Tyler’s nevertheless meteoric career established him, as well as his rap collective Odd Future, as the newest up and comers in the rap industry. Tyler released his third album, Wolf, on April 2, as an exploration further away from the hard and heavy-hitting beats of both Goblin and Bastard.
Wolf kicks off the work with a mellow beat with Tyler’s asinine words laid over it. However, as soon as the album starts off, the differences between Tyler’s previous works and Wolf become apparent. The feel of the first few songs is more comparable to “She” than “Yonkers.” Honestly, it seems as if Tyler is attempting to move away from the grimy soundscape that has permeated his previous works.
The overall feeling of the first half of the release is much more relaxed than Tyler typically is. Whether that’s good or bad is up to one’s personal opinion, but I believe it’s good to see artists branching out from the trap-rap vibes currently controlling the marketplace.
While Tyler is moving away from his earlier tendencies to slap bass and piano together in a haphazard fashion, Wolf provides no break from the emotionally evocative lyricism that Tyler is known for. Songs like “IFHY” depict a journey from the lowest lows to the highest highs. One of the unique pulls of Tyler’s music is his exploration of topics that are normally considered taboo. This might include rather unsavory topics like “threesomes with triceratops,” but it also extends to topics such as schizophrenia, depression and troubled relationships.
There is an unparalleled amount of raw despair mixed in with an equally powerful amount of rage. The entire album is a battle between Tyler, the Creator, and his various other alter-egos as he attempts to puzzle his way through life.
Wolf is undoubtedly different than many of the other albums that are being released, but it is worth a listen. In no other place will you find this medium and this message combined to such stunning effect. Though one may venture outside of the world of melody and thought and simply enjoy Wolf as the masterfully-crafted mix of trip-hop it is, it’s not recommended. Ignoring the meaning and story behind the lyrics that Tyler throws out is a surefire way to miss out on the visceral trip into the mind of one rap’s rising artists.
By Rajesh Satpathy
What do you think of his artistry? Is he genius or just junk?
