Tyler, The Creator – Music Inspired By Illumination & Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch (EP Review & Stream)

I think Tyler, The Creator is a genius… So much so that I believe he is up there with Kanye West when it comes to rapper/producers in the game. In his latest body of work, the Odd Future honcho showcases just how talented he is, playing orchestrator to a project that might very well end up being the anthem for this Christmas year.

STREAM

TOP 2

2. BIG BAG

“Big Bag” is dangerously hip hop and low-key adorable. On it, Tyler raps tougher than he does on any other song on this project, dropping punchlines and spitting with this consistent flow to describe his experiences as a youngin’ during Christmas time. I would say the track has a very slight holiday feel to it, but lots of gritty flavor.

1. LIGHTS ON

Tyler, The Creator has done a magnificent job of creating a musical body of work that perfectly illustrates what’s going on in The Grinch’s head with this project. Yes, dude is a monster and all, but you can tell that he has his moments in which peacefulness takes a slight stab at his heart. Anyway, in “LIGHTS ON,” the Odd Future honcho was able to orchestrate this feel-good yet dark tune that has Santi Gold playing a singing gnome that is hopeful of coming home for the holidays, Ryan Beatty playing that one passionate kid that can’t wait for Santi to arrive, and Tyler playing this father figure that’s trying to convince his manager to leave early so he can meet Santi at the door. I think the song has its purpose in our lives, especially if you’re torn on whether or not you feel like paying for a $300 ticket to visit your family during Christmas time.

I can’t stress how much I want to hear a Santi Gold and Tyler, The Creator duet album!

SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN

1. WHOVILLE (5/5)

2. LIGHTS ON (5/5)

3. HOT CHOCOLATE (4/5)

4. BIG BAG (4.5/5)

5. WHEN THE GLOVES COME OFF (4/5)

6. CINDY LOU’S WISH (4/5)

OVERALL RATING

(B)

If you were expecting the second coming of Illmatic here, you should probably turn away from this project. Instead, what you get is six Christmas-inspired tunes that warm the heart and ignite the holiday spirit. Tyler does have some moments in which he spits a couple of bars (ie Big Bag and LIGHTS ON), but for the most part, he plays orchestra-tor, putting singers in places they to succeed, while giving us the definition of pure/organic instrumentals in-between. I think the EP definitely has some timeless feels to it, which means it can be played at the Christmas dinner with your parents around, too.