Mic Navarro's Corner: Tyler, The Creator - Cherry Bomb ALBUM REVIEW

If hip hop was a high school and all the artists were students, then there's only one student who's been in detention since 2011. That "student" is Tyler, The Creator. He and Odd Future have become one of hip hop's most popular and yet controversial cliques. Tyler being the ring leader of it all. With his attention stealing lyrics that center around anger, rage, frustration and sometimes sadness. All described in the most obscene and disturbing words you'll hear from anyone. It's because of that why Tyler has become a fan favorite and has been for so long. In the last year or so he's been rather quiet. That is until now. Here is his fourth album Cherry Bomb. Coming off 2013's Wolf (see link below for review) I pretty much expected the usual Tyler, The Creator madness we normally get from each of his albums. Along with all the split personality drama. Well what I got was something totally unexpected. I thought Cherry Bomb was a very...unique album to say the least. Tyler take a musical path with this album that I don't think he's ever taken. The production and overall sound seems to be all over the place. Like so many genre's crammed into one album. Hip hop, R&B, jazz, rock/death metal, funk, in-house, boom bap underground and so on. This is the most experimental I've ever seen him get with an album. Making it stand out totally from his previous three projects. Also of course, you get the usual Tyler going through his issues with fame, popularity, his split personalities and everything else that drives him crazy. That said now, here's the break down:

1. Deathcamp (featuring Cole Alexander)

So here the album starts off with the first song that leaked from this album. Here you get a heavy dose of loud guitars. Courtesy of Cole Alexander. It has a big time rock influence. If you listen close, it sounds as if Tyler's vocals seem very faint while the beat sounds very loud. That's the case with a number of songs on this album. I guess this is Tyler's way of showing that he wants the listener to feel more of the sound and instrumentation in these beats. Lyric wise he's basically talking about what I mentioned in the intrograph. Being fed up with fame and just wanting to live his life and do all kinds of reckless stuff with no repercussion. I have to be honest though, this still has some growing on me to do. Not all that thrilled by it.

2. Buffalo

Now here Tyler does what he does quite often. Lashing out at numerous people for various reasons. Critics who bash him for using the word "faggot", Hopsin, Boyce Watkins, the people at Mountain Dew and so on. I particularly like this mostly for the production. Especially the sampling of Bunny Sigler's "Shake Your Booty". Which was also perfectly sampled by Pusha T on "Numbers On The Board". Dope track.

3. Pilot (featuring Syd Bennett)

Here's where the instrumentation and the sound starts to take a drastic turn. The production here is quite hard to describe. It has unique drums that give this electric funk/in-house music sound. A sound you don't hear too much in hip hop today (although I think this is the sound Kanye was going for on Yeezus). Listening to the lyrics, it sounds as if Tyler is using some kind of flying metaphor to describe how he's ready to take off now and fly to bigger and better things. Leaving all the B.S. and controversy behind.

4. Run (featuring Schoolboy Q and Chaz Bundick)

This is nothing really but a one minute interlude about Tyler attacking fake gang bangers. How they all need to realize there are reprecussions for their actions. Like prison on death. It's just Tyler showing the little bit of conscious awareness he has him.

5. Find Your Wings (featuring Roy Ayers, Syd Bennett, Jameel Bruner, Samantha Nelson, Tiffany Palmer, Onitsha Shaw and Kali Uchis)

This song starts out very somber and peaceful. The first minute and fifteen seconds is a jazz like interlude that has a very relaxing sound. The vocals don't kick in until towards the end of the song. Now I know what you're thinking, that's a lot of damn people. Unknown people at that. Most of these featured artists here are either on instruments or doing background vocals. The only one who you can hear clearly is Kali Uchis who sings the lone verse along with Tyler. Then sings the last verse alone. The peaceful feel of this song could mean Tyler has found a happier and peaceful place to fly to. "Finding his wings".

6. Cherry Bomb

The one thing Tyler and Odd Future has been known for this whole time is their distorted sounding production and often vocals. Here's a perfect example of just that. At first listen, this just sounds like nothing but loud noise with extremely faint vocals from Tyler. Like he's performing at a concert where the crowd is wild. But what it is your basic underground industrial and/or "noise rap" that's become popular. Mostly by the underground group Death Grips who this song draws direct inspiration from. This sound typically isn't my thing. I like to hear lyrics. But those who like Death Grips and like when Tyler does these distorted and loud sounds will love this.

7. Blow My Load (featuring Wanya Morris and Dam-Funk)

Now we have the next genre mash up: R&B. This is the song for the ladies (well lady) and you know when Tyler goes here, there's plenty of l-o-l-ing. He spits some low toned lyrics over this soft, melodic R&B beat (probably a Frank Ocean throw away). The song is a dedication to an English fashion model named Cara Delevingne (yeah I had to look it up). He hilariously fantasizes about how all he wants to do is please her...orally (not in those words either). If you know how Tyler gets when he starts talking sex, then you'll find this to be the most hilarious song on the album.

