Not Just a Rapper: Donald Glover

"Stone Mountain, Georgia got somethin'- for ya"

Actor, writer, comedian, and hip-hop artist Donald Glover, aka "Childish Gambino," is an unusual talent. His upbringings didn't include gangs, totin' guns, or selling drugs, yet that isn't to say his childhood was easy. In the small town of Stone Mountain, Georgia (population 5,000), Glover grew up lower middle-class with several foster children in his home. Battling through a high school he didn't belong in, he took advantage of the opportunities his parents gave him and ended up at NYU.

Donald Glover in High School

"(Mom) workin' two jobs so I can get into that white school,

And I hate it there,

They all make fun of my clothes and wanna touch my hair"

Childish Gambino  - "Outside" - Camp

After NYU, Glover saw a future in comedy and eventually scored a writing job for NBC's TV show 30 Rock. He simultaneously strove for an acting career, which consisted mostly of small roles until Community came knocking on his door in 2009. As his fame spread on television, it also spread in his other fields. Donald's stand-up earned him multiple Comedy Central specials, including hit act "Weirdo" released in 2011; however his rise in stand-up is incomparable to his success in music during this time. Going by the pseudonym "Childish Gambino" (retrieved from an online Wu-Tang clan name generator), Glover released multiple successful albums/mixtapes/EPS from 2009-2012.

"I do not talk; I am just a rapper"

Glover's aspirations of becoming a rapper date back to before he even arrived at college. In the song "My Shine"  from his 2011 EP, Gambino states that he was "rappin' back when Lance had chemo" in response to critics who claim he only started rapping to bank off his semi-successful television career. People can speculate on his motives to become a rapper, but the truth is that his first official release, Sick Boi (2008), came a solid year before his fame was even notable. In any case, Glover makes it clear that rapping is merely a hobby and only one of his many talents.

Gambino at ACL 2012

"But now I got them lined up at the lobby door, 
It makes me wonder what this rappin' shit's a hobby for.
Oh, that's right because I'm gifted in another field, and another field, and another field."

Childish Gambino - F*ck It All - Culdesac


"Welcome to the Culdesac"

Childish's first major success came in 2010 when he released Culdesac to the world for free via his website. This album put Gambino on the hip hop map.

Culdesac - July 2010

His alternative rap style topped off with a slight indie vibe captivated hip/hop hipsters everywhere, including fellow classmate Colin Ainsworth, who around this time introduced me to Gambino and Culdesac. Although I heard complaints on this album varying from "he's too white" to "why did he record with a stuffed-up nose," for the most part the critical reception among peers and among rap critics was positive. The album not only displayed Glover's talent as a rapper, but it was also very original in it's design. The use of actual instruments, the variety of beats, and the genuine, relatable message by Gambino made the album a breath of fresh air to teenage non-conformists across the nation. While the album never made the Top 100, it acted as a key stepping stone to a greater Gambino.

"Alright, Gambino is a mastermind"

Gambino's EP (March 2011) releasing 5 songs stunned fans everywhere. Lyrically and musically, the release surpassed Culdesac by a landslide. Gambino was bold with his words, already bragging on himself and spitting disses into haters' faces. In the final song of the EP, "Not Going Back", Gambino insists that his success will not end, and his prediction has stood strong. The most radical and ingenious song in the EP is easily "Freaks and Geeks". The flare Gambino emits in this song resonates in every listener's mind, only to be added onto by the incredible music video:

"Everyone hated me, I'm more hip hop than you'll ever be"

Camp globalized Gambino. The album, first of his to be released with a record company, debuted in November 2011 and immediately caught fire, rising to #2 on US Billboard's Weekly Top Rap albums shortly after. With intriguing instrumentals and well-produced tracks, Camp appealed to a wider audience but didn't lose the Childish die-hards who were still welcomed by his unique, hipster swagger. Gambino also addressed personal issues in the album. In the songs "Outside", "Hold You Down",  and "That Power", Gambino tells stories of his experiences with racism as a child and how race still plays a major role in his life, particularly how some tend to categorize races and won't accept a black rapper who isn't the stereotypical, "fuck the police" thug. Additionally, Childish reaches out to an ex-girlfriend who he can't get his mind off of in "Letter Home". The monologue digs deep into the heart of Glover; despite his numerous recent outings with attractive women, he still strives to win back a girl from his past. Ultimately, Camp achieved success because it captivated both the indie teenagers and the hip-hop junkies with its perfect balance of mainstream-style rap and original Gambino flare. In my opinion, this is easily his best album yet and has no weak songs.

