Tyler, The Creator has undergone an amazing transformation over the past decade. He went from loud and controversial rapper to critical darling. He went from eating cockroaches in “Yonkers” to wearing a blond wig in “EARFQUAKE.” It was an unexpected trajectory, but Taylor amassed an entirely different group of fans. Still, there’s something to be said for the rapper’s early work. An album like Wolf is so polarizing precisely because of its quality, which has allowed it to reach impressive milestones on Spotify.
On May 26, Chart Data announced that Taylor’s second studio album (and third) has been streamed 1 billion times on Spotify. It managed to do this in less than a decade and without any major radio hits. Wolfe didn’t have a single as infamous as “Yonkers” or a TV performance like “Sandwitches” to bolster its numbers, but fans kept coming back to it. Wolf has stood the test of time because of its quality, which is what Tyler, The Creator hoped for in 2013. “I love the whole album.” Wolf is also Tyler’s first time mixing an album himself.
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Creator Tyler’s ‘Wolf’ Now Has 1 Billion Streams
“This is the first album I’ve mixed,” the rapper told the outlet. “I’m glad I was able to experience this. Now I know what sound I want next time and how I should approach it when I need to mix it with other similar things.” Practice Extensions to Learning What Works and What Doesn’t Come to Wolf’s music style. Tyler, The Creator features richer production than his previous releases and embraces neo-soul and funk in ways that had previously only been derided. “Treehome95” points to the rapper’s 2017 hit “Flower Boy.” “PartyIsntOver/Campfire/Bimmer” is an early take on the multi-part songs that would dominate 2021’s Call Me If You Get Lost.
These sonic jumps are present in classic Odd Future songs like “Domo23” and “Trashwang.” It’s a cohesive listen that’s jarring to hear, but it also exemplifies the astonishing versatility of Tyler, The Creator. The fact that he can rap “Tamale” and croon the title track puts him in a rarefied air. Wolfe would never accrue the artistic acclaim of Taylor’s subsequent albums. That said, the album’s ability to reflect on the rapper’s past while pointing to his musical future is undeniable. The streaming data proves it.
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