Odd Future has always seemed like a pack of neighborhood friends who got together to see how many ridiculously offensive lyrics they could throw into one song. The Los Angeles rap collective has entrenched themselves in the hip-hop community with their adolescent shenanigans, intentionally overblown shock-rap lyrics and bizarre sense of humor.
But despite the freakish nature of their music, several members of this gang have garnered a considerable amount of popularity. Frank Ocean and Odd Future side-group MelloHype have both recently landed albums on the charts, and with Tyler, the Creator’s new album, ‘Wolf,’ it appears that even the group’s ringleader is undergoing some artistic maturation.
‘Wolf’ show’s Tyler’s vast improvement upon the ramshackle production techniques of his previous two albums, ‘Bastard’ and ‘Goblin.’ On previous tracks, Tyler’s dark voice clashed with his intense lo-fi beats, overshadowing his lyrical technique with auditory chaos. But in his latest endeavor, the offbeat and jury-rigged beats are gone, replaced with the beautiful and sophisticated orchestration of the instrumental intro “Wolf” and neo-jazz inspired “48.” Additionally, Odd Future gang-mate Frank Ocean lends his melodic talent to several tracks, fleshing out the complete sound Tyler is going for.
Like the rest of the Odd Future gang, Tyler has been known to drop provocative lines about drugs, graphic murder and stabbing Bruno Mars in his esophagus, but in several tracks on ‘Wolf,’ Tyler ditches the menacing faux-personality for a more honest approach. Rather than writing entire tracks around a fictitious rapist, Tyler raps about his hate for his father who left him, contrasting the hyperbolic hate-speech of the verse on “Answer” with the emotionally charged chorus “when I call I hope you pick up the phone.”
Like many up-and-comers thrust into the spotlight, Tyler also raps about the toll that his new fame is taking. “Rustie” is a vicious, chest-beating diatribe against the mainstream media who say “my subject matter is wrong/saying I hate gays even though Frank is on 10 of my songs” — referring to the bisexual Frank Ocean — and the track “Awkward” is as close to a romantic ballad as Tyler will get. The lyrical technique of his raps have always been top-notch, but hearing Tyler put his talent to a more mature use is refreshing.
Parts of ‘Wolf,’ however, still have the standoffish quality that characterized his previous albums. Many songs like “Domo23” are riddled with perverse misogyny and violence. Tyler is still guilty of using homophobic slurs for shock value, a tendency that has attracted much criticism.
Still, ‘Wolf’ shows signs of progress. The album finds Tyler transitioning from the odd kid who “grabs some ice cream” and “does annoying s**t that older peeps dislike” to a genuine artist writing such introspective tracks as “Cowboy” — which deals with his decision not to use drugs. Tyler’s music is still not for the faint of heart, but those interested in hearing him move into more mature territories should give ‘Wolf’ a listen.
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