TYLER, THE CREATOR – GOBLIN (REVIEW)

07 TRON CAT
Leaked onto the web just a few days ago, “Tron Cat” would have been a great hidden treat on Goblin. In similar vein to “Slow It Down” (from his previous album, Bastard), a quirky, out-of-this-world beat dominates your attention that would overwhelm any other rapper’s rhymes. But this is Tyler, The Creator: insulting lines voiced with a mighty resonance. A solid trademark track from Odd Future’s chief rebel.

08 HER
Tyler’s mood takes yet another abrupt dip. At the forefront of a noticeably minimalistic beat, he solemnly expresses his feelings for the females once again: “I see her in class, not really two doors down/But any time that I pass to take a piss and a stare/I picture us in the hall/Locking lips on the wall/Her hand grabbing my dick/My left hand on her tits.” Using obscene language in such an unphased manner should be taken as charm at this point. If you’re not really digging the sensitive stuff and much rather get buck to Tyler, though, hit skip.

09 SANDWITCHES feat. HODGY BEATS
You know what it is. Crank the volume, feel the beat and perform any variation of head banging you please. Is there a legitimate Golf Wang fan that doesn’t recognise this enchanting keyboard zip and tantalising bass line? (If there is, please throw them off the bandwagon right away.)

10 FISH / BOPPIN BITCHES
Two tracks combined; one subject matter for Tyler to litter with filth. The first three and a half minutes of audio corruption consists of him discussing the female anatomy with a disturbing bluntness: “No I’m not a freak, I am equally a creep/That neighbour by the creek says my house stinks/And it reeks on the sheet girl/Streaks of red, even though all pussy is pink.” “Boppin Bitch” sees Tyler and Jasper Dolphin (manning the ad-libs) throw metaphorical fists and kicks of insults at, well, sluts. No quotes necessary.

11 ANALOG feat. HODGY BEATS
A tranquil song (in Odd Future terms, anyway) that balances the harmony between the aforementioned “Fish / Boppin Bitches” and “Bitch Suck Dick”, rewarding you with a brief interval to the air wave abuse. That’s if you’ve lasted this far. Tyler and Hodgy settle for a mellow sing-song on “Analog”, making for a very average track – neither great, nor garbage.

12 BITCH SUCK DICK feat. JASPER DOLPHIN & TACO
Any well-informed Odd Future afficionado will be aware of the group’s fondness for a certain Waka Flocka Flame. And that’s exactly what comes to mind after hearing the muscular bass lines, threatening sirens and rapid Lex Luger-type drums that devour this track. Mimicking the Brick Squad hypeman’s sluggish lyricism, Jasper yells primitive lines such as: “Smoke a blunt/Fvck a bitch, in the butt/I’m bossing.” Thing is, the Odd Future trio actually flourish, bucking and boasting over this testosterone-fuelled sound; better than anything I’ve heard from Mr. Flocka Flame. While not to the taste of some listeners, this joint will no doubt spark the crowds (and fights) at live shows.

13 WINDOW feat. DOMO GENESIS, FRANK OCEAN, HODGY BEATS & MIKE G
I was waiting for this: a song bringing together Odd Future reps. Resident stoner, Domo Genesis, kicks things off, and if you’ve heard much of the man’s solo work, you can appreciate the hazy, foggy atmosphere both his lackadaisical flow and choice of beats renders. Suit follows for the remaining length of the track, with each comrade playing pass the mic to the blurry backdrop. Perfect to get blazed to.

14 AU79
An instrumental track right here. Your familiar dizzy, erratic and zoned-out beat. Not enlightening as the majority of his other melodies. Not much left to comment on.

15 GOLDEN
With such authority delivered in the intro, Tyler set quite a bar for his closing track. In a struggle between his verses and the spoken chorus (which is coincidentally his own voice), The Creator plants the vision of a Donnie Darko-like scene through the speakers, achieved with a scary precision. He unearths more than offensive rants and cursing in his conclusion, confessing: “I’m putting myself at a distance/For instance, my best friend is now my fvcking assistant/N****s saying Free Earl without even knowing him/See they’re missing a new album, I’m missing my only friend.” As the final chapter unfolds, Tyler is heard shouting and screaming in guilt at killing his “fvcking friends”, and continues to spit, in an even more aggravated temperament: “I’m not even human/I’m a body shaped demon/With some semen in my sack/There’s some problems in the back.” The persona of Tyler, The Creator reveals itself in full view to consummate the record. It would be plain ignorance to take everything he says as cold fact, instead, the inspiration he draws from these abominable characters must be appreciated. Otherwise, there is no reason for you to listen to Goblin. Respect the vision or suck a couple pimple covered dicks.

Check out a few of my picks from Goblin below:

“Tron Cat”