Although Tyler The Creator and his Odd Future collective stunned everyone back in April by opting to stay independent despite virtually every major label knocking down their door.
However, there's one label that may have convinced the hipster kid from L.A. to sign on the dotted line ... that being Star Trak, especially because it's run by one of his idols: Pharrell Williams.
With Tyler by his side, Pharrell recently spoke to MTV2's SuckerFree about when he first heard about Odd Future ... and while he wanted to sign them, he found out he had been beaten to the punch.
"I was on my tour bus and my homeboy named Scott Vener was like 'You gotta hear these kids called Odd Future. It's this kid called Tyler The Creator. Their sh** is dope, you should sign them,'" Pharell recalled. "I was bumping their sh**, listening to their songs on Youtube. And then I found Chris Clancy. And by the time I found Chris, they were already talking about signing.
"I missed that boat, I was mad as sh**," he continued. "But I'm happy because Clancy's idea to have 'em be the youngest in charge, doing their own sh** -- all the stuff I always preach about -- he was very headstrong in making sure they did that."
In late April, Odd Future (OFWGKTA) announced that they had signed a distribution deal with RED Distribution/Sony for their own Odd Future Records imprint, through which they will retain creative control and decision making in all their projects.
Smart move...
