The new album from Odd Future rapper/producer Tyler, the Creator comes out tomorrow. It is acclaimed! The video for the first single is super creepy and great—with a nice little nod to Saturday Night Live's old Mr. Bill skits. I hate that comma in Tyler's name.
Proclamations that a certain era is "good" or "bad" for music are always specious. There's both good and bad music being made all the time, of course, in all different genres, and that's been true even during eras accepted as either "golden" or "dead" for whatever style you might be talking about. What's easier to talk about, what I think people are actually assessing when they talk in this way, is what's popular at a certain time in history—stylistic characteristics of the music that happens to be selling the most, or being played on popular radio stations. Of course, people often disagree about stylistic characteristics, too, whether they make [...]
In one part of rap right now, lots of rappers are publicly expressing their disappointment about MTV's recently issued top ten "Hottest MCs" list, which is specifically designed, each and every year, to make rappers publicly express their disappointment. So, in the manufactured-content and conversation-fodder department, job well done, I guess. In a different part of rap, one that has more to do with things that I think should matter to people, Odd Future's prodigal son Earl Sweatshirt continues to make the argument that he is about as skillful a lyricist as exists in the world right now. With an elevated visual sense, too. That shot [...]
Two members of the Los Angeles rap collective Odd Future appeared with The Roots on the Jimmy Fallon show last night. Odd Future are also known as Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, and sometimes they switch the W" from "wolf" with the "G" from "golf" so that it's "Golf Wang." This clip of their performance lets you know why so many people are so excited about them. They're maybe about as punk rock as rap has ever got. And, among other things, they're really good.
"I'm ready to give up my old thoughts/I'ma move past what a saw/I'ma do what a want and be happy/I'm not gonna rob or kill to survive/Everything I seen was a lie/I'm not ready to die/I love myself…" — Lil B, "I Hate Myself."
"Evolve already," said the button Dan Savage wore to a Gay Pride reception at the White House last night. Well? Oakland rapper Lil B, at least, seems to be listening. His new album, I'm Gay (I'm Happy) came out yesterday on iTunes. I've been listening to it this morning, and it sounds really good.
That really is a pretty excellent video Odd Future rapper Tyler the Creator created for his new solo singe, "Yonkers." (Questions of realness aside, it is a pretty excellent song. What was that 50 said back then about where all the other hard rappers were from?) My favorite part is when he lets that enormous cockroach crawl up his arm. Then he pretends to eat it and throw it up. Which is gross. I like the part where he lets it crawl on him. I had one of those giant cockroaches crawl on my arm once. It was not as disgusting as it sounds.
