Probably one of the most influential rappers in the hip-hop industry, Tyler, The Creator, is an important part of the hip-hop community. Since his debut in 2009 with his mixtape titled “Bastard,” the rapper has been on a journey to leave a permanent mark in the rap music scene.
The acknowledgment and his global influence over the transformation of rap music from being an underground thing to bringing it to the mainstream market have led Tyler to become one of the greatest rappers of all time. The rapper possesses many accolades, including the Grammy Awards, BET Hip-Hop Awards, Brit Awards, and many more, as proof of his hard work and where it brought him.
He started off with a horror-core music style which featured heavy instruments and sounds along with violent lyrics that shook the audience. It was definitely different and new and also liked by many. The rapper is also one of the founding members of the original rap community that goes by the name Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, or just Odd Future.
Tyler had always had an inclination toward music-making and was always also imagining how he would want his album to look. Since the age of seven, Tyler has been busy creating a path for himself in the music industry, and surely, in the present time, Tyler would be proud of what the little boy has achieved. The rapper has stuck with the name his younger version came up with after letting out all of his future endeavors onto his MySpace page.
Tyler, The Creator was unleashed onto the world in 2007, and he continues to work still, though he has pursued other opportunities too, like songwriting, producing, singing, and even acting. With sixteen years of experience under his belt, the rapper has put out many hit albums, some of which we will take a look at below.
Tyler, The Creator Albums Ranked
1. IGOR
Number one has to be this 2019 release, which is a favorite for many Tyler fans. A close listen to all the songs within the album show that they have been put in chronological order that, by the end, makes a perfect story. One major reason many fans adore this production is that the lyrics of the songs seemed to have moved away from his early misogynistic, crude, homophobic ones.
While the album is still a rap album in its true essence, Tyler has still added aspects of R&B and soul music that are unlike his very first album. It has classic songs like “Puppet” and “Earthquake” that are so full of rawness that they actually shocked many. The sudden change in his musical style could have been an experiment gone wrong, but instead, Grammy awarded it as the Best Rap Album in 2020.
The album is just another portrayal of his incredible genius with a grand production and amazing vocal abilities. It is also significant because the album has been arranged and entirely produced by him, with no other help.
2. Flower Boy
This 2017 album defines Tyler, The Creator’s maturity and growth as a songwriter and producer. Once again, unlike his previous hardcore rap albums, this one is softer on the ears with no hard sounds or very aggressive rap verses. This might as well have been the album that put him in the mainstream pop music market.
“See You Again,” “Boredom,” “I Ain’t Got Time,” and other such songs in the album have the core of a rap song with a tinge of the pop vibe. This album shows his creative abilities to venture out and explore something completely fresh and still make a hit out of it. The songs in this album feel like an expression of different feelings like love, depression, and fame.
It also feels like this was a chance for Tyler to explore and question himself and his style. This album is a piece of art with its introspective and deep lyrics.
3. Call me If You Get Lost
This album was a commercial success and for all the right reasons. Songs in this one feel so well made, with production so grand that it leaves the listeners speechless. The album, Call Me If You Get Lost has its focuses more on the overall vibe that the songs set rather than the lyrics, which is not to say that the lyrics are not noteworthy. Songs like “Juggernaut,” “Wusyaname,” and “Hot Wind Blows” have verses from other talented artists like Lil Uzi Vert, Pharrell, and Lil Wayne, who add so much quality to the album overall.
Apart from the various collaborations, the songs in this album include lyrics that show off Tyler’s hard-earned wealth, which is a first since both the two above albums did not include such mainstream lyrics. Though overdone, these lyrics do not feel all that cringe or boring.
4. Wolf
This 2013 album is probably the one that is the most “rap album-like” out of the total four that have been mentioned till now. It has hard rap verses with solid bars that portray the last of all the anger and spite stored with Tyler. The lyrics continue to be raw and vulnerable, and meaningful, all derived from Tyler’s real-life moments.
Songs like “48” and “Answer” within the album are thoroughly emotional, with beautiful rap verses that have been inspired by his own life and the highs and lows in it. But it is still like the maturity of Tyler from albums like Flower Boy and IGOR and thus pales in comparison.
5. Cherry Bomb
This album has songs like “2Seater” and “Okaga, Ca,” which are nothing but heavenly, with their sounds and soft music, but the opposite to this, the album also has songs like “Run,” “Cherry Bomb,” and “Smuckers” that are just noisy and loud and act like an interruption between the more soulful songs. This album does not even compare to his recent ones, though this was his earlier era when he was still discovering himself and was under the heavy influence of artists like Pharrell and West.
6. Goblin
This 2011 album is Tyler, The Creator’s debut album and probably ranks the lowest out of all of his albums. This is what one would call a representative of aggressive hip-hop culture. Without much musical experience, this album has all of the controversial aspects, including vulgar language, misogyny, and homophobia. It came out when the rapper was nineteen, so it makes sense that the lyrics are all trying to make a point, but they are unable to do so.
This album is the least impactful in terms of the sound and lyrics, but it did put the rapper out in the hip-hop world, eventually bringing him so much power and influence. It was also important to put out his worst to finally get in touch with his best.
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