Review: Goblin -Tyler, The Creator

As the leader of the rap collective Odd Future (fully entitled Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All), Tyler, the Creator has made a name for himself through his music as well as his antics. Whether it’s getting involved in a war of words with Sara of the Canadian-indie act Tegan & Sara, or getting arrested for “disturbing the peace”, Tyler is as unapologetic as his twenty-year old self allows. His latest release, Goblin, is a track by track account of his life –from growing up without a father, to finding first loves, to teen angst and eventual fame. What the leader of hip-hop’s new sonic wave is saying is a force to be reckoned with.

Goblin is a follow-up to his self-released debut Bastard. What continues is Tyler’s own psycho-analysis of himself; tracks that include and distorted voice (Tyler’s own) act as a therapy session and precursor to the song that will follow. The song “Goblin” is Tyler establishing who he is. The record opens with it, Tyler confessing ins and outs of his life, calling himself out as well as calling out others. While explicit, it’s his honesty that is separating him from other rappers. There’s nothing radio-friendly, there is nothing that would make a good club jam –it’s brute honesty –an autobiography of a straight-edge, 20 year old skater-turned-rapper.

The album’s first single, “Yonkers”, is almost a self-loathing/self-promoting, shameless track for attention. He sets himself up to be the best, a fresh voice, a master of hard knocks and pulling out to win. Calling out fellow musicians such as B.O.B. and Bruno Mars, controversy is a thread holding Goblin together. The track is addictive; the beat almost overpowers the rhymes, creating a hypnotic energy.

On tracks like “Radicals” (which includes a “random disclaimer” where Tyler says that the song is “fiction”) and “Tron Cat”, Tyler unleashes his demons with no remorse. While battling the egos of others, he also gives his own quite a beating on the piano-driven track “Nightmare” before attacking feelings of lust on “She (feat. Frank Ocean)” and “Her.”

Lyrically, the same misogynistic and homophobic undertones are as present here as on any other rap album. Is it right or ok? Of course not; I take offense to the word "fag" and, as a woman, don't think that it should be acceptable for the rap community to constantly refer to women as their "bitches.” The cuts “Bitch Suck Dick” and “Transylvania” are more or less unlistenable and the lyrics “Rape a pregnant bitch and tell my friends I had a threesome” show his immaturity which, in turn, show the misfires on the record to be trying too hard to be a “gangster.”

The entire record is 20 minutes too long, but the obvious lack of outside help proves that Tyler’s auteur-style is still there. He does, to stay current in the lingo of this generation, have swag. Where he’s strong, he’s strong, but where he falters, he pigeonholes himself. Once he learns to edit and maybe find some humility, he can get to work on being the innovator he deserves to be recognized as and maybe all of this can occur before he turns 25. **7.9/10