Since the release saga of Kanye West‘s The Life Of Pablo, the internet has been alight with a constant stream of remixes, reworks and flips of his new tracks. Most ambitious artists who have taken on the task have been focussing on I Love Kanye, but now it seems another track is getting a turn at being reworked.
Freestyle 4 is the latest track to receive a once-over, by none other than Tyler, The Creator. Titled What The Fuck Right Now, Tyler enlists the help of his good friend A$AP Rocky to get absolutely wild in the studio, whilst rapping over the track. Jumping around and basically just getting turnt af, Tyler, Rocky and co rile each other up as much as they do themselves. Casually starting with Tyler calling someone a “goober” whilst literally sitting on a dirtbike in the studio, it only gets more out of control from there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCd6SQ67k-Y
Whilst Tyler, The Creator was forced to cancel his Australian tour last year due to increasing pressure to have his visa denied from a women’s rights activist, A$AP Rocky has just wrapped up his Down Under tour. The two actually toured America together last year (with Vince Staples and Danny Brown), and seem to be quickly becoming our new favourite set of best friends in hip-hop.
See our gallery from A$AP Rocky’s Sydney show
Image: Pitchfork
Tyler, the Creator has interviewed A$AP Rocky on his GOLF RADIO program, an offshoot of Tyler’s own Golf Media app.
The four minute clip shared by the rapper shows the two talking about touring together, luxury cars, go karting and playing Mario Kart.
On the topic of flaunting ones wealth, a common theme amongst hip-hop artists, Rocky noted that “The world’s familiar with us from hip-hop. That’s where we were born.”
“I could get into fashion all I want. I could get into movies all I want. It doesn’t matter….but how do we make them see that… we ain’t for the fuckery?”
“Of course I like bitches, of course I like cars….people don’t even know how many luxurious cars you have. You know why? Because you’re not one of those tacky-ass rappers who in every fucking music video is putting their shit up there.”
On a more trivial note, talking about the leisure time spent with Tyler’s entourage on the previous Rocky and Tyler Tour, Rocky revealed that “We take Mario kart very seriously both on and off tour. We’re very passionate about this. These people… caught me on a bad day… I didn’t know how to drift very well but you guys taught me.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx55MYxeXDg
You can find the full interview through Tyler’s app here.
A$AP Rocky recently finished his tour of Australia, but it didn’t all go so smoothly, with his lack of Mario Kart skills potentially the cause for his alleged bashing in Auckland.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEG2VTHS9yg
IMAGE: Saint Heron
Tyler, The Creator has shattered the hopes and dreams of fans of his earlier work by revealing that the song that thrust him into the global spotlight, Yonkers, was made as a joke.
In an interview with fellow hip-hop young gun Vince Staples, the Ladera, California native donned his DJ Stankdady alias for Golf Radio, where he revealed the original intentions behind the track would which eventually be accompanied by a cringeworthy music video filled the consumption of live cockroaches.
“Niggas don’t know that that beat was made as a joke. I was trying to make a shitty New York beat and we was just rapping like we was from New York like we were retarded. And then, I just had some random verses and I was just like ‘I’ll just record it to this beat, this beat is kinda cool.’ And then niggas really liked it. That’s so nuts, because that shit was actually a fucking joke. I made that beat in literally eight minutes.”
The interview provides a fascinating take on just how crazy Tyler, The Creator’s euphoric rise has been, and the comedic, tongue-in-cheek nature in which it began. The fact that one of Tyler’s most iconic, shock-inducing songs began as a track where he was purposely trying to sound “retarded” speaks to his ingenuity as an artist, his ability to not take himself or his music too seriously, and the overarching fact that he simply just likes to have fun.
Tyler and Vince make the perfect on-air pairing, with both rappers capable of floating back and forth between serious creative personas and side-splitting comedians. Which makes sense of course, with Vince openly declaring that he is “One of the funniest people alive.” Jokes aside, Tyler and Vince launch into an in-depth discussion regarding the ability for art to drive forward contemporary culture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW21Wotbej8
Image: Rip It Up.