"Thug" rapper Lil Wayne

Childish Gambino

"I wanna hang with Lil' Wayne, I just hope I'm black enough"

- Gambino








"I'm a star, how could I not shine?"

In summer 2012, Childish released the mixtape R O Y A L T Y off of his website for free. The tape has an old-school hip-hop vibe with several guest rap artists, an obscene amount of scratching, and an almost angry tone from Gambino. He severely veered away from his past work in R O Y A L T Y, presenting a dark, "ghetto-like" rap style similar to artists like 2-Chainz and Wocka Flocka. Although most Gambino fans would like to see the Culdesac-Camp Gambino return, the mixtape in itself is not bad. The critical reception was positive, although many noted that the mixtape surprised them and lacked the "sincerity and unique nature" of Gambino's prior work. Whether or not R O T A L T Y satisfied Childish fans, this was certainly not the last we will hear of Gambino. Due to the style of this album and the responses following, I suspect a Camp-like studio release by Gambino in 2013.


Also Check Out: 
Mixtapes:
I Am Just A Rapper 
I Am Just A Rapper 2
Songs:
"Eat Your Vegetables"
"Break (AOTL)"
"Rolling in the Deep" - Jamie xx - Gambino Remix

A$AP Rocky - The Next Big Thing?

A$AP Rocky performing at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2012

While A$AP Rocky is relatively new to the rap scene, he has already enjoyed quite a bit of critical and comercial success. He released his first mixtape, "Live. Love. A$AP" was released in 2011, and was met with immediate critical acclaim. Singles "Peso" and "Purple Swag" garnered Rocky mainstream attention and led to his first record deal. Jon Caramanica of The New York Times cited the two tracks as "among the year's best hip-hop songs." This yeas A$AP Rocky released his debut album, "Long. Live. A$AP" on January 15th. A-list stars like Drake and Kendrick Lamar have endorsed this young tallent, and have agreed to go on tour with him later this year. With this strong duo backing him, it seems like the sky is the limit for A$AP Rocky. 

Childhood:

"I just remember like...it was hustlers, hustlers, hustlers. Money, money, money. 

That's why they call it Money Making Manhattan."

- Rakim Mayers on the neighborhood where he grew up

Born on October 3rd, 1998, Rakim Mayers was raised in a crime infested Harlem neighborhood. Mayers was influenced by hip hop from a very early age, as he was named after influential New York emcee Eric B. He faced advirsity early in his life, as Mayers' father was sent to jail for dealing drugs when Mayers was just twelve years old. The next year, his brother was murdered near his aparment. Because of these tragedies, Mayers spent much of his childhood living in shelters with his mother. 

Rakim Mayers as a child

Without a steady influence from his father or older brother, Rakim turned to hip hop. He grew up listening to UGK, Devin the Dude, the Diplomats, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, among others. Mayers started toying with rhymes when he was eight years old, but he didn't start to rap seriously untill he was seventeen. 

Style:

"I feel like they [Houstonians] should embrace me. I love the culture. I'm keeping it real. 

I'm from New York and I love that culture. I love it more than this New York sh*t."

 - A$AP Rocky

A$AP Rocky's laid back and smooth style is proof of the influence Southern rap has had on him. Houston is featured in his songs. In any one of his tracks, you can hear Rocky referencing purple drank, incorporating Houston rap lingo, and drawing out his syllables. In "Live. Love. A$AP" carried on a long tradition of New York rappers using styles from other parts of the country. Stylistically, he pays homage to Ohio's Bone Thugs-N-Harmony one second and Houston's chopped and screwed in the next.

- A$AP Rocky's song "F_kin' Problems" 

Drake: Canada, Cash Money and the Corruption of Old School Hip-Hop

"We don't dress alike, we don't rap alike. I shine different, I rhyme different. Only thing you got is some years on me. Man, f*ck you and your time difference."

-Drake, on being criticized by other rappers

If you were to read a quick bio about Drake back when he was a teenager, you would probably have never pegged him as a potential rapper, much less a rapper of such astronomical mainstream success.  Born Aubrey Graham Drake, he was raised in Toronto, Canada, in a wealthy suburb called Forest Hill. He mother is Jewish, and Drake attended a Jewish private school for nearly all of his education. This sort of suburban upbringing puts Drake far away from the street life celebrated by rappers like Nas, Jay-Z and the Notorious B.I.G.  Many hip-hop aficionados criticize Drake for symbolizing the corruption of the rap and hip-hop genre, but in reality, Drake is a symbol of rap's new mainstream meaning and function.

