Tyler, the Creator Albums Ranked Worst to Best
Ok, so Complex dropped their all-time Tyler album rankings just the other day. I didn’t read it yet and instead figured it’d be fun to make my own list and see how they compare.
Complex is definitely for the culture, but their opinions [often] don’t got it. Not saying mine are any better, but not having an entire following to please with my blogs allows me to be a bit more subjective.
Tyler pretty much gets better with every album, so it was hard not to follow up on their released order. He’s also just really fucking good at what he does. It’s like ranking your favorite pets or pair of shoes; they all bring something to the table that the others don’t.
I also wanna reiterate that this was just for fun, so I didn’t do any research to provide mind-blowing facts. Most of this is pretty accurate, I’m sure. Correct me if I’m wrong in the comment section and when your done reading it, let’s debate.
Cherry Bomb
Synopsis: So let me start by saying that the production on this album is pretty exceptional compared to most other artists, but not compared to Tyler himself. He’s always written and produced his own shit, which is fucking ridiculous in hindsight. Compared to the rest of his composition, Cherry Bomb definitely falls pretty low in the order. Let me also say that worst album ≠ bad album. Lyrics on this album were a little everywhere, which made a common theme hard to find. The features, for the most part, weren’t consistent and seemed a bittt forced. At most, it seemed like a commercial test for a growing sound and his signature two-part record — not mad at that. FIND YOUR WINGS and OKAGA, CA are examples of production that carried and will likely be considered some of his best work when it’s all said and done. Overall it’s definitely solid and still gets decent playtime in my whip.
Favorite song: 2SEATER (ft. Aaron Shaw, Samantha Nelson)
Flower Boy
Synopsis: This might piss a lot of Tyler fans off being so low on the rankings, so let me reiterate, worst album ≠ a bad album. A loaded supporting cast of features spanning across various music genres brought a whole new fanbase that not only broadcasted his versatility but solidified him as a generational talent; whether you realized it at the time or not was on you, dummy. Riding off that Cherry Bomb momentum, Tyler continued to test his flow, features, and production. There was a noticeable improvement, though not enough to place this any higher on the all-time list. Tumblr girls had a field day with this cover art, so points had to be deducted. I want to note that production and features by the likes of Rex and Estelle were essential in saving this album from being considered ‘somewhat’ flawed. A$AP’s had a cool verse too. I’d say this album is a little overrated, and I blame the Tumblr girls for that. It was cool to like Tyler the Creator back when this dropped. It showed that your music taste was diverse, and everyone knows having an untouchable playlist is a different kind of flex. The theme was pretty tight.. Had way more potential though.
Favorite Song: See You Again (ft. Kali Uchis)
Goblin
Sypnosis: I remember being 16 and playing Tron Cat out loud when some stranger passed by singing along those fucked up lyrics. Very irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, yet it’s something I often think about. Looking back now, Goblin definitely wasn’t one of his best. Still, considering our age and the time we were living in, coupled with Odd Future tapping in on every trend in that era, it’s difficult to not find yourself reminiscing about the nostalgia that comes from Goblin. There is a 9/10 chance you owned an OF doughnut hoodie or pair of socks. Those were the shit for a while. A lot of us were heavily influenced by his lyrics and rebellious aesthetic back then. Many of the songs on that album made absolutely no sense but keeping in mind that he was 19 and simply throwing relatable adolescent feelings on a beat definitely gives a newfound appreciation for his composition and some pieces that became timeless. One of the last authentic rapping versions of Tyler we got for a while. Definitely iconic in its’ own right
Favorite Song: Analog (ft. Hodgy Beats)
Wolf
Synopsis: My favorite Tyler album by far and I’ll forever stand by that. It encompasses a lot of OG Tyler so that grunge sound is very apparent. Something like Trashwang is a clear example of what I’m talking about. The production is very consistent throughout the album, and raw emotion was displayed through various tracks. The cynical element exhibited was a byproduct of our own actual struggles in life and how we learned to cope with them. Pieces like Answer and Ifhy are perfect examples. This dropped when I was 13, so I definitely wasn’t all over it at first, especially after religiously listening to some of the Odd Future Tapes and his earlier albums and EP’s (totally different sound). Still, I find that all the songs relate to something currently happening within my life, even 8 years later.
That shit is timeless, man.
Favorite Song: PartyIsntOver/Campfire/Bimmer (ft. Frank Ocean, Laetitia Sadier)
Igor
Synopsis: A lot of people overhyped this when it was initially released (myself included) and for good measure. The melodies, bridges, and harmony used by Tyer and accompanying features made this album seem damn near perfect after first listen. Most people took Earfquake and ran that shit into the fucking ground, and for that reason, a lot of the other tracks were overlooked. The bridge around the 2 minute mark of I Think is so fucking dope, and the composition of Are We Still Friends? should be considered a Schedule I Substance. A lot was going on with the central theme of this album. We’d only gotten a taste of this side of Tyler before, so a full-blown album definitely turned a lot of heads. Being transparent about his personal life and interests as an everyday individual has always been his thing. Keeping that in mind allowed for continuous outlooks after each listen. Just beautiful music. I want to add that watching your favorite artists’ interviews provides a new appreciation for their work, so I included it here.
*Sidenote* At this point, he’s mastered the bridge technique.
Favorite Song: Are We Still Friends?
Call Me If You Get Lost
Sypnosis: I assure you this is not recency bias. Let me start by saying that the DJ Drama assistance was unexpected and profound for Hip-Hop. The features were a little out of his comfort zone, yet the way the songs were composed, you’d think otherwise. That YoungBoy verse was clean as hell. Wayne floated as always. 42 Dugg, Uzi, Pharell, … all those dudes delivered. Even Brent Faiyaz came through with the vocals! So beautiful, man. We got Tyler rapping again on damn near every song while still implementing those signature melodies and mixes. At this point, his production is undoubtedly one of the best in Hip-Hop; listen to songs like RUNITUP, WUSYANAME, HOT WIND BLOWS, and try to tell me different. His storytelling gets better with every album, and Call Me If You Get Lost is no exception. His bragging about how untouchable he is in multiple aspects and unapologetic behavior radiates that “fuck you” essence that some of us just need to hear from time to time. You can really play any one of these songs and just fucking vibe. I promised I wasn’t gonna use that word in this blog. But seriously. Generational.
Favorite Song: SWEET / I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE (ft. Brent Faiyaz, Fana Hues)
I couldn't come up with a clever close. This was fun though, I’ll do it again sometime soon. Requests are encouraged. I included some cool ass links to him just ~v#@ing~ so enjoy those as well. Shout out, Tyler shouts out Complex, shout out you guys for supporting.
