Goblin | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | May 10, 2011 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 73:49 | |||
Label | XL | |||
Producer |
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Tyler, the Creator chronology | ||||
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Deluxe edition cover | ||||
Singles from Goblin | ||||
Goblin is the second studio album by the American rapper Tyler,the Creator. It was released on May 10,2011,by XL Recordings. Goblin continues Tyler's dialogues with his fictional therapist Dr. TC,first heard on his 2009 album, Bastard . The album's songs were produced almost entirely by Tyler himself,along with a contribution from fellow Odd Future member Left Brain. The album features guest appearances from Odd Future members Frank Ocean,Hodgy Beats,Jasper Dolphin,Taco,Domo Genesis,Mike G and Syd.
Goblin was supported by three singles:"Sandwitches","Yonkers" and "She". The single "Yonkers" is considered responsible for garnering the significant internet and industry buzz surrounding Odd Future at the time of the album's release. The album received generally positive reviews from critics,debuting at number five on the US Billboard 200.
After the release of Bastard ,Tyler signed to British independent label XL Recordings and announced Goblin after the release of "Yonkers". [3] Close friend and fellow Odd Future member Earl Sweatshirt was notably not featured on the album due to attending Coral Reef Academy in Samoa at the time. [4]
Goblin continues the horrorcore subject matter first displayed on Bastard. Fictional therapist, Dr. TC, appears throughout the album. The second track, "Yonkers", features a gritty beat with a large bass sound, reminiscent of the production of Wu-Tang Clan leader RZA. Tyler claims to have made the instrumental in eight minutes as a parody of New York City beats. [5] The third track, "Radicals", talks about youthful rebellion. The chorus contains the chanted lines "Kill people, burn shit, fuck school", which was previously used by Tyler on Earl Sweatshirt's song "Pigions" from his 2010 mixtape, Earl . [6] Pranav Trewn of Stereogum commented on the song, stating "[It] isn't an anthem of retaliation, but rather self-immolation; you have to purge everything else to discover what's left of yourself". [6] "Bitch Suck Dick" is an over-the-top trap parody featuring stereotypical misogynistic lyrics from Jasper Dolphin and Taco, similar to Bastard's "Tina" and Wolf 's "Trashwang". [7] On the album's final track, "Golden", it's revealed that Dr. TC is just Tyler's conscience, and everyone he was interacting with were a figment of his imagination. [8]
On October 8, 2010, Tyler and Hodgy released "Sandwitches" on Odd Future's official website for free. [9] On February 10, 2011, Tyler released the music video for the first single, "Yonkers", from the album. [10] An extended version with an extra verse was later released on iTunes four days later, [11] along with an extended version of the previously released track "Sandwitches". [12] On February 16, Tyler and Hodgy Beats performed "Sandwitches" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon , making it the first television appearance for any Odd Future member. [13] One month later, on March 16, 2011, Tyler and Hodgy Beats performed the tracks "Yonkers" and "Sandwitches" on the mtvU Woodie Awards with the rest of Odd Future. [14] On that same day, a preview of "Tron Cat" was released online as promotion for the album. Also in March, the album cover was posted online featuring a colored picture of Buffalo Bill when he was 19, and it was featured as a backdrop for Tyler's MTV performance. [15] On March 24, Tyler posted the track list on his Twitter, and the track "Sandwitches" was to be included on the album. [16]
On March 17, 2011, Tyler announced the release date of Goblin with a video on his website that flashed the words "Fuck 2DopeBoyz & NahRight", slamming two blogs who he claimed didn't give him recognition early in his career. [17] [18]
Goblin was also released as a deluxe edition with alternate artwork and packaging, a poster, lyrics, and a second disc containing three bonus tracks. Tyler released the deluxe edition cover of the album on his Flickr on April 4, 2011. [19] [20] On April 21, Tyler posted several pictures from the filming of a new music video, followed by an announcement that the video is finished on the next day. On April 22, Tyler released a promo video involving himself portraying a character named Thurnis Haley who is a golfer. [21] [22] On April 28, "Tron Cat" was leaked online. [23] On May 3, Tyler and Hodgy Beats performed "Sandwitches" and "Analog" on BBC, along with them performing "65" off of the upcoming MellowHype album. [24]
The third single to be released from the album was "She" featuring Frank Ocean. [25] [26] The music video for "She" was released June 3, 2011. [27]
The music video for "Bitch Suck Dick" featuring Jasper Dolphin and Taco was released on October 11, 2011. [28]
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.3/10 [29] |
Metacritic | 72/100 [30] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [31] |
The A.V. Club | B+ [32] |
Entertainment Weekly | A− [33] |
HipHopDX | 4.0/5 [34] |
Los Angeles Times | [35] |
Now | 2/5 [36] |
Pitchfork | 8.0/10 [37] |
PopMatters | 8/10 [38] |
Rolling Stone | [39] |
Slant Magazine | [40] |
Goblin was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 72, based on 37 reviews. [30] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.3 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. [29]