The Early Years

Drake was born in Toronto to a Jewish Canadian mother and and African-American father from Memphis, Tennessee. His parents divorced when he was five years old, and Drake stayed Canada with his mother. Like most young Canadian boys, Drake played hockey and attended a high school with an international baccalaureate program. Drake, when asked about his childhood, said that his childhood was hard, and claimed that he and his mother never had much money. According to Drake, from a Canadian perspective, he was living the hard life. However, when he visited his father in Memphis, he was told that he "was the furtherest thing from 'hood," almost perfectly foreshadowing the criticism he faces now in the height of his rap career. One of his friends in high school had a father involved in television, and landed Drake a role on the popular Canadian television show Degrassi. Drake eventually decided to drop out of high school to pursue his artistic career. In the show, Drake's character, Jimmy Brooks, raps in a talent show. Drake's exposure to rap during his acting career is largely credited with his rapping success today.

Making Music: Mixtapes and Money

"I write poems in these songs, dedicated to the fun sex."

-Drake  in Poetic Justice

Though Drake didn't start out in the inner-city, he still earned his career. Between 2006 and 2009, he put out several mixtapes, showcasing his raps, singing and lyrical ability.  Songs like "Best I Ever Had" and "Successful" were big hits on the radio. His instant popularity with mainstream listeners got the attention of rapper Lil Wayne, who signed Drake onto the Young Money/Cash Money record label.

Drake's career was off to a promising start. He had signed with a well-known label, his breakthrough mixtape So Far Gone was hailed as one of the best mixtapes released in modern music, and Pitchfork Media hailed it as "one of the most compulsively listenable mixtapes." However, his next albums, Thank Me Later  and Take Care  did not resonate with the critics. Rolling Stone  criticized Drake's persona as a man "with a Jay-Z level ego and a Charlie Brown, feel sorry for me, soul." They also said that the album art depicted Drake in a way that made him look like his dog had just been run over.

Take Care album cover

Break from Tradition and Criticism

Drake bragged in "Best I Ever Had" that the "buzz so big I could probably sell a blank disc." Despite the skepticism of many veteran music critics, Drake put his money where his mouth is. Take Care went platinum and The New York Times and Los Angeles Times ranked it as the number one album of the year. Take Care truly began to show Drake's departure from the traditions of the rap genre. In the late 1970s, when rap began to take the Bronx by storm, artists like Afrika Bambaataa and DJ Kool Herc made the music about gathering community and creating a culture for the people forgotten within the impoverished areas of America. Later on, rappers like Public Enemy used rap to send a political message about the plight of African-Americans and the broken system. As Biggie said in "Juicy," "this is dedicated to all the teachers that told me I'd never amount to nothing, to all the people that lived above the buildings I was hustling in front of that called the police on me when I was just trying to make some money to feed my daughter, and all the n*ggas in the struggle." Rap began as a venue of expression for those who had the system against them and offered a message of hope and commiseration. So, where would Drake, a kid from the Canadian suburbs, fit into the rap game? For Drake, the answer was easy. He didn't need to fit the mold of old school rap when the new definition of hip-hop suited him just fine.

Over the past decade, rap has become more and more popular with the mainstream culture and, by extension, has become more mainstream. Instead of focusing on the hardship of life in the ghetto and sending a political message, hip-hop began to cater to a wider American audience and focused on the things that sell best: money, sex and alcohol. When Cosmopolitan Magazine interviewed Drake, he compared rapping to sex. In "HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)," Drake truly illustrates his distinction from older rap music. Focusing on girls he's been with and all the partying he does, the video for "HYFR" features clips from both his bat mitzvahs (yes, he had two). With his money, shameless partying and unique heritage, Drake couldn't be more different from the rappers of old. 

