Tyler the Creator's Goblin

Incredible so far.

I've got a piece going up about Tyler, probably first thing in the morning if I finish it tonight.

Really enjoying it so far.  Look forward to seeing him live on Friday.

As for the long first track, that just reminded me of the opening title track on "Bastard".  It's not as good but still sets a good tone for the album IMO.

It's a good album, but I think Odd Future are slightly over hyped in general.  I don't buy the "punk" of hip hop claims.  With their blatant shock value and theatrical live performances, they remind me more of KISS. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parker 

It's a good album, but I think Odd Future are slightly over hyped in general.  I don't buy the "punk" of hip hop claims.  With their blatant shock value and theatrical live performances, they remind me more of KISS. 

KISS was still about writing catchy songs and being rockstars though.  I'd say a better comparison would be Eminem, but that's not right either because his demons were extremely personal, whereas Tyler and the rest of OFWGKTA are the first kids in a long time to come along and just say "fuck you, we're here and we're angry" - though they're struggling to pinpoint why.  Tyler raps about his absentee dad (almost too much), but everything else is so much of an act, I'm not even sure how much of that is based in reality.  It's so over the top, I get the sense he's almost rubbing it the listener's face - see what culture's created?  Me.  I'm the monster.

I did this about this.

http://www.chud.com/52198/the-new-flesh-odd-future-wolf-gang-tweet-them-all/

I think it's genuine. Tyler's not as refined as Eminem and his demons aren't quite as vicious I don' think, but he's definitely the model here. They're not subtle about it. What I love is how contradictory the whole thing often is- something that used to bother the shit out of me about rap (shit on other rappers for rapping about guns, rap about guns the next song), but I've come to appreciate. People are contradictory, our emotions are contradictory and selfish and stupid. I think Odd Future has all that raw punk energy going for them, great music, sick rhymes, but the bigger picture reason they're so fascinating is how fucking moment-to-moment reactive Tyler has been, and how it's been able to affect his music immediately.

I don't know how to apply it, but I'm reminded of South Park's uncanny ability to spit out an episode within 72 hours of an event. Tyler's not quite doing that, but the tweeting, the videos... it's all a big interesting package.

EDIT: I'm fairly certain the article caused these:

...he's 100% right and 100% wrong. I am going to unplug a bit before I do start feeling creepy though.

That ain't nothing, and I also don't know who 1 and 3 are, whatever that means. Online sales are certainly going to be way disproportionate to physical, but he is what he is. It's not a blockbuster album, but it's big enough to matter and affect other artists.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parker 

It's a good album, but I think Odd Future are slightly over hyped in general.

This. Depending on who's doing the hyping, massively over-hyped.

Which sucks because it detracts from a pretty strong group of hip-hop artists. I really think the semi-frequent hyperbole surrounding them is more a sign of just how starved the genre is for real interesting artists.

If I'm not playing from my library (which typically grows through friend's suggestions and other w-o-m discoveries) I'm on pandora, so I think I've been spared.

Hm. I initially felt like a weirdo because I couldn’t get past OFWGKTA's smirking glorification of patriarchal sexual violence and I felt like there were hella people who should know better praising them w/o critically engaging that kind of content…but then I remembered it’s super rad to derive epic lulz from purestrain woman hate because web 2.0 and hipster culture exist in a post-structuralist bubble where words and concepts are unfettered from from all contextualizing social relations; i.e. they consign Gramsci’s concept of cultural hegemony to the same historical dustbin as Myspace, ideology, and Witch House. Late capitalism owns…

Also, note the class character of the OFWGKTA phenomenon: bourgie suburban black teens make records indulging their rape/murder fantasies, consumed primarily by bourgie white hipster morons and idiot bloggers who don't listen rap music but still feel qualified to comment on "What Tyler the Creator means to Hip Hop". It's a minstrel show for white liberal dudez who secretly get lil boners from graphic depictions of sexual violence.

lol

EDIT: As questionable a decision at it may be to actually engage, I gotta say... dude... If you're going for the condescending douchebag / overwrought argument angle, you've got to get all the words right.

*pulls up shirt, revealing #basedgod tattooed on lower back*

lol, what words do you think I "got wrong".

Here's a word you got wrong: "not". As in, "not being a weird nerd on the internet, not being doomed to a terrible soul-crushing wage slavery job washing dishes at the Cheesecake Factory, not having a girlfriend who likes like Skeeter Valentine, and not living in a trash can, feasting on garbage and sticking your child-dick in stray cats like some freaky anthropomorphized Heathcliff" *holds up a mirror* That's literally your life bro ahahaha

...

Dude get over yourself. If you can't get over disturbing themes you might as well not listen to music. OR watch movies. OR anything else that's not the PAX channel. I gotta love that you went from using words like patriarchal in one post to using the phrase "child-dick" in the next. Which could be re-worked as a good Tyler line, I must say..

