Jonah Bromwich is the write game Telemachus.
Tyler the Creator’s new video is wildly entertaining in the style of the old Eminem spots for songs like “Without Me,” and “Real Slim Shady.” It would be worth posting simply for that reason: to see Tyler poking fun at himself, running through a rainbow montage of absurd outfits and various disguises. But because the video, ostensibly for the song “Tamale,” is cleverly combined with visuals for “Answer,” it takes on a more interesting meaning. The video is meant to serve as a portrait inside of Tyler’s mind so the transition into a song about Tyler’s father suggests that the reason beneath all the manic OF antics is the slower, heavier emotion that comes with being abandoned.
This is a simple idea to be sure, but to see it communicated within the context of what appears to be nothing more than a goofy pop video is exciting. This is, of course, what Odd Future do—they hide their seriousness, their musical intelligence within a Trojan horse of gags and garbage, and rely on their fans to interpret the message. Wolf is one of the year’s most interesting albums, and if you broaden your scope to include the entirety of Odd Future’s output, it’s impossible to miss how much they’ve grown and improved in 2013 alone.
