Carey Uhl October 31st, 2011 - 2:30 PM
Left Brain, a member of the notoriously explicit LA-based hip hop collective Odd Future, slapped a freelance professional photographer on October 30 at The Voodoo Experience in New Orleans. Though stunned, photographer Amy Harris originally declined to file assault charges until Odd Future denied the act of violence against her.
The Voodoo Experience is a music festival featuring rock, funk, electronica, and hip hop artists that has occurred on Halloween weekend in New Orleans since 1999. Commotion stirred when LA-based hip hop collective, Odd Future, took the stage on Sunday around 4:00 PM.
Odd Future has built a reputation for themselves as an overtly explicit group, with many songs containing graphic lyrics that depict violence toward woman. Their genre of music has been referred to as horrorcore, and perhaps this is a fitting categorization for the group who named themselves Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All.
This Sunday, their show at The Voodoo Experience became heated after lead member of the band, Tyler the Creator, addressed his dislike toward photographers and other members of the crew backed him up. Vyron Turner, who goes by the stage name “Left Brain,” soon after started harassing photographers. He threw water at them, pushed and kicked cameras, until he finally went too far by slapping professional freelance photographer, Amy Harris, in the face. Amy Harris opted not to press charges against Odd Future.
Odd Future’s publicist recently released a statement saying, “There simply is no truth to the accusation floating around the internet. Its no secret that Odd Future has a love/hate relationship with photographers at shows simply because sometimes they are given access the group wishes their fans would have instead. After telling the photographers to clear out multiple times (as they’ve done before) Vyron (Leftbrain) took a swipe at a few cameras, NOT people. To manipulate the situation to insinuate an attack on a woman specifically is careless and manipulative.”
Odd Future’s unwillingness to apologize raised the stakes. On Amy Harris’ official website, she responded to Odd Future’s statement by saying, “I was very disheartened to learn yesterday that Odd Future is denying that one of its members, Vyron Turner (“Left Brain”), engaged in the violent conduct that so many people witnessed and even photographed or videotaped. After he so publicly attacked me, I truly believed that an apology would be immediately forthcoming, which is why I declined to press charges at that time. The unexpected turn of events, including an attack by Odd Future on my credibility and motives for discussing the incident, have caused me to re-evaluate my initial decision. I’ve contacted an attorney – Amy Borlund with Doll Amir & Eley in Los Angeles – and am pursuing my options. At a minimum, I am seeking a public apology from Vyron Turner. Ultimately, I want a resolution in which Turner is held accountable for his actions.”
Amy Harris’ original choice to not press charges revolved around the assumption that Odd Future would, at the very least, issue a public apology. Since the band chose to deny the physical assault publicly, Left Brain will likely have a lawsuit headed in his direction unless he chooses to own up to his mistake.
