Wolf (Tyler, The Creator album)
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''Wolf'' is the second studio album by American rapper and record producer
Tyler, the Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper and record producer. He is one of the founding members of the music collective Odd Future. Okonma self-released his debut mixtape Bast ...
. It was released on April 2, 2013, by
Odd Future Records Odd Future Records was an American record label founded by rapper and producer Tyler, the Creator of Odd Future in 2011. It operated as a division of Sony Music Entertainment. History Odd Future Records was founded by Tyler, the Creator in 2011 ...
. The album features
guest appearance In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other p ...
s from Mike G,
Domo Genesis Dominique Marquis Cole (born March 9, 1991), known professionally as Domo Genesis, is an American rapper and songwriter. He is best known for being a member of Los Angeles hip hop collective Odd Future. He has since continued his solo career, re ...
,
Earl Sweatshirt Thebe Neruda Kgositsile (born February 24, 1994), also known by his stage name Earl Sweatshirt, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Kgositsile was originally known by the moniker Sly Tendencies when he began rapping in 2008, ...
, Left Brain,
Hodgy Beats Gerard Damien Long (born November 9, 1990), better known by his stage name Hodgy (formerly Hodgy Beats), is an American rapper, record producer and music video director. He is best known for being a founding member of the hip hop collective Odd F ...
,
Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu (), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the ...
and
Pharrell Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he ...
, among others. ''Wolf'' was supported by its lead single, " Domo23". The album received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number three on the US ''Billboard'' 200, selling 89,000 copies in its first week.


Background

Tyler's two prior projects, ''
Bastard Bastard may refer to: Parentage * Illegitimate child, a child born to unmarried parents ** Bastard (law of England and Wales), illegitimacy in English law People People with the name * Bastard (surname), including a list of people with that na ...
'' and ''
Goblin A goblin is a small, grotesque, monstrous creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearances depending on t ...
'', contained lyrics and themes commonly used in the
horrorcore Horrorcore, also called horror hip hop, horror rap, death hip hop, or death rap, is a subgenre of hip hop music based on horror-themed and often darkly transgressive lyrical content and imagery. Its origins derived from certain hardcore hip h ...
subgenre, which Tyler claimed to not be part of. In November 2011, in an interview with '' Spin'', Tyler expressed wanting to shift away from the themes of his previous work, stating:


Music and lyrics

''Wolf'' is a
concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
that features a continuous story of characters Wolf, Sam and Salem. Therapist character Dr. TC makes his last appearance on a Tyler album on the final track "Lone". The story presented in ''Wolf'' has been said to link to Tyler's two previous projects, with debates occurring on whether ''Wolf'' comes chronologically before or after ''Goblin''. The opening and title track, "Wolf", begins with piano chords and breathy vocals, and the character Sam appears at the end of the track. "Answer" features a simple guitar melody over heavy drums. On the song, Tyler proclaims his desire to get into contact with his estranged father and also mentions some problems that his friends are going through. "Slater" is a song devoted to Tyler's bike, which ends with
Frank Ocean Christopher Francis "Frank" Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987), is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper. His works are noted by music critics for featuring avant-garde styles and introspective, elliptical lyrics. Ocean ...
speaking the words "You're talking to a fucking bike. Loser". Kathy Iandoli of ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' compared "Colossus" to
Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
's 2000 hit, " Stan", stating that Tyler "continuously switches the lyrics from being cutesy fanfare to sexually maniacal". Craig Jenkins of ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'' describes the track "IFHY" as "a bit of
Neptunes The Neptunes are an American songwriting and production duo composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1992. Williams often provides additional vocals on records and appears in the duo's music videos ...
worship so adroit that its plinking synths and jazzy chord changes give way to a falsettoed coda from
Pharrell Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he ...
himself". Jenkins also compared the posse cut "Rusty" to the sound of
Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close affili ...
, featuring "a lush reimagining of 1990s RZA production". "Trashwang" is a
trap A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research. Trap or TRAP may also refer to: Art and entertainment Films and television * ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...
-influenced posse cut. Iandoli compared the sound of the song to the works of rapper
Waka Flocka Flame Juaquin James Malphurs (born May 31, 1986), known professionally as Waka Flocka Flame, is an American rapper. Signing to 1017 Brick Squad and Warner Bros. Records in 2009, he became a mainstream artist with the release of his singles "O Let's ...
. The album's final track, "Lone", features Tyler's last therapy session with Dr. TC. In the song, Tyler describes the events leading up to his grandmother's death.


