I recently wrote a piece about why Tyler The Creator completely finessed his way into the position he has in the rap game. If you are confused as to what I mean by that, you should check out that post before reading this one. It details his rocky rise to stardom and the progression that he has shown since jumping onto the scene 10 years ago.

Tyler first announced his new album IGOR in early May 2019 after a report leaked that showed he had an album on the way before June 1st. The rollout for the album consisted of him dropping snippets of some of the tracks on YouTube and Instagram as a way to hype the fans up. He also dropped a few merch packs containing some interesting items for those that are interested.  

Needless to say, the album has finally materialized and I cannot wait to jump right in and listen. Here is my review of Tyler The Creator’s latest album IGOR.  

First impressions

• The Good: On my first listen through this album, I was honestly stunned at how sonically pleasing it is. Each track has different musical elements that are very pleasing to the ear. Tyler’s flow is as crisp as ever and he even breaks new ground on this album. I’m really enjoying the project thus far.
• The Bad: The only knock I can see is that a few of the tracks sound a bit similar. There are some tracks that mainly consist of very heavy base with other little elements in the background. These tracks are good in their own way, but may be slightly boring to those who don’t like that sound.  

Lyrics/Flow

• The Good: As I mentioned, the flows on each track are very good and fit the vibes very well. The subject matter is interesting in itself and discusses themes such as love, relationships, and life in general. There is also a decent amount of singing sprinkled into the project. It really compliments the rapping and makes the tracks stand out even more.
• The Bad: The only negative I can see in this category is that there aren’t too many new themes discussed. We’ve heard Tyler talk about love and his relationships before, but it doesn’t detract from the overall quality of the project. It is just a small knock on an otherwise exceptional album.   
• Score: 8/10

Beats

• The Good: To put it simply, the beats are the best part of this project. Each one has its own distinct feel while also sticking to a constant theme. They just work and sound great. The entire album was produced by Tyler, as with most of his previous work, but something feels different. T got to a new level on 2017’s Flower Boy, but I think he leveled his production game up even further on IGOR. We also see him explore some new sounds yet again, which is always a highlight of his projects.  
• The Bad: As mentioned in the intro, a few of the tracks sound similar in terms of the beat and that may annoy some listeners. Even if they do sound a bit similar, that does not ignore the fact that they sound great and carefully crafted.  
• Score: 9/10

Replayability

• The Good: Over the course of his career, Tyler The Creator has been working very hard to make his projects more concise and cut out extra tracks that may not be necessary. He does just that on this album due to it clocking in at 12 tracks. The project has no filler and each track brings its own vibes due to the different sounds. This will be an album that ages well due to the diversity it contains.  
• The Bad: If you aren’t a big Tyler fan, you may see this as just another one of his random sounding albums. And admittedly, it is random sounding at times. But that isn’t a bad thing if each track is quality and has a place on the album. I recommend that every hip hop fan give this album at least one listen.  
• Score: 8.5/10

Standouts

• This is yet another project that it is hard to choose standouts from because all the songs are great. The best songs on this project that will give you a great feel of what to expect are “Igor’s Theme”, “Earfquake”, “Running Out of Time”, and “Gone, Gone/Thank You”.  

Final thoughts

As I wrote in my previous post about Tyler The Creator, it’s crazy to me that he released Bastard nearly 10 years ago. He has shown so much growth in those 10 years and it is very admirable. On IGOR, he continued with that growth in the best way possible.

What I already love so much about this new album is how it stands out all on its own among his discography. None of these songs sound like anything else that Tyler has ever made and will probably ever make again. He said that this album is supposed to stand out from the rest and he definitely delivered on that. Here is what he said on Instagram the day before the album came out:  

Besides maybe Flower Boy, IGOR is easily the best album that Tyler The Creator has ever made. It simply shows a beautiful artistic progression while also allowing him to be true to who he has been all along. To put it simply, an album is great when it actually serves its purpose and delivers on all of your expectations and more.

IGOR has the ability to evoke many emotions and helps you to think deeply about love, relationships, and what it all means to love. That’s what makes it a fantastic album. It is the best album from a primarily hip hop artist thus far in 2019. It stands out among Tyler’s discography and among the work that his peers are creating due to the creativity and experimental sounds it contains. I would highly recommend giving this project a shot because it isn’t your average everyday album, it truly is something special.

Final Score: 8.8/10    

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