, diversity, and prolific discography. The group's final line-up included vocalists Kevin Abstract, Matt Champion, Merlyn Wood, and Dom McLennon, producers/vocalists JOBA, Bearface, and Jabari Manwa, producers Romil Hemnani and Kiko Merley, graphic designer Henock Sileshi (HK), photographer Ashlan Grey, web designer Roberto Ontenient, and manager Jon Nunes.
Founded by de facto leader Kevin Abstract in 2014, Brockhampton consisted of members of the defunct Internet music collective AliveSinceForever. Their debut mixtape, All-American Trash, was independently released in 2016. After relocating to Los Angeles, the group achieved critical and commercial success with their studio albums Saturation, Saturation II, Saturation III, which were released in quick succession over six months in 2017. The next year, they signed to RCA Records, and shortly afterwards founding member Ameer Vann was removed from the group following accusations of sexual misconduct. After repeated delays, Iridescence (2018) debuted atop the Billboard 200 and earned the group a nomination at the Brit Awards. Ginger (2019) and Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine (2021) were released to similar commercial success, with the former producing the multi-platinum single "Sugar". In 2022, the group disbanded following the release of their final studio albums The Family and TM.
Generally categorized as a hip-hop collective, the group was notable in their early years for branding themselves as a boy band, in what they referred to as an effort to redefine the term. The group's size and diversity was often noted, with the group's roster containing rappers, singers, producers, photographers, and more of various sexualities, ethnicities, and nationalities. The band was also recognized for their output, having released eight studio albums within five years of their debut project.
In 2009, a 13-year-old Kevin Abstract (real name, Ian Simpson) made a post on the internet music discussion forum KanyeLive asking for members to form a collective. Several of the group's members were previously acquainted through the forum: producers Robert "Roberto" Ontenient and Romil Hemnani met on the website's Lupe Fiasco section, while graphic designer Henock "HK" Sileshi was well known for creating and posting custom cover art for popular songs. HK was introduced to the rest of the group after Hemnani responded positively to a 2 Chainz and Barack Obama parody cover HK had posted. Producer Jabari Manwa, who lived in Grenada, also met Abstract through the forum.
Aside from the forum, many of the group's members were recruited through prior connections. Abstract, Merlyn Wood (real name, William Wood Jr.), Matt Champion, and Ameer Vann began making music together as classmates at The Woodlands High School. Russell "JOBA" Boring, who worked at a recording studio in Houston, was originally hired by the four as a recording engineer before being asked by Abstract to join the group. Hemnani, Dom McLennon (real name, Dominique Simpson), Rodney Tenor, and Jon Nunes all lived in Connecticut, and worked on music together before being recruited by Abstract. Northern Irish singer and producer Ciarán "Bearface" McDonald was introduced to Hemnani through a mutual friend during a recording session in New York City.
The collective, named AliveSinceForever, included approximately 40 members and was heavily decentralized, with each member working to establish their own solo careers in different cities. The group played several sparsely populated shows together, including an appearance at South by Southwest. In 2013, the collective released an EP, titled The ASF EP. In 2014, AliveSinceForever collaborated on Abstract's debut studio album, MTV1987; Hemnani, Champion, JOBA, Vann, Wood, HK, Ontenient, and Kiko Merley contributed to the record alongside Abstract.
In late 2014, JOBA moved to San Marcos, Texas, to attend Texas State University. Several members of the group, including Abstract, moved with him. Abstract, who had grown frustrated with the lack of coordination in AliveSinceForever, decided to dissolve the collective. He invited select members of AliveSinceForever to move to San Marcos to form a new group, Brockhampton, named for the street Abstract grew up on in Corpus Christi.
In January 2015, Brockhampton's debut single, "Bet I", was released alongside an accompanying video directed by HK and Franklin Mendez. By 2017, "Bet I" had been removed from all streaming platforms. "Bet I" was followed by "Hero" in June, and the same month the band were announced as the winners of the VFiles Loud Contest, winning them a professionally directed music video for their next song, "Dirt", released through Fool's Gold Records. On March 24, 2016, Brockhampton released their debut mixtape, All-American Trash, for free. In November, Abstract released his sophomore studio album American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story, with Hemnani, Bearface, JOBA, Albert Gordon, Ashlan Gray, Ontenient, HK, and Wood receiving credits on the album.
