Tyler The Creator - Goblin

Tyler The Creator remains extremely popular to the extent that he now has his own TV show debuting March 25th, is working with Sony Red to establish an Odd Future label, and has a big mainstream hip hop release with Goblin.

And Goblin is really weak. I'm sorry, but what the fuck is with this album? People praise it for being different, people praise it for being an insight into the anxiety expressed by Tyler when he was picked up by a big name label, and I understand those...uh...emotions can be expressed or have an impact on the music. However I feel like how these bleak emotions were expressed is the worst way to go about doing it. Thus Goblin is dull. There are sparks of ingenuity with tracks like "Yonkers" and "Tron Cat" or even "Nightmare." However the rest of the album pales in comparison to the few solid tracks, evocatively and musically.

Once again the title track starts the album, and this time serves as less of a song and more of an intro. That's fine, as it leads into the killer "Yonkers." Here we have Tyler at his best, talking about stabbing Bruno Mars in the neck (who wouldn't love to do that?) and insulting fake ginger Hayley Williams. It's a bit of black comedy, angst, and theatrical brilliance. Something that more hip hop artists need to adapt. There are a few other instances where this shines through on Goblin. Notably on "Tron Cat" where the aggressive beat compliments the lyrics perfectly.

However most of the time you're stuck with lackluster beats and lyrics that are either too devoid of flow to be entertaining, or are too mundane to be threatening. "Radicals" features throwback lyrics from Earl's Earl, and tracks like "Window" are just boring. "Fish" features some cool chromaticisms but otherwise isn't notable, and there's another fucking swag song on here: "Bitch Suck Dick." Fuck this swag shit. It sucks. Lil B sucks. Based God is my bitch and he isn't deserving of any bitches. Fuck off. At least "Golden" makes for a solid conclusion referencing Tyler's relation to the missing Earl (who is now back a year later to everyone's joy). It's a bit emotional, has a decent beat, and as a fan of Earl, something I can relate to.

The beats on Goblin are significantly weaker than on Bastard and are often extremely uninspired. There's no abrasiveness, no eerie sounds, and not much in the way of texture. Plus the samples are god awful and sound like something out of fruity loops. There's not much more to say here other than Tyler should be given more creative control over his own music and mixing.

Tyler also feels it's necessary to point out that he's not serious everytime he gets a bit aggressive in his style. He did it uncannily on Bastard, but on Goblin it feels forced and like the label asked him to do it. If he (or the label) thought it'd stop people from being offended, he was clearly in the wrong since after Goblin's release he was called out for homophobic comments and misogynist comments as well. My suggestion? Stop giving a fuck by trying to apologize. People will still see "evil" where there isn't any regardless, and those people are so worthless as human beings that their opinion is insignificant. However mine isn't because I'm not a dumbass, and I gotta say this album is pretty weak.

2.75 out of 10

Tracklisting:

1. Goblin
2. Yonkers
3. Radicals
4. She (feat. Frank Ocean)
5. Transylvania
6. Nightmare
7. Tron Cat
8. Her
9. Sandwitches (feat. Hodgy Beats)
10. Fish / Boppin Bitch
11. Analog (feat. Hodgy Beats)
12. Bitch Suck Dick (feat. Jasper Dolphin & Taco)
13. Window (feat. Domo Genesis, Frank Ocean, Hodgy Beats, & Mike G)
14. AU79
15. Golden

You won't be finding (or wanting) a download for this.