Release and promotion

On February 14, 2013, OFWGKTA posted a video to their YouTube account, which includes L-Boy skydiving and stating that ''Wolf'' will be released on April 2, 2013. On the same day, Tyler revealed three different album covers via his
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
account. The deluxe version of the album features a fold-out poster of the full album
cover art Cover art is a type of artwork presented as an illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book (often on a dust jacket), magazine, newspaper ( tabloid), comic book, video game (box art), music album (album art), ...
work that was designed by
Mark Ryden Mark Ryden (born January 20, 1963) is an American painter who is considered to be part of the Lowbrow (or Pop Surrealist) art movement.Ken Johnson"Mark Ryden: ‘The Gay 90s: Old Tyme Art Show" ''The New York Times'', May 6, 2010. Retrieved 2013 ...
, a limited embroidered patch, a ''Wolf'' calendar and a 24-page booklet featuring lyrics and artwork. Four days after the album's release, Tyler released the whole album for free streaming services through his
SoundCloud SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...
account. From March 11, 2013 to April 11, 2013, Tyler toured North America and Europe on the ''Wolf'' tour. The tour was his first solo tour without his group
Odd Future Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, better known as Odd Future and often abbreviated as OF, was an American Hip hop music, hip-hop Musical collective, music collective formed in Los Angeles County, California in 2007. The original members were Ty ...
. His first stop was
Boulder, Colorado Boulder is a home rule city that is the county seat and most populous municipality of Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 108,250 at the 2020 United States census, making it the 12th most populous city in Color ...
and the ''Wolf'' release party took place in Los Angeles, California on the release day of the album. He announced he would extend the tour from April 30 to May 18, 2013. These shows took place on the west coast of the United States and it features his Odd Future cohort,
Earl Sweatshirt Thebe Neruda Kgositsile (born February 24, 1994), also known by his stage name Earl Sweatshirt, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Kgositsile was originally known by the moniker Sly Tendencies when he began rapping in 2008, ...
. On September 9, 2013, Tyler released a trailer for a film based on ''Wolf''.


Singles

The album's lead single, " Domo23", was released on February 14, 2013, as well an accompanying music video which features cameo appearances from Odd Future members
Domo Genesis Dominique Marquis Cole (born March 9, 1991), known professionally as Domo Genesis, is an American rapper and songwriter. He is best known for being a member of Los Angeles hip hop collective Odd Future. He has since continued his solo career, re ...
, Earl Sweatshirt,
Jasper Dolphin Davon Lamar Wilson (born September 28, 1990), better known as Jasper Dolphin (or simply Jasper), is an American actor, stunt performer and former rapper. He is best known for being a founding member of American hip hop collective Odd Future, bu ...
and Taco. The song peaked at number two on the US
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
and at number 37 on the US
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
. At the end of the video for "Domo23", it previewed the video for the reported second single, "Bimmer" featuring Odd Future member Frank Ocean.


Other songs

On March 29, 2013, the music video was released for "IFHY" featuring Pharrell. At the end of the video, the song cuts into a snippet of the music video for "Jamba" featuring Odd Future member
Hodgy Beats Gerard Damien Long (born November 9, 1990), better known by his stage name Hodgy (formerly Hodgy Beats), is an American rapper, record producer and music video director. He is best known for being a founding member of the hip hop collective Odd F ...
. In the music video, Tyler "plays a lovestruck doll, acting out scenes in a dollhouse with a plastic girlfriend. While the real-life Tyler later drives through a neighborhood with Hodgy Beats as his song "Jamba" blasts from the speakers". "IFHY" peaked at number 24 on the US Heatseekers Songs. On October 7, 2013, the music video was released for both "Tamale" and "Answer".