It’s video roundup time! Once again, Howl And Echoes are coming in hot with the freshest, most eyeball stimulating music videos to be dropped by the artists you love and some of the artists you don’t know you love yet, of this week. We do all the dirty work and herd them all into one convenient web-based location for you to enjoy every Friday so that you don’t have to. Have yourself a good old gander at the latest offerings from:
Lostkeyz – It’s Funny
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QogfYxdoySw
We first caught wind of Sydney rapper Lostkeyz last year with the release of his debut mixtape Organic Narratives, a record full of stellar production, clever rhymes over the top of smooth and jazzy backbeats. It’s Funny was one of the standout tracks from that mixtape, Lostkeyz’ uniquely deadpan delivery masking a rather upbeat song exploring the fluid dynamics of relationships.
The video depicts Lostkeyz taking what looks like a thoughtful stroll around what might be his native Bondi at dusk, a fitting visual effect for such a cool and breezy track. He’s a name to look out for in the future, and you can stream It’s Funny and the rest of Organic Narratives on his Bandcamp.
Beaty Heart – Flora
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKE7agmaiMU
Travelling from Bondi to South London next, with trio Beaty Heart and their latest single Flora. Coming in the lead up to their second record, which is as yet untitled, Beaty Heart have crafted a deliciously dark electro pop song here, punchy beats and click percussion tangoing with staccato synths and muffled vocals, it’s an all-nighter that would work a treat with the lights down low.
The accompanying video is a mesmerising snapshot of after-dark London, dancing on urban rooftops and deserted basketball courts, the songs titular subject alluring the viewer and the band to what looks like their end, writhing along to the fantastic electronic soundscape. Also, look at that dog!
Mallrat – Sunglasses
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJCEPE0IJ8Y
Keeping with the after dark vibes, albeit a lot more locally is Brisbane MC Mallrat. Sunglasses is the name of her latest single, held down by off-kilter trap beats and some jarring but cool production from frequent collaborator Tigerilla.
The video is about as lo-fi as it can possibly get, shot on an old VHS camcorder (Jesus, they’re still around) in a dimly lit backyard. Mallrat and co. look like they’re having a whale of a time, donning sunglasses and face masks and dancing up a storm. They’re doing more for Ribena than the last decade of its own advertising has too, drinking what looks like enough to fill a swimming pool and looking cool af doing it.
Another exciting young Australian artist to expect big things from in 2016, keep them coming Mallrat.
Peaches – Free Drink Ticket
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZEtQTGtD-Q
Perhaps someone the aforementioned Mallrat may take some inspiration from is legendary electro-queen Peaches and her latest incredibly Peaches video. It’s for the newest single from her 2015 LP Rub. I shouldn’t even have to mention how NSFW the video for Free Drink Ticket is, but I will just in case.
There’s so much simmering anger below the surface of this almost darkwave-style song, which centres around a less than amicable break-up. Peaches described it thus
“…It was important to demonstrate that if you hold onto the bitterness you that you feel from a monster who has hurt you, then you will become the monster that you are trying to shed”
The video definitely gets that point across in as provocative a fashion as it gets, a naked Peaches going back and forth with some kind of monstrous pig snake uh… thing? It’s overtly sexual and confronting, which seems like exactly her intention. Totally badass.
Kevin Gates – Pride
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUvcbT7-KCA
Coming out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana is the latest single from Kevin Gates. Taken from his debut album Islah, a record that ended up above Adele and just behind Rihanna and ANTI when it dropped last week, Pride takes a pretty harrowing look at life behind bars.
Starting off with Gates being arrested and dragged from a palatial mansion and his wife and daughter, winding up in a jail cell in an orange jumpsuit. It’s one of the more emotional tracks on the album, exploring themes of drug abuse, depression and anxiety, Gates weaves a tale of sorrow at having left his family to fend for themselves on the outside.
Islah is out now via Bread Winners Association/Atlantic Records.
Kool A.D. – Santeria
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu2B-nMkuMM
From the bayou to Mexico we go next with Bay Area rapper Kool A.D.,who you may also recognise as a member of rap crew Das Racist. Featuring production from Toro Y Moi, Santeria is the latest single from Kool from his 2015 mixtape O.K.
That Toro Y Moi production, coupled with Kool’s snarky and snappy flow make for a fantastic partnership, but the real treat here is the utterly fun video. Before the first bar even begins you’ll be hooked, simply because there’s a dog riding a donkey that’s painted to be a zebra (I seriously thought this was just an Eastbound And Down joke but apparently it’s a real thing) and it’s awesome.
The rest of the video is a lo-fi and motion sickness inducing look at Kool’s new life in Mexico, where he is a new resident. The psychedelic lens through which simple things like walking the dogs or the arcade lights of the carnival are viewed is about 500% of your recommended daily eyeball stimulation in just under six minutes, but it’s all part of the charm.
