We were all angry teens at one point. Bastard was the debut mixtape from angsty tween rapper Tyler, The Creator. We’re all familiar with his cute and “edgy” antics by now but this was the world’s first slap in the face from the Odd Future leader. The album opens with the title track, a track that seems to encompass everything Tyler will come to represent. He’s vulgar and moody and you can hear some real, guttural anger in his voice. He is definitely a wordsmith of sorts and has no qualms with letting you into his twisted little diary. Tracks like “Sweetest Pain” and “Odd Toddlers” show off his production and sampling skills with a nice Cortex flip, amongst others. “French!” is one of the biggest hits in the group and shows off the low-slung production meets misogynist-misanthrope-lyricist vibe that Tyler is so careful to project. Style-wise, “Pigs Fly” is a beautifully produced song with the type of atmosphere you imagine to be floating around Tyler’s gravitational field. 

• music label: Bastard 2014

reviewed by boumtje-boumtje 101614