"HYFR" music video

Since rap is now produced for kids in the suburbs, Drake, with his suburban upbringing, resonated with them even more than his old-school peers. Drake's party lifestyle certainly got the media's attention. Lists of Drake's alleged flings were published online  and stories of his tumultuous relationship with singer Rihanna (which caused his feud with singer Chris Brown) were also splashed across tabloids all over America. But nothing caught the American public on fire like Drake's motto: YOLO. YOLO stands for "you only live once" and debuted in Drake's song "The Motto," featuring Lil Wayne. The phrase immediately became a trending topic on Twitter and actor Zac Efron even got the acronym tattooed on the inside of his wrist. However, the acronym soon became the focus of lots of scrutiny. Many people used the phrase as an excuse to do stupid things, and a young, aspiring rapper tweeted YOLO about driving drunk and died minutes later. The Washington Post  called YOLO "the new acronym you'll love to hate" and The Huffington Post called YOLO the worst word of 2012. Actors on a recent episode of Saturday Night Live made a song mocking the phrase. But for most rap fans, the lack of lyrical content was the most alarming. After all, the lines "we got Santa Margherita by the liter, she know even if I'm f*cking with her, I don't really need her" certainly don't have the impact of a Tupac song. Drake's songs are pretty much on par with most pop songs: they are all about break ups and drinking the night away, with no recollection of the political movement from which hip-hop came. This is not to say that Drake doesn't respect the history of his genre: in "Marvin's Room," Drake pays homage to Marvin Gaye, because it was recorded in the same studio Gaye once owned. Still, the majority of his works lack the sophistication of his predecessors.

SNL Lonely Island "YOLO" parody music video

Though "The Motto" won't earn any awards in a poetry slam, Drake and the new age of hip-hop are here to stay. Kids across America, whether they hail from the inner-city or the suburbs, love the new sound of hip-hop and its focus on the party life. Artists like Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne also push this new content, making the hip-hop charts today seem like a far cry from the rooftops of the Bronx in the 1980s.  You can hate on Drake all you want, but the money flow doesn't lie. And, perhaps most importantly, despite your hate, Drake will continue to rap his way to the top. 

The Ass in Assassin: Earl Sweatshirt

Tyler, The Creator dropped an album (Bastard) when he was 18 on Christmas Day of 2009. It was... out there to say the least. Released for free download on the Odd Future website, Tyler sells his album by saying, 

"Tyler Creator ( or Ace) Releases This Full Length Self Produced Album, Mostly About His Father, Rape, Box Logos And Jesus. Also Featuring Unicorns And Transexuals. Click The Title To Download." (or just click here)

And no, he wasn't lying. That is truly what the album deals with from most to least prevalent. Revered by some, Bastard made a statement about Tyler and Odd Future: "We will scare you while impressing you and if you don't like it, fuck off." About 3 months later, after a few more Odd Future releases, a 10-song album was released on the same website. EARL by Earl Sweatshirt had similar selling points to Bastard,

"Earl Sweatshirt Releases His First Fucking Album. Lyrics About Rape, Coke, And Couches Will Be Blaring In  Your Ears With The Dopest Fucking Beats To Date. Featuring Production By Tyler The Creator, Left Brain And Others. DOWNLOAD BY CLICKING THE FUCKING TITLE. "(or here)

Again, they weren't pulling any punches about the subject matter, only this release was seemingly darker. Tongue twisting lyrics over admittedly "dope" beats would take aback any person who was half listening. It was appalling, yet smooth. It was aggressive, yet intriguing. Frankly, it was somewhat grosser than Bastard, but it was executed with the sort of professionalism that would be admired by most people within the Hip Hop industry.

Oh, and it was done by a 16-year-old. 

Specifically, this 16-year-old.

Born Thebe Neruda Kgositsile, better known by his stage name, Earl Sweatshirt was born to a law professor at UCLA (his mother), and a South African poet (his father). Thebe grew up in Los Angeles, without his father after he left when Thebe was six. 

It is truly difficult to answer the question, "Who is Earl Sweatshirt?" The best course of action is to ask Earl himself. The titular track of his first album has some first words that sum it up substantially: 

"Yo, I'm a hot and bothered astronaut crashing while

Jacking off to buffering vids of Asher Roth eating apple sauce

Sent to Earth to poke Catholics in the ass with saws

And knock blunt ashes into their caskets and laugh it off"

Vulgar? Check. Offensive? Check. Now, poetic? Also check. Rappers are in the business of rhyming words, and this is where Earl breaks the mold. Obviously, the words rhyme, but it's the continued usage of the same sounds that populate each line that make Earl so impressive. Spoken Word poets who have written for years often can't attain the ability Earl has in this category. And it isn't just this song in which Earl shows off his talent, it's almost all. This kind of talent at such a young age is practically unheard of. In fact, it brings someone to mind... who was it again? 

