The first time I listened to Tyler the Creator was back in 2010. As I perused The Needle Drop's channel on Youtube, I came across a review I hadn't watched yet, the review for Tyler's Bastard mixtape. As I pressed a link to a song from the album, I was greeted with a simplistic beat and a gravely voiced rapper who was obsessed with violence, rape and all manner of deviant behavior. In short... I wasn't into it. At the time, I saw him as a guy who simply wanted to shock. And to some extent he still is, since Tyler, along with the rest of the OF gang have been steadily releasing tracks and albums with shocking lyrics/ album covers ( upside down crosses are a huge part of their merchandise... and cats.) So while Bastard and his 2011 album Goblin didn't impress me at first, I slowly warmed up to his and a choice few OF related projects.
It had a lot to do with me listening and uncovering the deeper, more personal themes on Bastard, Tyler raps about growing up without a dad and how he came to form OF. Though I have to say, Goblin was a disappointment in that regard (and many others) since Tyler focused more on his internet drama and Odd Future antics then he did his themes of loneliness and outsider emotions.
So my anticipation for Wolf was pretty high, because while Goblin was a big letdown, I knew Tyler could potentially put together a really solid project, given the fact that he produced Bastard. And I'm glad to say that Wolf is in fact a solid album, and one that I think legitimizes Tyler as a producer/ MC.
The album starts strong with "Jamba" a quirky track backed up with some nice samples and synths. Tyler is spitting his usual immature lyrics, but is fully aware of that fact and Hodgy Beats shows up to drop a decent verse of his own. The track "Awkward" describes a situation where Tyler kisses a crush of his, but instead of being the life affirming moment he expected, it's awkward and he's left wondering what to do next.
"Answer" is a raw and heartfelt song where Tyler dissects his thoughts on his father who left him and it's the first time I've heard Tyler be this sincere about this subject. It's really quite amazing. The tracks "48" "IFHY" and "Rusty" are all great songs as well, with the latter featuring a fiery verse from OF member Domo Genesis and a Wu-Tang influenced beat.
However, as great as Wolf can be, there are a few potholes. I'd say the tracks "Parking Lot" "Slater" and the medley in the middle of the album "PartyIsntOver/ Campfire/ Bimmer" could have been completely removed from the album, since Wolf is already a hefty 18 tracks, and these songs add nothing to the concept and mood that Tyler is putting together on Wolf
But that aside, Wolf is the kind of album I hoped I'd see Tyler the Creator put out after Goblin. It shows that he's improving and that even with some missteps along the way, he's getting closer and closer to releasing a truly outstanding album.
8.0/10
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