Tyler, the Finisher.

Cultural icon, meme generator, professional troll, producer, rapper, actor, comedian, Tyler, the Creator. When Kanye West had his famous rant on Ellen, he claimed that we are in a renaissance period, and there might not be a celebrity who better validates that statement than Tyler.
Odd Future, Loiter Squad, Bastard, Goblin, Wolf, Cherry Bomb. Scum Fuck, Flower Boy. Tyler has had his hand in several different cookie jars over the years, and has received what is generally positive reviews. In life some people have a quality that can’t be quantified, that guy/girl you know who is always funny, be it in joke telling form, or through their mannerisms. Tyler has that quality, and in turn created a cult of personality that young people have latched onto, and identified with.
Tyler’s light way of presenting his political commentary, and unabashed patronizing of overzealous people almost always leaves him in a powerful position socially. He’s exceptionally aloof, and that is part of what makes his introspection, and self-awareness so appealing. Flower Boy comes hard and heavy with the inner workings of Tyler’s mind.

“I’m not gay, I just wanna boogie to some Marvin.” – Yonkers, Goblin.
“Next line will have ‘em like whoa, I been kissing white boys since 2004.” – I ain’t got time, Flower Boy.
The song “Garden Shed” seems to be the song everyone is pointing to, to indicate Tyler coming out as bisexual or gay. I don’t want to harp on this too long, because it’s who he is, and it’s not a big deal. However, if this is an accurate portrayal of his sexuality, it would be a big statement for the genre of rap, which has always been exceptionally homophobic. Just a heads up, if you didn’t catch any of that on the album, or hear about it elsewhere. Okay, you definitely already know, and I’m beating a dead horse, I’m the worst.
Features

The features Tyler decided to have on this album are extremely thoughtful and fit incredibly well into the album’s mood, and tone. Frank Ocean, Lil Wayne, Pharrell Williams, Jaden Smith, A$AP Rocky, and Kali Uchis. An extremely talented collection of artists.
I’ve always found Lil Wayne to be the corniest king of the double entendres, and I enjoy Lil Wayne a lot more when the stakes are low and he’s having fun rhyming as many words as he can muster in a verse. Wayne hops on “Droppin Seeds” for a short interlude, in which Wayne and Tyler seemingly rap about their impact on the rap game, effectively “dropping seeds” in the community, and watching others bite their style. Ending the interlude with: “Droppin’ seeds on these bitches, For the love of the sport, I’m droppin’ seeds, got this garden, Flowers poppin’ of course, I’m droppin’ seeds, motherfucker, Weezy Baby the boy! Yugh”.
Frank Ocean’s warm vocals are a welcome addition on both “911"and “Where his flower blooms”. Schoolboy Q adds his sharp biting voice to the sound of “Mr. Lonely”. A$AP Rocky and Tyler mended the rift between ‘Odd Future’ and the ‘A$AP Mob’ long ago, fostering an environment of heavy collaboration between the two superstars. A$AP Rocky’s swagger infused bars are a great compliment to both Tyler’s sad boy flow (Mr. Lonely) and the aggressive verse that Tyler brings in “Who Dat Boy”.
Production

I am by no means an expert at dissecting beats, or creating them. That being said, the cuts Tyler lays on these tracks come across cleaner and fuller than anything he’s produced before. A lot of his earlier music suffered from an emptier sound, which he would fill with drawn out verses or loads of features. Flower boy is the first time Tyler creates a consistent, and satisfying listen through on a project of his. The production is mindful, of its own tone, and he does an exceptional job incorporating the classic jazzy and funky vibes he’s always loved in his sound.
Moving Forward

Having Tyler, the Creator move outside of his own cult of personality and create something that is truly of merit is a great thing for the rap community. For a long time now Tyler has gotten by strictly on his raw talent, and adoring fans. A lot of his music seemed like it was unrefined, indulgent, and shallow at times. Tyler harnesses all of his potential on this album and brings us one of the best albums of the year so far. Scum Fuck, Flower Boy rivals “4:44" from Jay-Z and surpasses Kendrick Lamar’s “DAMN.” Ladies and Gentlemen, we’ve just been introduced to Tyler, the Finisher.
If you guys like this, then feel free to check me out on twitter @samfolkk or check out my podcast on iTunes “Deep Thoughts With Mascots”. Thanks for the read and have a blessed day!