The comparison has to be made. A short album, great beats, emceed by a teenager, Illmatic and EARL are both prime examples of the wunderkins of rap. Where they differ is obviously the subject matter. Nas dealt with the streets while Earl dealt with things most people don't feel comfortable talking about (for good reason). 

Included in that group of most people is Thebe's mother. After the release of EARL, and in turn Earl's (relatively) massive following, Earl was forced into becoming a recluse by his mother, starting with his mother not granting permission for a good amount of his music to be released. This left fans stunned. Earl was gone. Unseen and unheard for years. While Odd Future knew the whereabouts of Earl, they remained silent throughout his time away. In April of 2011, Complex released an article in which they released their own research on Earl's location, and revealed that Thebe Kgositsile had been residing at the Coral Reef Academy is Samoa. 

The Coral Reef Academy is basically a rehabilitation program for troubled kids. Whether it is depression, anger, or even drug use the Coral Reef Academy takes young men through a long process in which they are to emerged cleansed. Fans didn't take kindly to the notion that Earl was sent here against his will by his mother. These fans, though, had the completely wrong understanding. The angry mob that were Earl Sweatshirt fans were under the impression that his mother had heard his album and based solely on the music his mother had shipped him off. In an interview with Peter Rosenberg shortly after his return, Earl laughed at this notion. He was both open and closed off when saying to Peter, "Nah, I was fucking up." 

Earl returned in 2012 with a few features, and a couple singles. None of them bigger than the projected first single off his album to be released in 2013, "Chum."

A loop of a beat, a heavy bass, but a perfected flow. In his return from Samoa, Earl is no longer rapping about Rape, Coke, and Couches, but about how he actually feels (sound familiar?). His fears of fame, his feelings about his absent father, the expectation of his old fans. Earl has clearly turned over a leaf; however, not a new leaf. Rather, the same flow-filled, poetic leaf from the "Rape" side to the "Great" side. What EARL did was leave people wide-eyed, and it did it for 3 reasons: 1. Did he really just say that? 2. Is this kid really only 16? and 3. These rhymes are crazy!

EARL left listeners troubled, but respecting for the wrong reasons; "Chum" does so for the right reasons. 

Earl has spoken of releasing an album in the near future, saying that those who enjoyed his more vulgar songs will probably not enjoy it as much. "My mom likes it," said Earl. Doris is projected to drop in 2013.

Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart- The Roots

Things Fall Apart, released in 1999, borrowed it's title from a work of literature by Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian author. Things Fall Apart the novel was published in 1959, a year before Nigeria gained it's independence, with the intent of telling the history of Africa from a native's perspective rather than from a colonizer's perspective, as all of the literature regarding Africa that preceded Achebe's work did just that. Joseph McLaren wrote an essay on the novel suggesting that the purpose of Achebe writing from a native's perspective was to use literature as a way to fight the western world's stereotypes of African natives.

Things Fall Apart was an appropriate name for the album because it recounts Black music history through the diverse music qualities mixed into each track- jazz, beep boxing, and beats that reflect "just about every classic hip-hop beat, from 'Planet Rock' to 'Scenario,'" as Ben Landy says in his review of the album, published in The Yale Herald, while reaching out to the white audience, displayed in The Root's shout out to "'coffee shop chicks and white dudes' in Common," as Allmusic.com's review of the album points out, similar to what Achebe did in attempting to recount African History in a manner that would reach the western world.

The album references black history in America. For example, in the first verse of Adrenaline, The Roots make two references to types of abuse suffered by blacks in the United States. The first is a reference to the slave trade that african americans suffered from up to a century before the publication of this song.

Sells a squads off like a slave auction

In this context, a black man is saying he is the master who is selling and earning at a slave auction, meaning that racism still exists, but he has learned how to turn it around and capitalize off of it. The second is a reference to an act of racism that lead to the death of James Bryd, Jr. in Beaumont, Texas, in 1998, just eight months prior to the publication of this album. Bryd was dragged for about a mile down an asphalt rode by three white supremacists and died about a half way into the dragging, despite being unconscious for most of the dragging before his death.

