So Odd Future is getting their own show on Adult Swim. Anyone familiar with Tyler and Co’s antics have to admit that this could be a damned near perfect union. Seeing Tyler on the VMAs (along with the hilarious hordes of 15 year olds tweeting “who the hell is Tyler the Creator”) gives me hope that this will be some shit worth watching.
Now for Tha Carter IV…easily my most anticipated release of the year, and I must say I’m a bit disappointed. Pitchfork gave it a 6-point-something I think, which was pretty spot on, though I have to wonder if it wouldn’t have been better received if “6 Foot 7 Foot” and “John (If I Die Today)” hadn’t been released as singles. That is to say, those are clearly the standout tracks, and if during my first listen to Tha Carter IV I was hearing those songs for the first time, my overall impression of the album might have been better. Weezy has some zingers in here for sure, but he seems to be stuck on rewording old ideas. One thing that made Tha Carter III so fantastic was..well…it was weird. Wayne’s raspy oddball lines in songs like “Dr. Carter,” “Mrs. Officer,” hell, even “Lollipop”…the first time I heard those, my initial reaction was “what the hell IS this?” But it was weird and glorious, and I couldn’t stop listening. LilTuneChi has some moments on the new album, but the line, “I’m rare like Mr. Clean with hair / No brake lights on my car-reer” is unfortunately better than anything on Tha Carter IV.