Timbaland – Servin (ft. Blaze Servin and Tweezie)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoOx-7jL9hI
Coming off his Christmas Day mixtape King Stays King and in the lead up to his next album Opera Noir, producer king Timbaland has dropped a video for one of its tracks this week in Servin. Featuring a pair of up and comers in Blaze Servin and Tweezie, the track features beats of the thickest variety and looks like a return to form for Timbaland, who seems to be jumping all over the trap train that hit full steam in 2015.
The video is your standard hip-hop fare, alternating shots of different combinations of the trio dancing for the camera spliced in with shots at a club that unquestionably has bottle service. There’s plenty of fire as you can probably guess too.
Tyler, The Creator – PERFECT (ft. Kali Uchis and Austin Feinstein)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIqVCJWSoeE
Following a tumultuous year seeing the release of his long-awaited third studio album Cherry Bomb and his simultaneous banning from Australia, Tyler, The Creator is back with a brand new video landing this week for Cherry Bomb standout PERFECT.
It’s a split-screen duet between Tyler and featured artist Kali Uchis, Uchis surrounded by sunflowers, Tyler covered in Monarch butterflies. Los Angeles indie rocker Austin Feinstein eventually joins Tyler on the right to inject some laidback surfy guitars into what was already an eclectic mix of jazz and hip hop. It’s a simple concept but an effective way of visualising the very huge stylistic contrast between the artists.
See you next week!
Like many of us, I keep my refunded 80 dollars safe in my CD wallet in case the government finally decides that Tyler, the Creator is actually allowed to tour Australia. Unfortunately, this does not seem like a likely option, especially after Tyler takes shots at our ‘fine’ (cough, cough) government, in his new track called “new song; couldn’t come up with a title” in his recent tweet, then released as Fuck It.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af1ePmCW4ZY]
The Californian rapper takes aim at our obsession with border control: “Tell Australia I’m sneaking in with a mic in my hand / Instead of the vegetables that I packed in my backpack.”
Activist group Collective Shout who were partially responsible for the campaign to ban Tyler were very vocal prior to Tyler’s recent decision to cancel his Australian tour, and have copped a lot of backlash following the ban. Caitlin Roper, Campaigns Manager for Collective Shout, dismissed the rapper’s response song as juvenile, telling AAP that Tyler could have written lyrics that don’t “rely on the exploitation of women to generate profits. Instead he’s essentially had a tantrum to music.”
There is some truth to her words, except that the tantrum is kind of the nature of why we love Tyler in the first place.
“While he may have been a young man when he wrote music describing raping women, mutilating their bodies, locking them in his basement and raping their corpses,” Roper said, “he’s not a child anymore, and he is yet to grow up and take responsibility for what he has put out into the world.”
Tyler has addressed this issue in Fuck It, saying: “Freedom of speech? My freedom was breached / Border patrol put me on streets immediately / For shit I said when I was a virgin.”
His response song also suggests that there are racist undertones to why he was barred from entering Australia over violent and homophobic lyrics, while a white artist like Eminem, who has similar lyrics, was allowed in: “When Marshall had this problem what the fuck was they telling him? / Is it ‘cause of status or his melanin lacks black.”
At least Tyler and Roper did, however, agree that based on Tyler’s ban, Eminem shouldn’t have been granted a visa. Collective Shout had actually partnered with a coalition of domestic violence organisations in 2014 calling on the government to deny Eminem a visa.
Violent and homophobic lyrics as well as domestic violence is an ongoing issue for musicians applying for working visas to Australia, with Chris Brown recently being banned for his assault on Rihanna. Australia needs to decide on a law and then just stick it to because if we allow in a load of white musicians with a history of actual domestic violence and violent lyrics (the list includes Eminem, Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue, and Slash) then Tyler and Chris Brown are right and we are just a bunch of racist bogans.
From the tone of Tyler’s response, he doesn’t seem in the least repentant. Seemingly surprised, he asks: “How can I be misogynistic love titties and ass… how can I be homophobic when my boyfriend’s a fag?”
Tyler, The Creator is not one to shy away from controversy, the absurd, the confronting. Not only has he recently made headlines as an outspoken, censored artist, banned from the UK AND Australia over offensive lyrics penned a few years ago, but his uniquely childish-yet-so-aggressive music, and accompanying video clips seem to grow more and more interesting, aware, and powerful by the minute.