You don't want no more son? That's when more come
And drag a nigga Erie Avenue to Oregon, you're all done

If you can't handle the reality of racism and turn away from and ignore it, like many people chose to do, "that's when more come" and it starts spreading, from Beaumont to Philadelphia, as Errie and Oregon are both in Philadelphia. Things Fall Apart is filled with explinations of why hip hop is adventageous to the black community. For example, The Next Movement starts off with the lyrics:

That's how we usually start, once again it's the Thought
The Dalai Lama of the mic, the prime minister Thought
This directed to whoever in listening range
Yo the whole state of things in the world bout to changeBlack rain fallin from the sky look strange
The ghetto is red hot, we steppin on flames
Yo, it's inflation on the price for fame
And it was all the same, but then the antidote came

These lyrics state that the world is about to change as black rain falls from the sky, or as African Americans are taking the world by storm thanks to the antidote, hip hop, that is thought equivalent to that of the thoughts of The Dalai Lama. In Act Too, Black thought reflects on Hip Hop's impact on him growing up:

Learnin' the ropes of ghetto survival
Peepin' out the situation I had to slide through
Had to watch my back, my front, plus my sides too
When it came to gettin' mine I ain't tryin, to argue
Sometimes I wouldn'ta made it if it wasn't for you
Hip-hop, you the love of my life and that's true

Additionally, the album is full of religious shout-outs. In The Spark, Malik B says, "I'm symbolic to a ballot, it's Abdul Malik." Abdul Malik means servant to God in Islamic. The Roots mention again and again that "it's all about worship" in several of the tracks on the album, including The Spark and Table of Contents, when Malik B says, "My religion is a way of life." In addition to being revolutionary to The Roots as it was their first record to sell over 500,000 copies and thus was a landmark in their career as a group, Things Fall Apart is multifaceted in it's complexity in both lyrics and musical style. Referencing a groundbreaking novel in the African community that recounts African history, the album recounts history and how hip hop has shaped African American history in the United States. The album makes countless political and religious references. The album also reached a new audience for the group, the white teenagers who had the ability to make or break a group as they were who mainstream music was marketed towards since they had the cash to spend on records.  However, according the Allmusic.com's review of the album, it also caused a decline in their previous audience. Therefore, the album was seen as a "sell-out" to many of their followers, aimed more towards meeting the demands of the market than being true and real as artists.

Goblin

"I wanted to, nay did, write a review of Tyler, the Creator's new album Goblin. It was a scathing piece, focusing on the Odd Future head honcho's inability to go a complete sentence without uttering a misogynist, anti-homosexual phrase, or a pointless, virulent obscenity. I picked at his repulsive depictions of rape and beating of women, his violent retelling about a dream of murdering Bruno Mars and how often self-loathing seeps into the music as Tyler trashes his own worst enemy - himself." 

-Chris D. Davies, How Tyler, the Creator is killing rap

So much hate surrounding this album, one would think that the person behind Goblin was some middle-aged politician instead of a 19 year old kid from LA. There is no denying that the tracks featured on this album (and indeed most of Tyler's productions) make several abhorrent and taboo references. Yes, his lyrics constantly push buttons; his violent demeanor and indifferent swagger break the faint hearts of the easily offended. 

However, if anyone would care enough to actually listen to all the lyrics and appreciate the diverse and entertaining aspects of each track's message, unique beats, and creative cameos, one might actually understand that this is more than just shock value profit. Keep in mind that this is not Tyler, the Creator's first album (see Bastard). Some of his earlier fans had fears that his sophomore album would make an attempt at mainstream media by leaving the obscenities behind and switching to more acceptable and conservative hip hop topics. Did they forget who they were dealing with?



 A self proclaimed now 21 year old emotional wreck of a skater/rapper with daddy problems and a tendency to spew obnoxious lyrics, Tyler Okonma, better known by his stage name Tyler, the Creator, possesses a sick mind with an even sicker flow. Founder of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA) and designer of the rap group's merchandise and fashion line, Tyler has stated on multiple occasions he has no time to be concerned what others think of him. He taught himself to play the piano at age 14 and created most of the instrumentals found on his own and Odd Future's tracks. 

The truly unique aspect about Goblin is that it is set as a progression of 15 sessions with a therapist known as Dr. TC (a continuation of Bastard). In these sessions, we discover the innermost thoughts of this "fucking walking paradox".  