Jon Dolan from Rolling Stone complimenting the album's "lush, left-field R&B-tinged tracks" along with its "early-Eminem evil" lyrics. [39] David Jeffries of AllMusic commenting that "Tyler's production is as attractive as ever, contrasting his disgusting rhymes and gruff voice with subdued, sometimes serene beats that echo and creep". [31] Brad Wete of Entertainment Weekly said, "Too bad Kanye—who's also a fan—already used the title last fall, because Goblin is one Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy ". [33] Slant Magazine critic Huw Jones praising its production and stating that "Goblin could well be one of the decade's most significant releases...a masterpiece for those capable of stomaching it". [40] The reviewer Jen Long from the BBC enjoyed Tyler's lyrical "run of shock tactics reminiscent of Eminem", many strongly criticized the similarity. [41] Joshua Errett of Now said that someone should have informed Tyler that "Eminem already did this 15 years ago". [36] Louis Pattison of NME said, "It's an album that leaves you in no doubt that Odd Future's leader is a rare talent". [42]
Evan Rytlewski of The A.V. Club said, "Brash and unwieldy as it seems on the surface, Goblin is a deliberately created work of art, one of the densest and most provocative statements that independent rap has produced in years". [32] Scott Plagenhoef of Pitchfork said, "His fantasies and lack of filter are still huge roadblocks for many if not most listeners. They're depraved and despicable, tied in part to a long and unfortunate legacy of gangster and street rap. They're also one aspect of a larger, character-driven story—a license that we grant to visual arts, film, and literature but rarely to pop music". [37] Max Feldman of PopMatters said, "It's that sort of shameful thing that would prevent us from seeing Goblin for what it really is: a massive spoonful of marvelous hip-hop medicine, of the most unnerving, hyperreal humour you may well ever hear". [38] Chris Martins of Spin said, "Is the entire thing about 20 minutes too long? Probably. But the obvious lack of outside meddling proves that Tyler's auteur status remains intact. He is, in the parlance of our times, still swaggin'. Now maybe he can get to work on winning that Grammy". [43] Randal Roberts from the Los Angeles Times commented that the album just "presses the same button that Elvis, Johnny Rotten, Chuck D and Eminem did" and after "about 50 minutes you just want Tyler, the Creator to shut the hell up". [35]
In a 2018 interview with GQ , Tyler called Goblin "horrible". He stated that, in hindsight, he'd only keep seven tracks from the album: "Yonkers", "She", "Nightmare", "Tron Cat", "Fish", "Analog" and "AU79". [44]
Goblin debuted at number five on the Billboard 200, with first-week sales of 45,000 copies in the United States. [45] As of April 2013, the album has sold 230,000 copies in the United States. [46] On January 30, 2018, Goblin was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). [47] As of 2012, the album has sold 25,000 copies in United Kingdom. [48]
All songs are produced by Tyler, the Creator (T. Okonma), except for "Transylvania", which is produced by Left Brain.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Goblin" | Tyler Okonma | 6:48 |
2. | "Yonkers" | Okonma | 4:09 |
3. | "Radicals" | Okonma | 7:18 |
4. | "She" (featuring Frank Ocean) |
| 4:13 |
5. | "Transylvania" |
| 3:12 |
6. | "Nightmare" | Okonma | 5:22 |
7. | "Tron Cat" | Okonma | 4:13 |
8. | "Her" | Okonma | 3:31 |
9. | "Sandwitches" (featuring Hodgy Beats) |
| 4:51 |
10. | "Fish" |
| 6:19 |
11. | "Analog" (featuring Hodgy Beats) |
| 2:54 |
12. | "Bitch Suck Dick" (featuring Jasper Dolphin and Taco) |
| 3:36 |
13. | "Window" (featuring Domo Genesis, Frank Ocean, Hodgy Beats and Mike G) |
| 8:00 |
14. | "AU79" (instrumental) | Okonma | 3:40 |
15. | "Golden" | Okonma | 5:43 |
Total length: | 73:49 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
16. | "Burger" (featuring Hodgy Beats) |
| 3:49 |
17. | "Untitled 63" (instrumental) | Okonma | 1:06 |
18. | "Steak Sauce" | Okonma | 3:22 |
Total length: | 82:06 |
Notes
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [64] | Gold | 40,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [65] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [47] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Tyler Gregory Okonma, known professionally as Tyler, The Creator, is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip hop during the 2010s.
Bastard is the debut studio album by the American rapper Tyler, the Creator. It was self-produced by Tyler, the Creator, and self-released free of charge on December 25, 2009, on Odd Future's Tumblr page. Due to its free online release and lack of retail availability, Bastard was initially considered to be a mixtape, however, Tyler and other sources in the future have referred to it as an album.
Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, better known as Odd Future and often abbreviated as OF or OFWGKTA, was an American alternative hip-hop music collective formed in Los Angeles, California in 2007. The group consisted of rappers, producers, filmmakers, skateboarders, and clothing designers. The original members were Tyler, the Creator, Casey Veggies, Hodgy, Left Brain, Matt Martians, Jasper Dolphin, Earl Sweatshirt, Travis "Taco" Bennett, and Syd. Later members included Brandun DeShay, Pyramid Vritra, Domo Genesis, Mike G, L-Boy, Frank Ocean, and Na-Kel Smith.
