Dan Flavin Nate Donohoe Roberto Escamilla
Music Corner
Tyler the Creator’s had a lot to live up to after his Grammy Nominated album “Flower Boy,” and he definitely delivered with his most recent project “IGOR.”
Tyler the Creator might have made the biggest turnaround, in terms of style, of any rapper ever. His music started out rough. He would rap on basic beats and say crazy stuff for attention. His childish music has totally changed into a production heavy well thought out project. He has improved all across the board in writing, production, meaning, features, and flow.
The album starts off with a track highlighted by a distorted 808 bass and a unique sounding feature from rapper Lil Uzi Vert. The intro immediately lets the listener know, “IGOR” is not a usual rap album.
Some top tier tracks from the album are “EARFQUAKE,” “I THINK,” “WHAT’S GOOD,” and “I DON’T LOVE YOU ANYMORE.” The second track “EARFQUAKE” is amazing and will probably be the most popular song on the album. Its numbers will not only rise because of the quality of the track, but it also features rapper Playboi Carti and jazz singer Charlie Wilson. The bouncy piano layered with the heavy bass and Wilson’s high pitched vocals give the song a happy summertime feel. The thing that will drive the track away from listeners is the rough production and vocals. Tyler has reached a point in his production that he is so talented he is purposely making it sound off. The vocals are a little bit off tune and the drums are a little bit off time, but Tyler does this artistically to give the song a relatable sound.
Another great song was “I THINK.” The track is great from start to finish. The marching drum pattern and the vocal sample blend beautifully with Tyler’s smooth flow and raspy voice. The track's chorus features vocals from female singer Solange and background from Tyler. The song’s break is a symphony of Tyler's production as the drums keep marching, a piano riff enters the mix, and so do some cutting horns. The track then fades out with the following chorus, Tyler’s production has reached a new level with “IGOR” and he proved it with the track “I THINK.”
A very different track from the album is the ninth track, “WHAT’S GOOD.” The track’s first half is heavily distorted in all aspects. The melody, bass, drums, and vocals. Tyler has a dark choppy flow that rides the instrumental very well. The track switches the mood of the album from deep sadness to anger. The track is crucial for the theme of the album, extending Tyler’s heartbreak to the point of anger at the other person.
Later in the album, Tyler accepts his heartbreak and decides he no longer cares. With the track “I DON’T LOVE YOU ANYMORE.” With a simple drum pattern and a quiet simple flow. The track then picks up with a quick vocal sample and drop. The track is the overrun with a distorted guitar and vocals that feel like they are floating. The track is a perfect realization for Tyler to realize he can do it himself and does not need the other person.
The album as a whole has very little flaws. If the listener followed Tyler’s instructions and came into the album with no expectations the album was great. The flows people see are because they expected Tyler to rap often and not let the production shine as much as it did. The project felt like Tyler has completed a long journey as a rapper and producer. He started out rough. People could tell he was special, but he didn’t do much with his music. The past two albums have shown how much he has grown. He is the a polished rapper, producer, and songwriter, whose talent is at a sky high level.
“IGOR” was a great album that showed off all of his positives and only his smallest negatives. For example some of the tracks felt lackluster and like they needed another element, but other than that the project was incredible. For all the positives and lack of bad track, we rate “IGOR” a 9/10.
