Long before moody teenagers bumped XXXTentacion, they had Tyler the Creator. Ever since he entered the mainstream in 2011 with his breakout single "Yonkers" from his debut album "Goblin," Tyler has been met with both adoration and controversy for his dark, graphic lyrics. However, he's always shown a softer side in individual songs on his albums, and in his newest album "Scum F*ck Flower Boy," these emotions are fully realized.
For the sake of being concise, I'll be covering the album as a whole instead of focusing on each song and their meaning. The most impressive part of the album was how well it stuck to a "theme;" songs like "Where This Flower Blooms," "See You Again," "Garden Shed" and "November" have such pleasant, flowery beats and vocals that contrast surprisingly well with Tyler's deep voice and rapid fire flows. I was surprised by how cohesive the project was; at times I couldn't tell when a song ended and transitioned into the next, which speaks to how consistent Tyler's beats were to the flowery nature vibe.
As these songs expose new listeners to the flower boy, aggressive bangers like "Who Dat Boy," "Foreword" and "I Ain't Got Time!" highlight the scum that old Tyler fans know and love. This polarized mixture of tones is probably a large factor of the album's success; Tyler demonstrates a level of maturity that fans have only previously seen in snippits, but at the same time he doesn't betray his former self. Instead, he builds upon his strong lyrical foundations while getting rid of the edgy shock value he used to rely on.
The beats are amazing and unique, but Tyler's lyrics and delivery are equally outstanding. The intro track "Foreword" is essentially a crash course on wordplay and all of his songs throughout the album have a clear direction and purpose. Tyler also comes in with a variety of creative flows that ultimately help steal the show; whenever the listener starts to get lost in the incredible features, Tyler wakes you up with his fast delivery to remind you who you're listening to.
As mentioned before, Tyler makes stellar use of his features. Singers like Frank Ocean, Kali Uchis and Estelle help develop this mystical atmosphere that surrounds the album as a whole. Conversely, fellow rappers like A$AP Rocky, Lil Wayne, and even Jaden Smith deliver solid bars that switch up the vibe of some of the harder hitting songs.
Overall, I can't sing enough praises about "Flower Boy" to properly describe its quality. In this album, Tyler wears his heart on his sleeve and delves into lyrics concerning isolation, sexuality and his own personal insecurities, among other things.
With personal, emotional albums as good as "Flower Boy," "DAMN," and "4:44," we may be seeing a return of introspective lyrical rap in conjunction with the current wave of gritty mumble rap we have today. You can give it a listen here, and the full album is available on Spotify and iTunes.