Today sees the release of the stark new video clip for Buffalo, off Cherry Bomb, released earlier this year (read our album review here). While he may be using his spare time to create cartoon TV shows, it seems that his video clips are quickly becoming a way for him to spread a more powerful message.
Buffalo is a deep, grinding track – one of the best off Cherry Bomb, and the clip is appropriately, expectedly unnerving – bordering on disturbed. The clip opens with a closeup of Tyler, painted entirely white, against a white backdrop. The scene pans out, and suddenly he’s hanging by a noose from a tree, a violent mob fast approaching, until he miraculously escapes. From there, Tyler enters what feels like a series of mini-sketches, from talking in front of a crowd, to painting his face black, to a suddenly grainy, retro late-night-show-esque musical performance from a timid Tyler and full band. Watch out for cameos from both Kali Uchis and Laneway-performers The Internet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=320&v=n6lxQ6JwlVY
Tyler, The Creator legit does not stop. Though he’s been refused entry into the UK and Australia over the past few weeks, he’s still on tour with ASAP Rocky, Danny Brown and Vince Staples, and on top of all his other projects, has now released a trailer for his cartoon – ‘The Jellies’.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0pbU309-mw]
Tyler’s already got some experience working in TV. His sketch show Loiter Squad was released in 2012, and had three seasons under its belt (though unfortunately isn’t continuing), so he’s not new to the game. However, this is his first time cartooning aside from his cameo on Cartoon Network’s ‘Regular Show’. It’s co-written and voiced alongside Loiter Squad’s Lionel Boyce, and is already looking great. Following Cornell, a young boy adopted into a family of jellyfish who live like normal people, the trailer shows the moment he comes to the realization that he’s adopted – his 16th birthday. It looks straight up crazy – ISIS, riots, tiny people beating the shit out of a polar bear, appearances by The Game, J Cole, Lil’ Mama and KRS-One – it looks packed to the brim with what we’d expect from a Tyler cartoon.
//
A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, LIONEL AND I DECIDED TO MAKE A CARTOON CENTERED AROUND JELLYFISH ( IF YOU KNOW ME YOU KNOW I HATE…
Posted by Tyler the Creator on Wednesday, 30 September 2015
It’s classic, whacky Tyler. He’s obviously super stoked about it (though he does hate jellyfish), and we wish him all the best, especially in light of all the shit he’s been copping recently.
In what is being called the most FOMO tour of all time, A$AP Rocky and Tyler, The Creator have just released a promotional video for their upcoming ‘Rocky and Tyler’ US tour which also features Danny Brown and Vince Staples.
‘When they first told me about this, I was like, nah that’s weird, I don’t really fuck with n****s. Rocky cool but, iunno. But then time went on, and then n****s was like “why not?” And now look at us.’
‘Yo this guy is weird man, but guess what? We’re goin’ on tour, we’re about to kill shit.’
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT62uGlpXM0]
Tyler and Rocky legit seem like good friends or brothers or something, and it’s hard to imagine the crazy chemistry that they’d have on stage. They freestyle and fool around all in some really hyper coloured visuals that would suit either of the artists’ video clips, and give all the details on where to get tickets, as well as mention of some special guests.
Tyler just got banned from Australia as well as the UK, which is mega upsetting – particularly considering the fact that the ban was reportedly instigating by a series of song lyrics, penned years ago. So, realistically even if everyone were to ask really nicely and show a lot of interest, the ‘Rocky and Tyler’ tour probably wouldn’t make it down under, but goddamn this looks good. It kicks off September 19th, hopefully there’s tonnes of footage. Head to rockyandtyler.com to torture yourself with all the details.
Does a new Prime Minister mean a new evaluation on the entry status of Tyler, the Creator into Australia? Because in light of the recent hint that Odd Future are back together and the fact the Tyler has his own dope sounding festival, we are definitely considering a trip over to the United States.
Back in May, Tyler, the Creator shocked fans by suggesting Odd Future had disbanded. “Although it’s no more, those 7 letters are forever,” he tweeted. Earl Sweatshirt and the Internet’s Matt Martians seemed to agree, and tweeted similar sentiments.
But Odd Future, also referred to as OFWGKTA (of course, Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All), is listed as a performer for Tyler’s own Camp Flog Gnaw Festival scheduled for November. Crazy, right? Something we fans have been praying to the hip hop gods for each night has actually been answered – not that it means shit to us Aussies not living abroad, who will have to see them one at a time anyway (depending on who is allowed into the country). We can then play them back in our memory, chopping and changing the acts out at different intervals to make it seem as if we had seen OFWGKTA perform all together.
