WOLF
The third album in the repertoire of Tyler, The Creator, is something new and interesting for the hipster Jesus of rap. In his first effort since the public became aware of him and his crew, Odd Future, Tyler has traded in his "goonish" pumping beats for slowed down, overbearing drums accompanied by revealing lyrics delivered in his trademark style. His last album, Goblin, is a dark poetic ride through Tyler's mind; Wolf is something different entirely.
Tyler is an intriguing person; whenever he is interviewed there will be laughter. His songs usually have a "goon-centered " humor to them and an ignorant irony. The kids in Odd Future are smart and that's why listening to songs like "We Got Bitches" is so funny. The opening track on the album, Wolf, is classic Tyler, with a slow drawing beat and enough uses of the word "fuck" to make your head spin. He drops you off in his world and allows you to stay a while.
As with most rap albums, there are guest appearances and this album has no shortage of them. These range from the normal Odd Future crew all the way to Erykah Badu and Pharell. Most of the time, Tyler shines through with other people, but it's harder with his friends. They challenge each other when they work together. Tyler is the first to admit that he isn't the best rapper in the crew; I'd say that's Earl Sweatshirt. Still, Tyler is developing and getting better. The sounds of emotions come through in Tyler's raps, while his guests add radio appeal and mass appeal for the usual Odd Future audience.
Nearly every track on the album is fantastic. "Colossus" is a crazy winding track that is an indictment of a newfound fame that Odd Future isn't used to. Tyler's first album came out when he was 17, and he has grown up in front of indie white kids in green ski masks. "Colossus" is reminiscent of Eminem's "Stan." It's dark, scary, and sounds more adult than anything Tyler has ever done before. "Answer" is the most mature track on the album. It's an assault on his absent father. He emotes truth; the words are backed with his life and his experiences as an abandoned child.
The emotional part of the album comes during the first half and is broken after the 11th track. "Pigs" lights up the album and brings it to the front of an Odd Future concert. The loud overbearing beats on "Pigs", "Parking Lot", "Rusty" and "Trashwang" are the window down 90 mph hectic songs that bump through any hood, anywhere. The overbearing bass and pounding beats are infectious and memorable. The overly hype lyrics are deep and ironic if you take them at more than face value. Not to sound redundant, but Tyler is smart. He writes with a purpose; everyone in Odd Future does. The kids are the smartest rappers in the game today. They don't write what Black Thought and Brother Ali do, but they have the English major college crowd wrapped around their fingers.
His style is deep-voiced and profane; nobody uses more curse words than him. In this album, he has revealed his life to us more than he ever has. His famous song, "Yonkers", is a brilliant ironic poem to the world. This album has moved Tyler into an adult with real issues to talk about instead of just being a dark minded hood rat goon.
Listen to Trashwang by Tyler, The Creator
Nick LaRosa is a senior Communications major Cabrini University. He enjoys writing fiction in his spare time and lives every day with a healthy amount of optimism.