In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the band began releasing non-studio produced singles under the title Technical Difficulties Radio to their YouTube channel. These songs were recorded during the band's self-imposed quarantine. Livestreams preceding the release of these singles were streamed on Twitch. The tracks "N.S.T", "things cant stay the same", "M.O.B", "Twisted", "I.F.L", "Baby Bull", "Downside", "Fishbone" & "Chain On / Hold Me" were released to YouTube and later taken down. Technical Difficulties Radio marked producer Jabari Manwa's first appearances as a vocalist on group projects.
Along with the single releases, members stated on the live-streams that a sixth album had been "sonically finished" and they expected it to release that summer. Abstract and HK later revealed the initials of their sixth album, RR. In August 2020, Abstract and Hemnani also started a label and apparel brand called Video Store. On January 2, 2021, a snippet of the album's lead single, "Buzzcut", was posted on Instagram. On March 24, 2021, the band released "Buzzcut", featuring Danny Brown, followed by an announcement of the album's full title, Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine. The second single, "Count On Me", was released on April 2, and the album was released worldwide on April 9. The music video for "Count On Me" was released on April 13 featuring Lil Nas X and Dominic Fike. Roadrunner was advertised by the group as their penultimate record, with the announcement of a final album to be released later that year. In June, the band contributed the track "MVP" to the Space Jam: A New Legacy soundtrack.
In April 2023, Manwa began releasing singles under the moniker "SAGA BOUY", the first post-Brockhampton work by a former member. In November, almost one year after the group's disbandment, Abstract released his fourth studio album Blanket, with Hemnani reprising his role as a producer and engineer. In February 2024, McLennon released a EP titled Prologue, followed by an album, The Changing of the Trees, a month later. Neither project featured any former members. Champion's debut studio album Mika's Laundry, released on March 22, 2024, featured contributions from several former Brockhampton members, including Hemnani, Bearface, Manwa, and Merley. Hemnani also contributed production to Champion's first EP Slint's Favorite, which was released later that year. In September, JOBA's debut album, Russel Boring, was also released without the involvement of other members.
In May 2025, Abstract confirmed the group was unlikely to reunite, and claimed that the former members were not in regular contact. In June, he released his fifth studio album_, Blush_, featuring contributions from Vann, Hemnani, and Merley. The album, which also features a Houston-based collective of musicians and producers supporting Abstract, has been described as a spiritual successor to Brockhampton.
Brockhampton was generally categorized as hip-hop, most consistently being placed in the alternative hip-hop sub-genre. The Saturation trilogy was noted for its sonic diversity, incorporating elements of pop rap, hardcore hip-hop, G-funk, and indie rock. Iridescence served as a diversification for the group, eschewing pop rap in favor of industrial hip-hop, experimental hip-hop, and progressive rap, inspired by UK rap and grime. Ginger, regarded as the band's most mellow project, is built around pop rap and alternative R&B, while Technical Difficulties Radio embraces West Coast hip-hop and was the group's first project to heavily utilize sampling. Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine continued the sampling trend, incorporating rap rock, contemporary R&B, and conscious hip-hop into their usual pop rap sound. The Family, aside from solely featuring lead vocals from Abstract, further departed from their usual sound as a sample-heavy chipmunk soul, southern hip-hop, and drumless hip-hop album, while TM, their final release, incorporates trap and dance-pop.
Kevin McDermott of Firebird identified Brockhampton as the successors to "the title of the rap game's favorite oddball posse" once held by Odd Future. Several Brockhampton-inspired collectives and musicians can be seen as potential successors, including Teezo Touchdown, Kidz at Play, PartyOf2, 99 Neighbors, and Paris Texas, whose forms of alternative rap and pop can be traced to Brockhampton's genre-experimentation. Abstract's status as a popular openly-gay rapper was seen as influential on the acceptance other queer musicians such as Lil Nas X, while their usage of the internet to build a following has been replicated by Gen Z musicians on social media platforms such as TikTok.
Source: wikipedia
In late 2014, JOBA moved to San Marcos, Texas, to attend Texas State University. Several members of the group, including Abstract, moved with him. Abstract, who had grown frustrated with the lack of coordination in AliveSinceForever, decided to dissolve the collective. He invited select members of AliveSinceForever to move to San Marcos to form a new group, Brockhampton, named for the street Abstract grew up on in Corpus Christi.
