By Corey LaQuay
Copy Editor
In a culture that praises artists who write lyrics about their successes, their overwhelmingly stressful lifestyle as multi-million dollar artists, and accept the fame and the fortune with open arms, comes Tyler. Notoriously dubbed as the leader of Odd Future, Tyler, the Creator is the ring leader of a collective group who are representative of their roots as southern California skaters: witty, magnetic, and downright crazy. Different from the vast majority of artists, Tyler prides himself as remaining true to himself, as he has in his recent releases and his most recent album, “Wolf.”
Behind the cookie-cutter beats, is a complex story line that explores two of his alter-egos, Sam and Wolf. The album begins with an introduction in which his alter ego shrink, acting as camp counselor, introduces Sam and Wolf and welcomes them to the summer camp, “Camp Flog Gnaw.” Immediately after their brief introduction, there is a strong conflict between the two and Sam quickly makes it understood that if they mind their own business, that they will mind theirs. He threatens Wolf and warns him to stay out of their way.
Throughout the album, the story line between the two develops in-between tastes of Tyler’s efforts to portray issues with society using his witty sense of humor and dark lyricism. Tracks such as “Jamba”, “Domo 23”, “Slater” and “Tamale” all explore his style of sociocultural expression. Other tracks, such as “Colossus”, discuss Tyler’s struggles with fame and accepting his fans despite their sometimes obsessive and psychopathic demeanor, similar to Eminem’s “Stan.”
Tyler, the Creator exposes some of his deeper feelings of loneliness and depression. Speaking of his grandmother’s death, or a non-existent father figure, or how he feels “as lonely as the crackers super models eat,” he reveals something other than the dark character that he has created. Critics see Tyler as a one-dimensional artist who uses aggressive language and subject matter in order to communicate these apparent ideals that he portrays, but in reality, he’s more than just a one sided artist who has a real sense of emotions.
Where Wolf lacks in production value, is made up with creativity and easy listening. Tyler’s emotional roller coaster from track to track, is a direct reflection of his hyperactive imagination and bipolar personality, which creates a very interesting album to listen to.
Since his last album, “Goblin,” Tyler, the Creator has changed his overall attitude and style significantly. The music consists mainly now of piano chords, simple snare and high hat beats, and jazz-influenced sounds, pulling influences from old school hip-hop as well. The atmosphere of the album is very mellow, with an exception to a few of the tracks on the record. Songs such as “Wolf”, “Cowboy”, “Awkward”, “Answer”, “Slater” and many others contain a very soothing sound.
His change in subject matter has become much less aggressive and dark. Rapping about riding bikes, eating ice cream, and just hanging out with his friends creates a very inviting atmosphere. No Tyler album is complete, however, without his sociological rants peppered with tastes of his more aggressive side.
Tyler’s “Wolf” deserves a four out of five turkey rating. At a conclusive glance, Tyler, the Creator successfully created an artful portrayal of who he is as a musician. In today’s music scene, remaining true to your roots and honing in on an original sound is something that is seldom done in the industry. With each and every release, he’s done this very well. “Wolf” is an instant classic and is worth an insightful listen to fully comprehend what Tyler is attempting to communicate with listeners.
