It started in a basement in Los Angeles. Or maybe it started in the digital ether of the Odd Future forums, where a bunch of kids who didn't quite fit the "skate-punk-rap" mold of Tyler, The Creator or Earl Sweatshirt decided to make something that sounded like purple velvet and expensive cigarettes. That group is The Internet. They are the most successful band that everyone knows but nobody talks about enough.
Honestly, it’s weird. You’ve heard their basslines in a coffee shop or a boutique hotel lobby. You’ve definitely seen Syd (formerly Syd tha Kyd) looking effortlessly cool in a music video. But the sheer influence they’ve had on modern R&B, neo-soul, and even the way bands operate as collectives is massive. They aren't just a band; they're a literal ecosystem of talent.
Why The Internet Still Matters in a World of Solo Stars
Most bands break up because of ego. Someone wants to go solo, someone else gets jealous of the royalties, and then you get a messy Twitter feud and a "Greatest Hits" album nobody asked for. The Internet flipped that script entirely.
When they released Ego Death in 2015, it wasn’t just a title. It was a manifesto. After the album blew up and got a Grammy nomination, the band members—Syd, Matt Martians, Steve Lacy, Patrick Paige II, and Christopher Smith—didn't double down on a tour. They all went and made solo albums.
Seriously. All of them.
And the crazy part? The band got stronger because of it. By the time they came back for Hive Mind in 2018, Steve Lacy had become a production prodigy (working with Kendrick Lamar using just an iPhone), and Syd had established herself as a solo force. They brought those individual perspectives back to the group. It’s a model of creative sustainability that almost no other modern musical group has figured out.
The Odd Future Roots and the Pivot to Soul
We have to talk about the beginning, even if it feels like a lifetime ago. Back in 2011, Odd Future was the most chaotic thing in music. Amidst the stage diving and the "Kill People, Burn Shit, Fuck School" lyrics, Syd and Matt Martians were the anchors. They were the engineers. They were the ones actually making sure the sound worked.
When they formed The Internet, people expected rap. What they got was Purple Naked Ladies. It was trippy, slightly messy, and very experimental. It didn't sound like the radio. It didn't even sound like the rest of Odd Future. It was the sound of two people figuring out how to be a band in real-time.
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The Evolution of a Sound: From Laptops to Live Instruments
If you listen to their discography in order, you can literally hear the gear changing.
- Purple Naked Ladies (2011): Very electronic. Heavy on the synths. It feels like a studio project.
- Feel Good (2013): This is where it gets interesting. They added Chad Hugo (of The Neptunes) as a producer on some tracks. You start to hear the "real" instruments creeping in.
- Ego Death (2015): The masterpiece. This is where Steve Lacy becomes a core part of the sound. The bass is thicker, the grooves are tighter, and the songwriting is sharp as a razor.
- Hive Mind (2018): Pure chemistry. It sounds like five people in a room just... vibing.
People often mistake them for a jazz band. They aren't. Not really. They are a soul band that knows how to use space. Most pop music today is "loud." It’s compressed. It’s hitting you in the face every three seconds. The Internet is the opposite. They let the notes breathe. On a track like "Girl," the production is so sparse it almost feels like it’s not there, but that’s exactly why Syd’s vocals work so well.
Steve Lacy: The Secret Weapon
It is impossible to discuss the legacy of The Internet without talking about Steve Lacy. Before he was a chart-topping solo artist with "Bad Habit," he was the kid who joined the band while he was still in high school.
Lacy brought a raw, lo-fi energy to the group. He famously produced tracks on his iPhone using a plug-in called an iRig. That "plug-and-play" mentality stripped away the over-produced sheen that was killing R&B at the time. He gave the band grit. When you hear that distorted, crunchy guitar on "Under Control," that’s the Lacy touch. It’s imperfect. It’s human.
What Most People Get Wrong About Syd
Syd is often labeled as "the frontwoman," but if you watch them live, that’s not really how it works. She’s the lead vocalist, sure, but she’s also a world-class producer and engineer.