0:00:00 to 0:06:47 - Goblin

The introduction into Tyler's mind begins with Dr. TC stating that Tyler wouldn't actually commit suicide, and all Tyler really needs is some therapy. Here, we understand that Tyler was already a troubled individual, but the focus now is on the his struggle with the spotlight. He has had support from artists such as Kanye West and Lil Wayne, but with the hype also comes the hate and the pressure to lose his individuality. The actual instrumentation itself is rather strange and eerie: a low rattle, the sound of a rain drop hitting a puddle (also pitched low), constant  and steady bass throb, the alternation of two piano keys, brass, stringed instruments, and a brief and slight vocal harmony: the composition itself is a work of art. And then there's his flow:

Nigga fuck a mindset, my brain is an obscenity

I'm fucked in the head, I lost my mind with my virginity

Oh, that's a triple three six, isn't he a devil worshiper

'cause I'm too fucking ignorant to do some research?

For reasons that are difficult to comprehend or fully explain, Tyler's patterning of words and focus on his disturbing message are not impaired by his vulgarity, and indeed seem to offer him more freedom in addressing his problems. 

0:10:58 - Radicals

This track is an anthem for rebels and an abomination to artists who believe a chorus should consist of something other than "kill people, burn shit, fuck school". Tyler begins with a disclaimer and a stab at Bill O'Reilly, a summary of Tyler's involvement with politics.

 "Fuck Bill O'Reilly" 

-Tyler, the Creator

With the intro comes an apocalyptic ambiance and vocal distortion, leading the senses to believe the general tone of this track is destruction. The impression of a cult or gang is strongly felt here by the "harmonies" on the chorus. The unified shouts of multiple young, rowdy African American teenagers radiate these vibes of malice and mind control, leaving the listener either curiously entertained or completely unsettled and/or enraged. Getting under people's skin and into their heads, regardless of his intentions, seems to be Tyler's favorite hobby.

Fuck cops, I'm a fucking rock star

Rebellion and defiance makes my muthafuckin' cock hard

Fuck pigs, fuck guards, all some fucking retards

Fuck school, I'm a fuck up? Fuck Harvard

I ain't got no fucking money (hey mom)

I ain't got no muthafuckin' daddy, he ain't teach me shit

As these radical messages crash over the listeners ears with a force similar to that of several tidal waves, the song briefly subsides to a more rational and enlightening lecture:

  

I'm not saying to go out and do some stupid shit, commit crimes

What I'm trying to tell you is, do what the fuck you want

Stand for what the fuck you believe in, and don't let nobody tell you can't do what the fuck you want

I'm a fucking unicorn, and fuck anybody who say I'm not. Wolf Gang

As vulgar and obscene as he is, his words are not any less valid than the messages of Bob Marley or even Martin Luther King Jr. There does seem to be a side of Tyler that allows him to express his rough but realistic wisdom, contrasting the multitude of tracks containing nothing but his own proclamations of murder and rape.

1:08:11 - Golden

After Tyler allegedly murders his friends at the end of "Windows" and a complex-yet-mellow 4 minute instrumental, the listener is returned to the private conversation between Tyler and Dr. TC. His final words address his loathing towards his new life. He mentions the cons of the fame and how they seem to control his life. He then mentions how his predominately black skater friends that were with him when he first started rapping have been replaced with a cult of young caucasian kids. He then ultimately loops back to his original outcry: suicide. He expertly spits an entire verse comparing his death to a marriage. At the end of his verse he screams "I'm not crazy, I'm a fucking table!" and is sedated by a nurse. As he falls under the tranquilizers, he asks why no one asked him, and concludes that it's because no one gave a fuck. Thus prompts the monologue from Dr. TC:  

[Dr. TC]

Someone gave a fuck Tyler

And, uh, the person that gave a fuck was me

See, you’re not, going crazy, it’s me, I’m your best friend Tyler

I know everything, I know everything about you

You’ve been helping yourself this whole time

Your friends, they’re just figments of your imagination

Dr. TC, see Tyler, I’m your conscience

I’m Tron Cat, I’m Ace, I’m Wolf Haley, I’m...

[Tyler, the Creator]

me.

This is the true genius of the album. This plot twist entices the mind and causes one to double take the entire experience. Tyler utilizes the many depths of his own sanity as well as the subject materials of his songs to create a spectrum of emotional discord resulting in a chaotic yet magnetic work of art.    

I could have denied this as a masterpiece on the first listen and jumped on the wagon with Mr. Davies, but then we would both be wrong. Tyler, the Creator isn't ruining rap, he's just casually grinding on the line between acceptable and abominable (and looking very stylish while doing so).

