Between 2007 and 2011, I do not remember hearing much good hip-hop or, for that matter, hearing much good being said about hip-hop. One of the best MCs famously said at the time: “hip-hop is dead”. Obviously, I was not as plugged in to music as I am now, but in my mind it seemed true at the time.

Then Tyler, the Creator and Odd Future rolled around and gave rap a shot in the arm with their startling originality, unhinged live performances, and “Jackass”-inspired goofiness. Oh yeah, and most of their material is still free on the internet. Basically, Odd Future is hip-hop’s polio vaccine and Tyler, the Creator is Jonas Salk.

Tyler had claimed in the months leading up to the release of his new album, “Wolf,” that it would be a massive stylistic departure, and in a lot of ways it is, with jazz-influenced beats, several instrumentals, and actual singing from Tyler himself. Most people only know Tyler as a crude, irreverent punk, and that side returns in songs like “Jamba,” “Domo23,” and the killer faux-trap posse cut “Trashwang.” 

But focus too much on that, like his haters do, and you will miss the incredible emotional power that Tyler wields, whether he is a lovelorn romantic (“Awkward,” “Bimmer”), or thinking about the passing of his grandma (“Lone”). And his new direction is brilliant, especially the sublime “Treehome95” and the beat and rhymes on “Rusty.” The guest list is also pretty stellar, with contributions from Odd Future members (Hodgy Beats, Frank Ocean, Domo Genesis), associates (Trash Talk), and outside guests, including two of Tyler’s favorite musicians, neo-soul queen Erykah Badu and uber-producer Pharrell Williams.

Tyler has not quite left the elements that made him famous, but that is alright. Better to ease into it over time.