It is unclear at this point which members of OFWGKTA will appear at Camp Flog Gnaw, but a rep told Pitchfork magazine that participating members would perform a full set at the festival.
Tyler’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival returns to Los Angeles’ Park at LA Coliseum on November 14 with bands, food trucks, skateboard demos, and more. Headlining are Snoop Dogg and Tha Dogg Pound (Daz Dillinger and Kurupt). Tyler, the Creator will perform solo as well as in sets from A$AP Rocky, Atmosphere, Danny Brown, Mac Miller, Jhene Aiko, Trash Talk, Willow Smith, YG, the Internet and more. For you lucky sods on that side of the world, tickets are on sale already.
A time old argument has been thrown into the public spotlight lately for more than a few reasons. Namely, the dilemma of free speech. Most recently, it has been championed by Tyler, the Creator, who was barred from entering the UK for 3-5 years based on the offensive lyrics he wrote early in his career. The artist has also been banned from entering Australia and New Zealand.
Tyler spoke with The Guardian in a recent interview about being held at British customs and treated like a terrorist by border control:
“Monday was one of the shittiest days I’ve ever had,” the rapper said. “I was in a detention room; I felt like a criminal. And then [a Border Force officer] showed me lyrics from songs… literally, a paper with five lines of lyrics…
“Thirty minutes later, the guy comes in, he gives me a paper, and he says, ‘OK, they’re not letting you in the country.’ The paper said I couldn’t come at all, saying that I support homophobia and acts of terrorism…
“I’m just like, one, none of that is true, and two, I was here seven weeks ago.”
The rapper slammed the UK for blindly following the lead of other countries and banning him for offensive lyrics he wrote years ago. He also made the extremely valid point that if rappers start being banned for their lyrics, why not other writers?
“What about the people who will make music in the next five years? Are they gonna get banned? Why don’t they ban authors? Writers who write these mystery books about people getting raped and sabotaged and murdered and brainwashed – why don’t they ban them?”
It does seem interesting that while 50 years ago a man could write a book that sought to understand, if not justify paedophilia, and be praised as one of the most important authors of his time (such as in the case of Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita), but today, a rapper who writes lyrics which are deemed as homophobic and misogynistic is banned from three countries. Of course the question of audience comes into play – Tyler has a dedicated and constantly swarming fanbase, as opposed to Nabokov, who, well, existed before Twitter. Some will thus argue that Tyler’s lyrics and incite action among his listeners – something they might not argue about Lolita. It also raises the question of where to draw the line. Should bigots, misogynists and homophobic people be permitted to run websites or write articles which promote their views? Should racists be allowed to have rallies and marches down public streets in Europe?
“There are rallies of neo-Nazis in parts of England, and then you’re telling me I can’t come there because of some bullshit song, but you got motherfuckers with swastikas rallying down the street actually promoting hate?
“This is only gonna open a door for other people to get banned. And then they’re gonna go after video games, and then they’re gonna go after movies, and we’re gonna live in such a sensitive world. It’s like the world is scared of everything…
“I feel like everyone is so sensitive to everything, and if they don’t like something it’s like: ‘Oh my God, I don’t like the colour yellow – let’s get yellow banned from every country, let’s sign a petition – let’s start a hashtag to make sure this colour is never seen, because I don’t like it and I don’t understand it’.”
Recently Australian supermarket chain Coles sparked a lot of controversy by banning the pornographic magazine Zoo Weekly from its shelves. Many came out against the ban, claiming it was the beginning of the end of free speech in Australia. I’d like to put in my two cents here and remind everyone that a) Zoo Weekly is still sold in other stores and online, and b) why should a magazine that promotes misogyny and violence against women be sitting in the shelves of a popular family supermarket? Why should five-year-olds have to look at degrading headlines and naked women while their parents unpack the shopping trolley?
The resounding point that Tyler makes is that his treatment seems completely unjustified and unfair. He isn’t the only rapper who has written bigoted lyrics, and moreover he isn’t the most extreme. In our efforts to create a society that is fair, we can’t start treating every human who expresses a controversial opinion as a terrorist. It doesn’t make them disappear, and as is made evident from the above, it sure as hell doesn’t keep them quiet.