The album is a visceral dive into the mind of a teenager still figuring themselves out internally and artistically. The prospect of an 18-year-old kid rapping about such muddling subject matter and making some pleasing music in the process is pretty insane. Where Goblin struggled, Bastard was just a notch or so above it in those respects. This record served as the reasoning behind Tyler’s 2015 ban from the United Kingdom and Australia, so you know it’s got a legacy. Recently, Tyler announced the release of CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST on Twitter, saying “MY 7TH ALBUM”. While some people consider it a mixtape, Tyler has gone on record saying he has seven albums. “She,” featuring fellow former Odd Future member Frank Ocean, breaks the pattern by actually having a pleasant feature, and the track is my favorite from the album.īefore going into this entry, I should address the inclusion of Bastard into my list. Tyler’s viral hit “Yonkers” epitomizes the grime that came with this record without being too abrasive and in-your-face. The record includes many flawed tracks, but there are a few great moments on it worth mentioning. Tyler is by far the most talented individual on the record, and that’s apparent with some of the weak features from his Odd Future companions. Many tracks are a little too cluttered and hard to digest, and I believe it’s among the weakest production of his discography. While this is rightfully so, the album, in general, does not hold up for the most part. Goblin has weathered a lot thanks to the aforementioned offensive lyrics that came with it. However, stepping aside from the horrorcore lens, a few excellent moments from the record showed many of Tyler’s potential as an artist. Despite catapulting Odd Future into stardom, it was also a peak for some of his more vulgar and controversial language and subject matter. However, if he did, it would easily be this album. Before going into detail, I should mention that I don’t think that Tyler has ever dropped a bad record.
It was almost three years after its release, but in just one listen, I immediately went down the rabbit hole.įirst, starting off the list is Tyler’s 2011 record Goblin. I was first introduced to Tyler through YouTube recommendations, which presented “Yonkers” to me in high school. I’ll be the first to say I’m not a day one fan, but I’ve listened to his entire discography multiple times now.
It was fascinating hearing him develop and blossom with each release while also staying true to himself. With the release of CMIYGL, I went back and listened through Tyler’s entire discography. With the release of every recent Tyler album, I often find myself comparatively listening to his old work to see how far he’s come. Today, he’s a 30-year-old established artist and producer telling everyone, “I told you so.” His ability to rap over his own production has garnered him loads of success, ramping towards greatness status on this front to the levels of Kanye West, RZA, and Dr. The former Odd Future ringleader has now released seven albums in his career, evolving individually and sonically as time went on. He started making music as a rebellious teenager in 2007.
Throughout his time in the rap game, Tyler’s character arc has been one of the most fascinating to watch unfold.