By Dylan Fair
Staff Writer
From Elvis to The Beatles, some musical acts have been able to define generations. Such is the case of Los Angeles rap group OFWGKTA, commonly referred to as Odd Future. Tyler, The Creator is the uniquely named front man of this group, and he perfectly synthesizes the youthful angst of Nirvana with the cult of personality and group identity of the Wu-Tang Clan. His new solo release, entitled “Goblin,” is a masterpiece.
Odd Future began as a modestly prominent group in the underground LA rap scene in 2008. The release of singles “Yonkers” and “Sandwitches,” however, have helped the group’s reputation explode. The group has received massive amounts of both popular and critical praise with such rapid success, and Tyler addresses these recent changes “Goblin,” exposing listeners to the dark and twisted corners of his mind.
In one of the few lines without expletives, Tyler uses a double entendre to address his critics as well as his suicidal mindset: “I’m just a teenager who admits he’s suicide-prone, but life’s been doing pretty good, so that day is postponed.”
The pioneering originality and creative genius of Odd Future has catapulted the group into a level all its own. The themes of the album span from following your dreams to twisted sexual fantasies with Taylor Swift to the graphic murders of Bill O’ Reilly and Bruno Mars. These ideas are presented with both a a dark irony and a sense of humor that are truly irresistible.
The lyrics of the tracks are accentuated by Tyler’s own drawn out and bass-heavy beats, as well as mixing from DJ Syd the Kid. Almost all of the songs are delivered with a slow and foreboding tempo intended to reflect the dark emotions of “Goblin.” Unlike most modern rap albums, this release features no sampling and very few choruses.
“Tron Cat,” track seven, epitomizes the provocative nature of Odd Future by focusing on grotesque themes. This song provides listeners convoluted yet creative images of blood, torture and rape. Tyler barks “Starve her till I carve her, then throw her in the rover, where I carve her like a barber with a Parkinson’s disorder”. These lines are prime example of disturbed shock value that Tyler uses to feed the media fire.
While deeper and more profound than previous songs, “She,” track four, is diluted by a sappy chorus. The verses tell a unique story of ill-fated romance and depression, but a misplaced, cheesy and sing-song type chorus turns away listeners.
As Tyler’s most popular song to date, “Yonkers” is an appropriate representation of the album as a whole. The song mainly alludes to Tyler’s lack of fatherly influence, which helps explain the source of anguish and darkness present in “Goblin.”
The track “Radical” lives up to its name while still remaining one of the strongest songs on the album. Sporting a chorus of “Kill people, burn s**t, f*** school,” the track revolts against critics of Odd Future by intentionally filling the belligerent juvenile stereotype that they have labeled the rap group with.
Tyler intends to show the world the violent “swag” of today’s youth with this record, which is the first widely released album of any members of Odd Future.
“Goblin” is not for the faint of heart. To some, parts of “Goblin” would seem like torture. For Odd Future fans, however, “Goblin” meets and exceeds all expectations. “Goblin” was released on May 10 and is available in retail stores everywhere.
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