Early in her career, she faced a lot of pressure. Being an out gay woman in the hip-hop space in 2011 was not easy. People wanted her to be a political statement. She just wanted to write love songs. And that’s actually what makes her so radical. She writes about romance, heartbreak, and lust with a casualness that normalized her experience more than any protest song ever could.
Her voice isn't powerhouse. She’s not trying to be Whitney Houston. She’s a whisperer. She’s the person leaning in at the party to tell you a secret. That intimacy is the "glue" of the band's sound.
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The "Hive Mind" Philosophy
In 2018, they released Hive Mind. It’s a title that explains their entire existence.
They don't have a leader.
Patrick Paige II is one of the most underrated bassists of his generation. His lines are the melodic foundation of the band. Christopher Smith’s drumming is "behind the beat" in a way that gives the music its signature slouch. Matt Martians brings the weirdness—the chords that shouldn't work but do.
When they come together, they create a single organism. It’s why they can go five years without an album and then drop a single like "Roll (Burbank Funk)" and it feels like they never left. They aren't chasing trends. They are the trend.
Acknowledging the "Hiatus" Rumors
Every few years, the internet (the actual internet, not the band) starts panicking that they've broken up. Because they spend so much time on solo projects, fans assume the worst.
But as Matt Martians has said in multiple interviews, the band is a "home base." They go out, they learn new things, they make some money, and they come back to the "house" to share what they found. It’s a remarkably healthy way to run a creative business. No one is trapped. No one is bored.
The Cultural Impact You Didn't Realize They Had
You can see the fingerprints of The Internet all over the "Bedroom Pop" movement of the early 2020s. The DIY aesthetic, the use of simple interfaces to create complex emotions, and the blending of genres—all of that was pioneered by this group in the mid-2010s.
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They also broke the mold for what a "Black band" could be. For a long time, the industry tried to pigeonhole Black artists into either "Street" or "Polished Pop." The Internet was just... weird. They were nerds who loved Pharrell and J Dilla. They proved there was a massive audience for Black alternative music that didn't need to be hyper-masculine or radio-friendly.
Why You Should Listen to the "Deep Cuts"
If you only know "Girl" or "Special Affair," you're missing the best parts.
- "Penthouse Cloud": A rare moment of social commentary from the band, dealing with the atmosphere of the world in 2015. It’s haunting.
- "It Gets Better (With Time)": From Hive Mind. It’s a masterclass in layering. It’s an anthem for anyone struggling, but it doesn't shout at you. It hugs you.
- "Gabby": A track from Ego Death featuring Janelle Monáe. It’s the perfect bridge between the band’s soulful roots and their pop sensibilities.
Actionable Steps for New (and Old) Fans
If you want to truly appreciate what this group has built, don't just shuffle their top tracks on Spotify. You have to look at the whole picture.
1. Listen to the "Solo Loop"
Start with Ego Death. Then listen to Syd’s Fin, Steve Lacy’s Steve Lacy’s Demo, Matt Martians’ The Drum Chord Theory, and Patrick Paige II’s Letters of Irrelevance. Finally, listen to Hive Mind. You will hear the growth of each individual and how it culminates in the band's collective sound. It’s like watching a movie franchise where all the solo films lead to the Avengers.
2. Watch Their Live Performances
They are a real band. No backing tracks, no faking it. Find their Tiny Desk Concert on YouTube. It’s the gold standard for seeing how they interact. Notice the eye contact. Notice how they give each other space to solo.
3. Explore the Production Credits
Check out what these members do outside the band. Steve Lacy producing for Solange or Kendrick Lamar. Syd producing for Beyoncé (on The Lion King: The Gift). This gives you a sense of their "vibe" being exported to the highest levels of the music industry.
The Internet is more than just a musical group; they are a blueprint for how to stay creative, stay friends, and stay relevant without selling your soul to the algorithm. They’ve proven that you don't have to be the loudest person in the room to be the most influential.
Check their discography, pay attention to the basslines, and stop waiting for them to "come back"—they never really left. They’re just busy building the future of music, one solo project at a time.