8. 2 Seater (featuring Aaron Shaw and Samantha Nelson)

This is the longest song on the album at nearly seven minutes. That immediately lead me to believe this is most likely two parts. It was. Though the title doesn't show it, there's two songs in one here. The second one being "Hair Blows". He pulled this same stunt on Goblin with "Fish/Boppin' Bitch". But anyway, the beat on the first part is really cool. I like the laid back mellow drum patterns. Would have loved to heard a guest rap feature over this beat. The second part is more softer and jazzier with the trumpets. The R&B vocals from the guest features (can't tell who is who) we're really cool as well.

9. The Brown Stains Of Darkeese Latifah Part 6-12 (remix) (featuring Schoolboy Q)

First of all, it took me ten minutes before I even pressed play because I couldn't stop laughing at this title. I had to find out the meaning behind this. I found out that it means literally nothing and has nothing to do with the song. This is just Tyler being a comedian once again. He wanted to give the song a funny super long title that people will remember. He originally was gonna title this "The Brown Stains Of Blackeese Latifah Part 6-12 (remix) (rough draft) (club edit) (Rodney Jerkins mix)". I'll give you a minute to laugh at that. Anyway I really do like this song. It's the hardest, most aggressive sounding song on the about. The beat is what gives it it's aggressiveness. When it drops it like a direct punch in the face. Sounds great in your car. Schoolboy Q was the perfect person to feature on this because it does fit his outlandish yet thugged out style. The hidden song right after this is called "Special" sounds pretty cool even though it's really short like a interlude.

10. Fucking Young/Perfect (featuring Charlie Wilson, Chaz Bundick, Syd Bennett and Kali Uchis)

There's a lot going on with this song(s) so brace yourselves. First, this is another R&B blended track with some interesting guest features. Charlie Wilson's hook really gives this song life to the point where I could see this on radio. Now, the song talks Tyler falling in love with a girl that's under age. How he knows it's wrong but the love is so strong that he just can't help it. Tyler uses the album title Cherry Bomb as a way of describing an underage girl who's trouble. Taunting and flirting with adults with provocative and sexual behavior. Sounds a lot like social media today. The second half of this track "Perfect" is kinda the girl's response to Tyler. She sees him as being "perfect" while he sees her as too "fucking young". Makes sense? It's a little complicated I know. But I fully understood after a few listens. Pretty solid two in one track overall.

11. Smuckers (featuring Kanye West and Lil Wayne)

By far the most anticipated track on the entire album for obvious reasons. First off, the production is pretty cool here. It has like a jazz band sound with laid back touch. It sounds like Kanye may have had a hand in making this beat along with Tyler. Especially with that Kanye like sample. Now Kanye's verse was typical Kanye. Bragging and boasting (I face palmed at that opening Nike line). Wayne's verse however was surprisingly good. Nothing too great but good enough for this track. His guest verses lately have gotten a tad bit better. Just a tad. Anyway this song is cool overall. Worth the hype.

12. Keep Da O's (featuring Pharrell and Coco O.)

Here's another one of those "noise rap" songs. This beat is loud and gives you an feeling of an adrenaline rush. The added siren like sound effects just adds more to it's chaotic sound. Now here both Tyler and Pharrell warp their voices to a more higher pitch. I laughed a bit because Pharrell sounds a bit like Eazy E with his voice warped. But anyway that's all. It's cool overall.

13. Okaga, CA (featuring Leon Ware, Clementine Creevy and Alice Smith)

Throughout this whole album, there's this recurring phrase of "finding your wings". Which again means flying away to bigger and better places in your life. Achieving more. Here, Tyler talks about that but this time he wants to take his girl along with him for the ride. He wants her to share this life and success with him. Apparently, California (his home state) is that bigger and better place that he wants to go. Bringing her along too. Anyway this is another song with plenty of guest feature vocals over a very mellow sounding production (plenty of those on this album as well). But in all, this song was alright. It takes the "finding your wings" thing and puts it in a much better perspective.

14. Yellow [BONUS TRACK]

Once again, he's talking about another female he's falling for. Describing her as being his favorite color. Yellow. Which also reminds him of the summer sunshine. But this track is more instrumental than vocals. Makes it feel like a closing interlude. So yeah, nothing special but something short and simple for a bonus track.

In closing, Cherry Bomb is the perfect title for this album. It's an explosion of experimental sounds and genre blending. Tyler kinda gambled here with this but I think in the end, it came out well. I give this a final grade of a B. Judging by most of his topics on this album, it seems Tyler is still not where he wants to be in his life and his career. Even after already achieving a decent amount of success. But at the same time, I feel like he starting to head down a better path to those bigger and better things. He's not as outrageously graphic and strange with his lyrics as he once was. It's also seems as if a bit of consciousness has come out of him lately. Sky's the limit for him. If he sticks to this "find your wings" thing he believes in, he will go to these places, meet these new people and achieve whatever it is he is still setting out to get. He will be fine. End.