ALBUM: Tyler, the Creator-Wolf

He's the leader of rap collective Odd Future, he's one of the most popular rappers of recent times and he's the most controversial one since a young man Eminem appeared. Yet, Californian rapper Tyler the Creator has yet to break the UK in the way he has achieved fame in the US. However, this could be where Tyler makes his commercial success in Britain with his new and third album, Wolf. This album played as part of a story and a prequel to previous albums Bastard and Goblin. Unlike his previous albums, Wolf is a lot more innocent and naive as well as a happier album overall, with a lot less angst. This is before Tyler's character and alter ego Wolf Haley goes insane like he does in the previous two albums.

The album opener is the eponymous track is a dazy theme to the album which is overloaded with a piano and xylophone and where we are introduced to Sam, Wolf Haley's rival and Tyler's hateful alter ego. This is then followed by dubstep track Jamba which continues the happy theme to the album before Tyler sings one of the album's best pieces Cowboy which mixes that dreamy sound with one of the darkest on the album as there is interaction between Haley and Sam which introduces Sam's girlfriend Salem, "WOLF: Who's that? SAM: That's Salem/That's my girlfriend/You stay the fuck away from her alright?" which yet again conveys Sam's hostile and angry attitude. This then leads on to Awkward which is a calm song about an encounter where Tyler kisses a girl "Now it's awkward because our lips locked". Then first single Domo23 starts which is adrenaline-pumping and celebrity dissing as Tyler controversially threatens pop-teenies One Direction and cracks a joke about Rodney King: "Cause shit's going down/Just like Rodney King's swimming lessons...And purchasing weapons, naming them and aim 'em in one direction" which is definitely the comic relief of the album. This is then followed by Answer, as Tyler hits out at his never-present father in his life "Dad isn't your name, see Faggot's a little more fitting" and then Slater (the name of his bike in the track as well) adds an insight in what the ghetto is like. Colossus ends the first half of the album as Tyler raps about fans, controversially. However, he makes it hilarious with lyrics like "I got your pics on my wall/With the mouth cut out, now paper cuts on my balls/Cause your dick's in my jaw" which is like a funnier and lighter version of Eminem's Stan.

The second half starts off with three part song PartyIsntOver/Campire/Bimmer which part 1 is catchy and yet again dreamy. Part 2 is a lot more eerie before part 3 is a beautiful part of the song. After the niceness of the last track, things I turn a bit bipolar when next track IFHY which is Tyler in Sam's character after finding out Wolf and Salem went to the lake together. He gets angry quickly and escalates quickly into a rant, but is also really confused: "I fucking hate you/But I love you/I'm bad at keeping my emotions bubbled". Salem then reveals to Wolf that Sam had trouble back home which sets up Pigs which is set up with a sinister church organ and police siren background as well as Tyler rapping about what the album consists of: different personalities: "I'm not bipolar, see I'm just known by those couple names". Parking Lot sidetracks from the story as Odd Future pal Mike G joins Tyler as they shout about Loiter Squad. However, after Parking Lot, comes the best song on the album as well as a pretty intimidating song, Rusty. Domo Genesis raps a catchy chorus "Nigga, summer, fall, winter-time, 24/365/You niggas gon giv' me mine, I don't have plenty time" and Tyler backs up his point that he isn't homophobic "Saying I hate gays even though Frank is on 10 of my songs". The outro sees the death of some of Odd Future as Sam shoots them looking for Wolf "Samuel's here!/Where's Wolf?/Fucking faggot/Salem was mine, bitch!". Most of the songs after Rusty fail to live up to it's previous song. Trashwang involves a shoot out with a lot of screaming in a decent effort, then Treehome95 is jazzy and nothing like the rest of the album, as well as taking a break from the violence that came before it. Tamale sounds like a samba track or some weird song you would find in the darkest corners of a Fifa soundtrack, yet it works. The final track Lone shows Wolf in the psychiatrist's office talking about his life, with the dark voice representing his therapist Dr TC, the same one as the background to Yonkers. The album ends with Wolf talking to Dr TC in which when referring to Sam says "Nah but if I seen that nigga I woulda killed him" which makes the album link with the other two, between Bastard and Goblin. 

Coming to over 70 minutes of material and 18 tracks, Tyler, the Creator once again worked hard on his latest album, yet kept people interested due to the crazy storyline. Tyler is many things: controversial, hilarious, an entertainer and disliked by some, but he's also a serious songwriter who can cleverly tell a story in an effective way as well as make some great tunes like Rusty. The rumours of a coming fourth album EARLWOLF being the last in the story series, could spark the end of Tyler's recording. Hopefully I am wrong in saying that as his album's have inspired many in recent years and will continue to for years to come.

Rating: 8/10

Best songs: Rusty, Cowboy, Domo23, Pigs

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