Wolf | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by Tyler, The Creator | ||||
Released | April 2, 2013 | |||
Recorded | 2011–13 | |||
Genre | Alternative hip hop | |||
Length | 71:17 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
|
|||
Tyler, The Creator chronology | ||||
|
||||
Singles from Wolf | ||||
|
||||
Alternate covers | ||||
Alternate cover
|
||||
Limited deluxe edition and vinyl cover
|
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 6.9/10 |
Metacritic | 70/100 |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Consequence of Sound | C+ |
Exclaim! | 8/10 |
Fact | 4/5 |
The Independent | |
Los Angeles Times | |
NME | 8/10 |
Pitchfork | 7.8/10 |
Rolling Stone | |
Slant Magazine |
Wolf is the second studio album by American rapper Tyler, The Creator. It was released on April 2, 2013, by Odd Future Records and RED Distribution. Wolf contains the elements that set in a different direction compared to his other materials such as Bastard (2009) and Goblin (2011) respectively, which featured more violent content, while the album features a more production based sound and different themes. The album features guest appearances from Mike G, Domo Genesis, Earl Sweatshirt, Left Brain, Hodgy Beats, Erykah Badu and Pharrell, among others. The album was produced by Tyler, The Creator himself, except for the final track.
The album was supported by lead single "Domo23". Wolf received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, selling 89,000 copies in its first week.
In November 2011, in an interview with Spin, Tyler expressed wanting to shift away from the themes of his previous albums, stating:
The themes of Wolf range from "struggles with women, not handling the absence of his father to misunderstandings about his grandmother's death, and the beautiful nightmare known as fame."
On February 14, 2013, OFWGKTA have uploaded and released a video to their YouTube account, which includes L-Boy skydiving and stating that Wolf will be released on April 2, 2013. On the same day, Tyler would reveal the three album covers via his Instagram account. The deluxe version of the album features a fold-out poster of the full album cover art designed by Mark Ryden, a limited embroidered patch, a Wolf calendar and a 24-page booklet featuring lyrics and artwork. Prior to the album release, four days later, Tyler released the whole album for free streaming via SoundCloud.