Tyler Okonma is an artist that is impossible to ignore and equally impossible to not have an opinion about. As Tyler, The Creator, he is the founder of Los Angeles hip-hop collective Odd Future, and has continually found himself at the centre of many controversies (mainly of his own making). A genuine enigma, he has stood accused of making homophobic comments in the past by some, but was also one of the most vocal supporters of Frank Ocean when he came out. Undoubtedly media savvy, he is adept at whipping up a storm and his fourth solo album, Flower Boy, will certainly be adding to the amount of column inches dedicated to this talented rapper. How much is calculated Twitter bait, and how much is genuine, only he can say. What is for certain is that in a year of stellar hip-hop releases, this sits with the best of them.

His fourth solo album starts, naturally, with ‘Foreword’. Beginning by asking: “How many cars can I buy ’til I run out of drive?/How much drive can I have ’til I run out of road?“, Tyler is seemingly in a contemplative mood before dropping the first in a series of clues that this album may be his very own ‘coming out’ moment. For someone who knows every line of his will be pored over, giving a: “shout-out to the girls that I lead on, for occasional head and always keeping my bed warm, and trying they hardest to keep my head on straight“ feels like a deliberate message. On ‘Garden Shed’, he raps: “Since a youth kid, thought it was a phase, thought it’d be like the phrase ‘poof’, gone” and there are references dropped liberally throughout many of the tracks. Any remaining doubts seem to be eradicated on ‘I Ain’t Got Time!’ when he claims that he’s: “been kissing white boys since 2004“. For most other artists, these hints and revelations would be interesting but, for a man who has been attacked for supposedly having homophobic beliefs (claims that have always been denied by Tyler), they are fascinating. Whether they represent anything more than tongue-in-cheek innuendo or the truth is unknown, but on the surface of things Flower Boy seems to be showing a new, maturing side to an artist not always known for it before.

Away from the lyrical content, which is delivered in Tyler’s trademark gruff tones (acting as his own beat at times), the backing tracks are sublime throughout. Whether it is the John Carpenter-esque nightmarish soundscape of ‘Who Dat Boy’, or ‘Pothole’, which has hints of 70s cop thrillers, each track is interesting on many levels. It’s a sign of how strong the album is that a fully instrumental version would be just as fascinating as the regular mix. The majority of the tracks reside in a woozy and slightly off-kilter atmosphere, almost like a heavily psychedelic Stevie Wonder piece. In particular, ‘Boredom’ drifts along with a sun-kissed vibe only occasionally broken up with a heavy beat. Tyler has stated that the album is “perfect golden hour or sunset music” and it certainly has that effect throughout. It is a lean piece of work, much tighter than any of his previous albums without any of the excess that has previously been present. Guest spots from Frank Ocean, A$AP Rocky, Lil Wayne and Estelle et al. are all handled well and compliment the main work perfectly. Kali Uchis’ spot on ‘See You Again’ is a real highlight on a tale of a dream lover about whom Tyler wonders: “if you look both ways, when you cross my mind“.

Tyler has questioned on Twitter how he can get people to listen to this if they dislike his previous work and, amongst all his bluster and bravado, it seems a genuine question. Whether the Tyler, The Creator that is on display here can be separated from some of the comments he has made in the past, is a matter of personal choice. What cannot be denied though, is that this is (or appears to be) an album of startling honesty and a real progression. The light of the golden hour suits him, time to come out of the shadows.

Jamie MacMillan

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