Critical reception

''Wolf'' was met with generally positive reviews. At
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an
average In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, ...
score of 70, based on 31 reviews. Aggregator
AnyDecentMusic? AnyDecentMusic? is a website that collates album reviews from magazines, websites, and newspapers. Primarily focused on popular music – covering rock, pop, electronic, dance, folk, country, roots, hip-hop, R&B, and rap – albums are adjudg ...
gave it 6.9 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. Craig Jenkins of ''Pitchfork'' said, "With ''Wolf'', Tyler, the Creator displays a radical growth as a producer, composer and arranger, even if, as a rapper, he's still up to some of the same antics. Still, the album contains a few of the best songs he's ever written". Jeremy D. Larson of ''
Consequence Consequence may refer to: * Logical consequence, also known as a ''consequence relation'', or ''entailment'' * In operant conditioning, a result of some behavior * Consequentialism, a theory in philosophy in which the morality of an act is determi ...
'' said, "Tyler is his own worst enemy, of course. But the buoyancy of the production and the overall intrigue of hearing him struggle with his idle hands prevent the album from getting mired down in too much vanity". David Jeffries of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
said, "It's a fun album for fanatics, but the willingness to shock feels too comfortable at this point, so those who found it tiresome before will likely find it devastating here". Chris Dart of ''
Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
'' felt that "While Tyler will almost certainly never outgrow life as a weird, hell-raising provocateur, ''Wolf'' shows that he's already growing into life as a smart, diverse artist". ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...
''s Jesse Cataldo commenting "The production is routinely strong, but things are weighed down by Tyler himself, who forcefully refuses to provide a palatable anchor to over an hour's worth of material". Cataldo saw the album as "progress on some fronts", but felt that Tyler "needs to move beyond certain issues" to "prove himself a vital force". Martín Caballero of ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' said, "Despite careering from one alter ego to the next and touching on everything from his absent father on "Answer" to the art of making campfire s'mores on the seven-minute "PartyIsntOver  / Campfire  / Bimmer", there's a broad vision and deft execution that holds things together much better than on ''Goblin''". Eric Diep of '' XXL'' said, "''Wolf'' meets its own high expectations by creating an absorbing journey of Tyler's imagination. Everything from being his own therapist to poking fun at newfound fame is documented in captivating fashion, however juvenile it may be at times. There's still growing up to do, and maybe time will tame the fascinating artist we see on this album. Until then, there's no escaping his meteoric rise. And the diehard Odd Future fans will love every minute of it". David Amidon of ''
PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' said, "If ''Wolf'' is not ''Goblin'' is the most important statement I feel like I could make about this album, the second most important thing I can probably say about it is that nothing has actually changed about Tyler himself. All his flaws as a coherent lyricist and person are on full display throughout the album, and the charm or lack thereof of that fact goes a long way towards how enjoyable this album can be". Jessica Hopper of ''Spin'' magazine felt that "''Wolf''s most grievous misstep, and its one true spiritual connection to the superior ''Bastard'' and ''Goblin'': Tyler's defiant use of the word 'faggot'. As usual, he spends a ton of time here bragging about how little he cares about how the world sees him, but his reliance on the other f-bomb to keep our attention suggests otherwise". Chris Kelly of ''
Fact A fact is a datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance, which, if accepted as true and proven true, allows a logical conclusion to be reached on a true–false evaluation. Standard reference works are often used to check facts. Scient ...
'' said, "With ''Wolf'', Tyler, the Creator is exciting again: maybe not as the ringleader of the Odd Future empire, but as a producer who just turned 22 (did you forget how young he actually is?), has internalized a decade of Neptunes / Doom / Def Jux production, and has Pharrell, Erykah, and (most importantly) Frank Ocean on speed dial. The don't-give-a-fuck attitude might have run its course lyrically, but when applying it as a production ethos, Tyler is just getting started".


