About

On Tyler’s sincere and most accomplished album, he gets to the essence of what he's been chiseling at: the angst of a missed connection, the pain of unrequited love, and navigating youthful ennui.

Flower Boy (promoted as Scum F**k Flower Boy) is Tyler’s course-correction, surprisingly meditative and beautifully colored, a collage of memories and daydreams that trades bratty subversion for reflection and self-improvement. He probes the things that shaped his psyche—loneliness, isolation, and disorientation—and focuses on outgrowing friendships, balancing the pull of nostalgia and the necessity for growth. Not only is Flower Boy Tyler’s most trenchant work, it’s his most inclusive: “Find Your Wings”: The album, gentle and liberating. “Tell these black kids they can be who they are,” he raps on “Where This Flower Blooms,” as he grows into the artist he’s always longed to be, and perhaps always was. So subdued, wistful, permissive, and relatable, are these songs—they are Tyler’s most refined to date.

Collectively, they’re a kaleidoscopic sonic wonder. Though still obviously taking influence from the Neptunes, his production remains unlike anything else right now—glowing oddball orchestrations with unpredictable chord progressions, adorned by choruses of sweet voices. “Garden Shed” and “Glitter” are among his prettiest creations. He cedes “Droppin’ Seeds” to an in-form Lil Wayne, content to show off his peculiar ear for sound. “Enjoy Right Now, Today” takes it a step further, going lyric-free, accented by light Pharrell vocals. The title and the warm soul interior seem to usher the listener outside. For those chasing a Bastard-esque, punchy rap fix, there’s “Who Dat Boy” and “Pothole.” These songs here carry in them his tinkerer’s spirit without becoming overwrought. His ambition is a driving force in his work, but he curtails it for a more enjoyable and streamlined listen. — (via Pitchfork)

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The controversial rapper bears his soul on his best album yet.

In terms of self-fulfilling album titles, Tyler, The Creator’s Scum F**k Flower Boy ticks every box. The former Odd Future pioneer’s signature style can be split in half. One is the ‘Scum F**k’ side, a snarling eye for controversy, like the time he appeared to eat a cockroach and hang himself in a 2011 video for ‘Yonkers’. But the other half of Tyler is all beauty and free-thinking, and his ‘Flower Boy’ side takes centre stage on this fourth album. Backed by a supporting cast of R&B superstars and bright newcomers, it’s a record of long, lazy summers; sitting back and staring at the clouds.

Star guests provide almost as much of the record’s appeal as Tyler himself. He’s handpicked acts who can evoke a very specific emotion – a balance between tranquillity and loneliness. Frank Ocean gives his usual dose of zen on ‘Where This Flower Blooms’. Rex Orange County, a little-known 19-year-old from Surrey, provides breezy vocals on ‘Foreword’ and ‘Boredom’. Estelle (remember her?) makes an unlikely comeback on ‘Garden Shed’.

But Tyler steals the show by exploring those two sides of his personality, whether it’s the cutting jolt of ‘November’ or the summertime glaze of ‘911/ Mr. Lonely’ and ‘Glitter’. In the record’s biggest talking point, fans have also speculated that ‘I Ain’t Got Time’ is Tyler’s way of coming out. In 2016, he was banned from entering the UK after the Home Office claimed his lyrics supported homophobia and acts of terrorism. But here he raps: “I’ve been kissing white boys since 2004”.

One thing is certain: this is his universe and headspace, laid out for all to see. There remains a sense that he could go even further in refining his wild invention, but he’s on an upward trajectory, getting ever closer to fully realising his potential. — (via NME)

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Label: Columbia
Format: 2 x Vinyl, Repress, Gatefold
Repressed: 2024 / Original: 2017
Genre: Hip Hop, Funk / Soul
Style: Jazzy Hip-Hop, Pop Rap, Neo Soul

File under: Hip Hop
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