In January 2015, Brockhampton's debut single, "Bet I", was released alongside an accompanying video directed by HK and Franklin Mendez. By 2017, "Bet I" had been removed from all streaming platforms. "Bet I" was followed by "Hero" in June, and the same month the band were announced as the winners of the VFiles Loud Contest, winning them a professionally directed music video for their next song, "Dirt", released through Fool's Gold Records. On March 24, 2016, Brockhampton released their debut mixtape, All-American Trash, for free. In November, Abstract released his sophomore studio album American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story, with Hemnani, Bearface, JOBA, Albert Gordon, Ashlan Gray, Ontenient, HK, and Wood receiving credits on the album.
In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the band began releasing non-studio produced singles under the title Technical Difficulties Radio to their YouTube channel. These songs were recorded during the band's self-imposed quarantine. Livestreams preceding the release of these singles were streamed on Twitch. The tracks "N.S.T", "things cant stay the same", "M.O.B", "Twisted", "I.F.L", "Baby Bull", "Downside", "Fishbone" & "Chain On / Hold Me" were released to YouTube and later taken down. Technical Difficulties Radio marked producer Jabari Manwa's first appearances as a vocalist on group projects.
Along with the single releases, members stated on the live-streams that a sixth album had been "sonically finished" and they expected it to release that summer. Abstract and HK later revealed the initials of their sixth album, RR. In August 2020, Abstract and Hemnani also started a label and apparel brand called Video Store. On January 2, 2021, a snippet of the album's lead single, "Buzzcut", was posted on Instagram. On March 24, 2021, the band released "Buzzcut", featuring Danny Brown, followed by an announcement of the album's full title, Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine. The second single, "Count On Me", was released on April 2, and the album was released worldwide on April 9. The music video for "Count On Me" was released on April 13 featuring Lil Nas X and Dominic Fike. Roadrunner was advertised by the group as their penultimate record, with the announcement of a final album to be released later that year. In June, the band contributed the track "MVP" to the Space Jam: A New Legacy soundtrack.
In April 2023, Manwa began releasing singles under the moniker "SAGA BOUY", the first post-Brockhampton work by a former member. In November, almost one year after the group's disbandment, Abstract released his fourth studio album Blanket, with Hemnani reprising his role as a producer and engineer. In February 2024, McLennon released a EP titled Prologue, followed by an album, The Changing of the Trees, a month later. Neither project featured any former members. Champion's debut studio album Mika's Laundry, released on March 22, 2024, featured contributions from several former Brockhampton members, including Hemnani, Bearface, Manwa, and Merley. Hemnani also contributed production to Champion's first EP Slint's Favorite, which was released later that year. In September, JOBA's debut album, Russel Boring, was also released without the involvement of other members.
In May 2025, Abstract confirmed the group was unlikely to reunite, and claimed that the former members were not in regular contact. In June, he released his fifth studio album_, Blush_, featuring contributions from Vann, Hemnani, and Merley. The album, which also features a Houston-based collective of musicians and producers supporting Abstract, has been described as a spiritual successor to Brockhampton.
Brockhampton was generally categorized as hip-hop, most consistently being placed in the alternative hip-hop sub-genre. The Saturation trilogy was noted for its sonic diversity, incorporating elements of pop rap, hardcore hip-hop, G-funk, and indie rock. Iridescence served as a diversification for the group, eschewing pop rap in favor of industrial hip-hop, experimental hip-hop, and progressive rap, inspired by UK rap and grime. Ginger, regarded as the band's most mellow project, is built around pop rap and alternative R&B, while Technical Difficulties Radio embraces West Coast hip-hop and was the group's first project to heavily utilize sampling. Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine continued the sampling trend, incorporating rap rock, contemporary R&B, and conscious hip-hop into their usual pop rap sound. The Family, aside from solely featuring lead vocals from Abstract, further departed from their usual sound as a sample-heavy chipmunk soul, southern hip-hop, and drumless hip-hop album, while TM, their final release, incorporates trap and dance-pop.
Kevin McDermott of Firebird identified Brockhampton as the successors to "the title of the rap game's favorite oddball posse" once held by Odd Future. Several Brockhampton-inspired collectives and musicians can be seen as potential successors, including Teezo Touchdown, Kidz at Play, PartyOf2, 99 Neighbors, and Paris Texas, whose forms of alternative rap and pop can be traced to Brockhampton's genre-experimentation. Abstract's status as a popular openly-gay rapper was seen as influential on the acceptance other queer musicians such as Lil Nas X, while their usage of the internet to build a following has been replicated by Gen Z musicians on social media platforms such as TikTok.
Source: wikipedia