Tyler, the Creator- Cherry Bomb Album Review

by Dan McAuley, Staff Writer

Known for his counteractive music, Tyler, the Creator releases his 3rd full length on April 13th. Released in a style very trendy these days as a ghost release with a week’s notice, Cherry Bomb is a representative album of Tyler’s most pure form.

The 24-year-old MC comes through with an album constant with previous releases stylistically. With his overly offense lyrics that have become part of his brand, or his gritty production style that sometimes meets many different genres. At this point of Tyler’s career, his music has become his brand as he represents many different mediums, whether it’s on his sketch comedy show, or his music video directing.

Tyler first hit it big on the Internet. As part of a new generation of independent artist who have made into the main stream musically due to low barriers of entry. Tyler was one of the pioneers of this movement and his music was refreshing, a new brand of alternative rap to take it out of what some may see as a dark age. Many perceived him as anew artist who struck controversy and was very exciting to watch.

4 years and 3 albums later, Tyler delivers and album that’s in a grey area of disappointment and proactivity. One part of the album is redundant, with his offensive material getting old as the rapper fails to mature, as he grows older musically. The explicit and politically incorrect material seems as a push to guarantee an album that his cult like following will like and enjoy.

On the first track entitled DEATHCAMP, Tyler starts off with lines about how he doesn’t follows some rules, an annoying push of his ways of not caring. With the hook literally saying that he doesn’t like following the rules. The beat however is exciting and is centered on a guitar riff that would usually be far from rap music.

On KEEP DA O’s Tyler produces a beat that is mixed pretty poorly (purposely it seems) with a cheesy synth line that you would think to be found in a rap song from 2009. The content of the rap song goes with the notion that the songs a joke, with Tyler satirizing rap with his lyrics by conforming to a certain style.

A lot of tracks like KEEP DA O’s are mixed terribly. On the title track CHERRY BOMB, its over mixed, distorted 808 hits that compromise the songs listen-ability. The distorted 808s are a reoccurring problem on the track PILOT.

There were some tracks that catch your attention. On SMUCKERS is featured Kanye West and Lil Wayne. Tyler has refused a verse from Kanye previously as amusician he respects. Kanye’s influence is evident on that production of the track, as it produces a sound that is very similar to Kanye’s earliest works. The track is solid, with consistent verses from Kanye and Lil Wayne.

There are a handful of tracks that a very soul influenced, the poplar opposite sound of the hardcore influence tracks. The tracks however our prolonged attempts of Tyler trying his best to sing. This formula can be found on tracks like FIND YOUR WINGS and 2Seater

Cherry Bomb can serve as an educational album for musicians caught in creative freedom restrictions. However redundant and it can be received, its very clear that Tyler is in charge. The album came out exactly how it wanted it. By pulling influences from all over the place, the album perfectly represents Tyler himself.