BlackenedWhite is the debut studio album by Odd Future sub-group MellowHype. Production for the album was handled by Left Brain. It was made available for free download October 31, 2010, and re-released on July 12, 2011, through Fat Possum Records.
MellowHype was an American hip hop duo from Los Angeles, California, that consisted of rapper-producer Hodgy and producer-rapper Left Brain. Both were members of hip hop collective Odd Future. They have released two studio albums which both charted on the Billboard 200 albums chart and four mixtapes.
Earl is the debut mixtape by American rapper Earl Sweatshirt. It was released as a free digital download on March 31, 2010, on the Odd Future website.
Gerard Damien Long, better known as Jerry, is an American rapper and record producer. He is best known for being a founding member of the hip hop collective Odd Future.
The Jet Age of Tomorrow is an American production duo from Atlanta, Georgia and a sub-group of hip hop collective Odd Future that consists of producer-singer Matt Martians, and producer-rapper Pyramid Vritra. According to Martians, the group's music originated from instrumentals turned down by Tyler, the Creator and Hodgy, who liked the tracks Martians sent them, but could not use them in their own music. Outside of their work with the Jet Age, Martians is a member of The Internet with Odd Future member Syd, while Vritra is a member of his own hip hop collective, NRK.
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.
"Yonkers" is a song written, produced, and performed by American rapper Tyler, the Creator, released digitally as the second single from his second album, Goblin on February 14, 2011. It received controversy due to its violent lyrics and numerous disses, although it was critically acclaimed and landed on numerous year-end lists. Tyler also directed a music video for the single, which was also met with positive critical reception and earned him the MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. Numerous publications have considered "Yonkers" to be Tyler's breakout song.
American rapper Tyler, the Creator has released eight studio albums, one extended play (EP), 36 singles, three mixtapes, two instrumental albums, one live album and one video album.
"She" is a song by the American rapper Tyler, the Creator featuring the fellow American singer Frank Ocean. The song was written by Ocean and Tyler and produced by Tyler himself, it was released on May 10, 2011 as the fourth single from Tyler's studio album Goblin.
Wolf is the third studio album by the American rapper Tyler, the Creator. It was released on April 2, 2013, by Odd Future Records. The album features guest appearances from Mike G, Domo Genesis, Earl Sweatshirt, Left Brain, Hodgy Beats, Erykah Badu and Pharrell, among others.
The OF Tape Vol. 2 is the only studio album by American hip hop collective Odd Future. It was released on March 20, 2012, by Odd Future Records and RED Distribution. It serves as the sequel to their debut mixtape, The Odd Future Tape (2008). The album features appearances from Odd Future members Hodgy Beats, Tyler, the Creator, Domo Genesis, Frank Ocean, Mike G, the Internet, Taco, Jasper Dolphin, Left Brain and L-Boy, as well as an uncredited appearance from Earl Sweatshirt. Production on the album was primarily handled by Left Brain and Tyler, the Creator, with Frank Ocean, Pyramid Vritra and Matt Martians also receiving production credits. Lyrically the album ranges from being serious to being satirical, with some tracks offering an overly absurdist take on rap.
Sydney Loren Bennett, known professionally as Syd, is an American singer and songwriter. She initially gained recognition as a member of the alternative hip hop collective Odd Future, and went on to co-found the band The Internet in 2011. In 2017, Bennett released her debut solo album Fin, followed by the EP Always Never Home. She released her second album, Broken Hearts Club, in 2022.
MellowHigh is the eponymous debut studio album by American hip hop group MellowHigh, which consists of Odd Future rappers Domo Genesis and Hodgy Beats, and record producer Left Brain. The album was released on October 31, 2013 by Odd Future Records. The album features guest appearances from Tyler, The Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, Smoke DZA, Curren$y, and Remy Banks.
Genesis is the debut studio album by American rapper Domo Genesis. It was released on March 25, 2016, through Odd Future and distributed by Columbia Records. The album contains features from Wiz Khalifa, Juicy J, Tyler, the Creator, Anderson .Paak, Tay Walker, Dash, King Chip, Mac Miller and JMSN, among others.
"Rella" is a single by Odd Future featuring members Hodgy Beats, Domo Genesis, and Tyler, The Creator, released as the lead single from Odd Future's debut studio album The OF Tape Vol. 2. It was produced by Left Brain. The single was released digitally on February 20, 2012.
"Oldie" is the 18th and final track on the Odd Future album The OF Tape Vol. 2. The song features members Tyler, the Creator, Hodgy Beats, Left Brain, Mike G, Domo Genesis, Frank Ocean, Jasper Dolphin, and Earl Sweatshirt. It was produced by Tyler, the Creator, and was released on March 20, 2012.
...Goblin, that has sold over 230k to date.