Anyhoos, I just picked this up. It certainly is solid, and I hope it's success will open more folks ears to what hip-hop is and can be.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jean-Paul Marat 

Here's a word you got wrong: "not". As in, "not being a weird nerd on the internet, not being doomed to a terrible soul-crushing wage slavery job washing dishes at the Cheesecake Factory, not having a girlfriend who likes like Skeeter Valentine, and not living in a trash can, feasting on garbage and sticking your child-dick in stray cats like some freaky anthropomorphized Heathcliff" *holds up a mirror* That's literally your life bro ahahaha

fuck yes

It just hit so close to home, I couldn't take it.

Renn lives in a trash can?

You guys do recognize the avatar, right? This isn't the first time. I forget what this twat's name used to be.

Just stopped in the local Target.  They had Goblin prominently featured in their end cap for new releases and there was only one copy left (which I promptly snatched up).  So, it would appear that Tyler the Creator and OFWGKTA are kinda blowing up.

Off to be a bourgie white hipster moron...

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeypants 

You guys do recognize the avatar, right?

I was actually going to post that last night, but the reply function wasn't working for me. Damned if I can remember the name, though...

Hip-hop is entering a punk phase, but this isn't it. Lil B is. Unless you mean the "we're young, unhappy and disenfranchised, so fuck you" aspect. In which case, I recommend you listen to every other rap song ever.

Overall, like most of Odd Future's music, the album is too weird and lumpy for me to really embrace whole-heartedly. But the tracks I love I REALLY love. Better than Bastard, not as good as Earl or nostalgia/ultra.

E-40's Overnight Shift/Graveyard Shift are still the rap albums of 2011 to beat, as far as I'm concerned. But a happily married 43-year-old father of four continuing his ten year run of making consistently excellent music isn't as interesting, I suppose.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrick Ripoll 

 Lil B is.

God that was painful to listen to. And Wesley Willis did it better.

So with the release of Goblin, it seems the backlash on OFWGKTA has begun. That was quick. I'm seeing it everywhere. 

They're entertaining. Anything that fucks with the status quo, I can get behind. 

Yeah. I enjoy it too.

Just got back from the OFWGKTA concert in NYC.  First of all, the security at Highline Ballroom was atrocious.  Doors were to open at 1130pm.  I was halfway back in the line and I didn't get in until 1:03am.  It's a 500-person venue, so there is no reason it should have taken that long.

As for the show, Syd was spinning on the turntables when I got in.  Tyler started to chime in on the mic while being backstage, which whipped the crowd into a frenzy.  When he and Hodgy Beats came out to "Sandwitches", the place went fucking apeshit.  He kept talking about "Goblin" coming out that week, even cursing out the magazine and record company employees in the audience that got the album simply for their job responsibilities.  The stage-diving was constant and lots of audience members hopped on stage and jumped into the mosh pits.  Aside from Tyler, the member with the best stage presence was Hodgy Beats.  Loved watching him take over whenever Tyler disappeared backstage or relaxed behind the DJ kit. 

A few things that really stood out:

• When singing "French", Tyler jumped into the mosh pit and started slamming into people while singing.  He worked his way all the way to the back of the room rather than staying in the group down in front of the stage.
• Frank Ocean showed up and did 2 songs ("Novacaine" and "Lovecrimes").  He killed it.  When he was performing, the rest of OFWGKTA stayed out of his way and watched from stage like they were fans.  Shows the respect they have for his work, which is a total departure from the typical stuff the group puts out.
• After OFWGKTA was done performing, Syd played "Earl" and the entire stage was overrun by fans who sang the song for the rest of us standing below.

If you like their music, you have to make a point to see them in person.  Just stay back from the stage if you want to avoid injuries.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jesse T 

According to Pitchfork.com, GLAAD is now speaking out against Tyler and his use of homophobic speech. I'm having flashbacks of Slim Shady...And I can't really fault them on it. After Sara from Tegan and Sara spoke out on his lyrics the only thing he said was "Tegan & Sara can ride my dick" or something on twitter...I'm all about free speech and all, and I don't think he is homophobic, but he's not doing anything but coming off ignorant when it seems like he's smarter than that. Say bitch and faggot and nigger all you want, but at least explain yourself better.

I've yet to read a convincing argument against the charges of homophobia and rape-fantasy filled lyrics, but it's not like they're anything new, just amplified because of the hype.  But I still wonder how big of that "say anything/do anything" mentality feeds into their popularity, which is problematic.  Would Das Racist (who are ten times more clever then all of Odd Future combined) be as popular as OFWGKTA if they rhymed about rape and gay bashing all the time and did wildly theatrical shows with crowd surfing and constantly engaged in never ending Twitter rants?  Tyler predicted that after a month everyone would hate Odd Future and I'm starting to think he might have called it.  Fucking every music blog has had a story on them every day this week.  I'm getting burnt out.  If their music was stronger it might be worth it, but it's not. 

I've loved Tegan and Sara for many years, so this is tough. I think I'll sit it out.

Tyler's not helping his case, but really, if he were to break and start legitimately defending his actions, what would be the point of his act?