Rankings

''XXL'' ranked it number 18 on their list of the best albums of 2013. They commented saying, "The leader of the Odd Future crew's second album ''Wolf'' displayed radical maturity—both musically and lyrically; partnering with fellow Odd Future members Frank Ocean and Earl Sweatshirt, alongside Pharrell Williams and even Erykah Badu on songs involving gripping narratives of personal frustrations and heartbreak. Coupled with vivid lyrics and stark synth production, Tyler's fascinatingly still weird but insightful and musically pleasing". ''
HipHopDX ''HipHopDX'' is an online magazine of hip hop music criticism and news. The website's current president and publisher is Sharath Cherian and the Head Of Content is Jerry L. Barrow. ''HipHopDX'' is the flagship publication of Cheri Media Group. ...
'' named it one of the top 25 albums of 2013. They elaborated saying, "''Wolf'' was Tyler's most grown up effort to date. Developing into a fully realized production mastermind, he somehow tied a summer camp story in with his usual themes of relationships and the struggles of fame, not to mention the ghetto's
crack epidemic The crack epidemic was a surge of crack cocaine use in major cities across the United States throughout the entirety of the 1980s and the early 1990s. This resulted in a number of social consequences, such as increasing crime and violence in Ameri ...
and bullying leading to school shootings".


Commercial performance

In the United States, ''Wolf'' debuted at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 89,000 copies in the first week. In its second week, the album sold 18,000 more copies bringing its sales total to 107,000 in the United States.


Track listing

All songs written and produced by
Tyler, the Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper and record producer. He is one of the founding members of the music collective Odd Future. Okonma self-released his debut mixtape Bast ...
, except where noted. Sample credits * "48" contains portions of an '' XXL'' interview between Tyler, the Creator and
Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ( ...
.


Personnel

Credits for ''Wolf'' adapted from CD liner notes.


Musicians

*
Frank Ocean Christopher Francis "Frank" Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987), is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper. His works are noted by music critics for featuring avant-garde styles and introspective, elliptical lyrics. Ocean ...
– additional vocals (4, 8) * Syd Bennett – additional vocals (6) * Colin Boyd – additional piano (9) * Elijah & Parys Hall – additional vocals (10) * Joslyn Leonti – additional vocals (10) *
Jason Dill Jason Dill (born November 21, 1976) is an American professional skateboarder, photographer, and co-founder of Fucking Awesome—an American skate company. Early life Dill was born in Huntington Beach, California, Huntington Beach, California, U ...
– additional vocals (14) * Tallulah – additional vocals (17) * Lionel Boyce – additional vocals * Sarah Parker – additional vocals


Technical

* Vic Wainstein – recording (all) *
Manny Marroquin Manny Marroquin (born September 21, 1971) is an American mixing engineer.Daley, Dan (May 2005).Manny Marroquin. ''Sound on Sound''. Retrieved February 10, 2007 He has received ten Grammy awards for his professional audio work. Life and career M ...
– mixing (1, 7, 8, 10, 11, 16, 17) * Trehy Harris – mix assistance (1–4, 12–15) * Jaycen Joshua – mixing (2–5, 12–15) * Andrew Dawson – mixing (6, 9, 10, 18) * Chris Galland – mix assistance (7, 8, 10, 11, 16, 17) * Delbert Bowers – mix assistance (7, 8, 10, 11, 16, 17) * Sterling Winfield – recording (16) * Phil Toselli – packaging layout *
Tyler, the Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper and record producer. He is one of the founding members of the music collective Odd Future. Okonma self-released his debut mixtape Bast ...
– packaging layout * Brian "Big Bass" Gardner – mastering *
Bernie Grundman Bernie Grundman is an American audio engineer. He is most known for his mastering work and his studio, Bernie Grundman Mastering, which he opened in 1984 in Hollywood. The studio, which includes engineers Chris Bellman, Patricia Sullivan, and Mi ...
– mastering * Eddy Tekeli – photography


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


References

{{Authority control Tyler, the Creator albums 2013 albums Albums produced by Tyler, the Creator Concept albums Odd Future Records albums