Nas - Illmatic

I rap for listeners, blunt heads, fly ladies and prisoners
Hennessy holders and old school niggas, then I be dissin a
Unofficial that smoke woolie thai
I dropped out of Cooley High, gassed up by a cokehead cutie pie
Jungle survivor, fuck who's the liver
My man put the battery in my back, a difference from Energizer
Sentence begins indented, with formality
My duration's infinite, money-wise or physiology
Poetry, that's a part of me, retardedly bop
I drop the ancient manifested hip-hop, straight off the block
I reminisce on park jams, my man was shot for his sheep coat
Childhood lesson made me see him drop in my weed smoke
—Nas, "Memory Lane (Sittin' in da Park)"

Nas started his hip hop journey in April 19, 1994 by releasing his first album - Illmatic. As expected, 59000 copies were sold in the first week after the album released, but not for so long until the hip hop reviewers give positive critics on the lyrical content, production, and Nas’ lyricism. The production of Illmactic creates a new era for East Coast hip hop and also contributes to the artistic renaissance in New York with several famous groups like the N.W.A.

"The World Is Yours"

It is his third single from Illmatic. Some hip hop fans declare that this is the greatest hip hop song ever recorded. The entire song is basically critiques how the politicians, people’s leaders are no longer worth to be trusted. Dreams exist in people’s mind. People should believe in god, in themselves for help, but do not expect to get any help from the corrupted government and police. The first verse specifically expresses the circumstances of the society and how rap songs fulfill his life.

I can't call it, the beats make me falling asleepI keep falling, but never falling six feet deep

The above lyrics show how Nas will keep doing what he likes (producing hip hop song) and will never give up no matter failure or success.

I'm out for presidents to represent me (Say what?)

I'm out for presidents to represent me (Say what?)

I'm out for dead presidents to represent me

And this part shows how young adults in America (including Nas) want to change the world. They do not want the government represents them, they want to represent themselves. Nas critiques the valueless government at that time and seeks for creativities, which later he finds out hip hop can be the ultimate solution.

“One Love”

It is his fifth song released October 25, 1994 on Columbia Records. The lyrics os “One Love” are the words that Nas wants to tell his imprisoned friends in the way of combining a series of letters, which describes what happen to his friend before and after his friend’s imprisonment. “One Love” shows how uncertain people’s life is. After receiver goes into prison, his unfaithful girlfriend betrays him,  his emotional mother tortures him with her scathing words, and the failure of what he believes the underdog loyalty. The title of this song is originated from a Jamaican singer Bob Marley’s songs, which mainly describes the street loyalty and Nas, later on, uses to describe his neighborhood. The style, lyrics, and rhythm of “One Love” represents Nas’ formal inventiveness. 

Plus congratulations, you know you got a son

I heard he looks like ya, why don't your lady write ya?

Told her she should visit, that's when she got hyper

Flipping, talking 'bout he acts too rough

He didn't listen he be riffing while I'm telling him stuff

I left a half a hundred in your commissary

You was my nigga when push came to shove, one what? (One love)

The first verse is basically showing how bad the situation is for the receiver: he gets a son, but never have a chance to see him because he is in prison and his wife cheats on him with the decision of moving on to find another man; his mother never visits him when he is in the prison because she does not want to be part of his criminal actions. Too many unfortunates happen, which ironically shows the only person in the world who he can trust is Nas. At this point, their friendship really demonstrates how cruel it is for Nas' friend to face the truth that all of his relatives betray on him and Nas seems to be the only one who is still on his side.

Second and third verses are the letter that Nas wants to tell his friend his imprisonment is not the end of the world. No matter how much the world change, Nas will always be there for him.

But chill, see you on the next V-I


I gave your ma duke's loot for kicks, plus sent you flicks


Your brother's buckwilding in 4-Main, he wrote me


He might beat his case, 'til he come home, play it low key


So stay civilized, time flies


Though incarcerated your mind die, I hate it when your moms cries


It kinda wants to make me murder, for reala


I even got a mask and gloves to bust slugs but one love

Illmatic shows how people in the 90s are still treated unequally by the community and the unfortunate of people who . The society described in this album is still not stable. People still live in poverty and hip hop seems to be the only way to express their emotion and, moreover, to release their pressure. Hip hop songs make people to be heard and Illmatic will obviously be one of the contributors.