Do not Faucet the Glass is a little bit of a left flip: a hyperkinetic, summertime LP with an pressing attraction to maneuver the lots.
SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST:
Because the late 2010s, Tyler the Creator has develop into one of many extra uncommon hip-hop stars, rising out of the shock ways of his juvenile music collective Odd Future and into his auteur standing. This week, the rapper-producer topped the Billboard 200 chart with a shock album he solely introduced three days earlier than its launch. “Do not Faucet The Glass” is a little bit of a left flip, a hyperkinetic summertime LP with an pressing attraction to maneuver the lots.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “SUCKA FREE”)
TYLER THE CREATOR: (Singing) I am that man, attempting to get my paper, child. I am that man endlessly.
MCCAMMON: Right here to inform us why Tyler desires to spark a dance revolution is NPR Music’s Rodney Carmichael. Hey, Rodney.
RODNEY CARMICHAEL, BYLINE: Hey, what is going on on, Sarah?
MCCAMMON: So Rodney, Tyler’s profession has had many alternative phases through the years. What has led him to this newest chapter?
CARMICHAEL: Nicely, Tyler began within the weblog period, releasing self-produced albums for obtain earlier than breaking by way of to the mainstream. And, you recognize, he is since develop into identified for these rigorously crafted albums, mixing jazz, soul and R&B music and profitable two Grammys for rap album of the 12 months within the course of. However he is all the time had this present for shattering taboo. He is a button pusher, a recurring line stepper, and nothing brings him extra pleasure than making folks squirm or blush or finger wag.
Now, early on in his profession, he did it by being this loud, vulgar, obnoxious, punk provocateur. Then later got here his soft-boy period, the place he actually began to toy with rap’s actually inflexible norms round sexuality and gender. And he is positively thrown in a quarter-life disaster or two. However on this newest album, he simply desires to bounce.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “STOP PLAYING WITH ME”)
TYLER THE CREATOR: (Singing) Once I get to snapping like doo-wop, actually bought the juice like Tupac. Shorty bought a robust jaw, would possibly chew rock. Received me popping out the blue like nude cop. I been rocking…
MCCAMMON: OK, so it seems like it is a little bit of a shift for Tyler. I imply, why this concentrate on dance?
CARMICHAEL: Nicely, from Tyler’s viewpoint, a variety of the modern resistance in opposition to dancing is related to this fixed state of surveillance that we stay below. The identical day he launched the album, he posted on-line about asking a few of his buddies why they do not like to bounce in public. And so they mentioned it was due to their concern of being filmed, principally, the specter of cellphones. And he says it made him surprise how a lot of our human spirit bought killed due to this concern of being a meme only for the sake of getting a superb time.
However in a broader sense, he is additionally taking the entrance traces of a battle that is been waged in rap for many years. I imply, hip-hop is accountable for among the biggest dance tendencies of the twenty first century. However that is not come with out a variety of inside battle. I imply, typically, rap tradition is constructed on avenue cred, and dancing has lengthy been stigmatized by these too cool, too arduous and too woke to be seen transferring their our bodies or having enjoyable. And within the spirit of constant to problem the norms of Black masculinity, Tyler’s pushing again, and he is attempting to compel others to embrace freedom of motion, too.
MCCAMMON: Yeah, so what else is he attempting to say with this album?
CARMICHAEL: Nicely, apparently sufficient, Tyler’s denied that any form of forethought or intention went into making the album. If something, coming off the heels of his final LP, “Chromakopia,” the place he handled these heavy, mature themes, the very last thing he needed to do on this one was overthinking. He got down to make one thing quick, enjoyable and pressing.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, “SUGAR ON MY TONGUE”)
TYLER THE CREATOR: (Singing) Like sugar on my tongue. Can I steal that from you? Like sugar on my tongue, can I steal that…
CARMICHAEL: He began recording the album whereas he was on tour, simply this previous Might, and he rushed to launch it earlier than even giving himself time to have any second ideas.
MCCAMMON: OK, so no overthinking, no second ideas – however Tyler does counsel the album comes with, I suppose, some guidelines of engagement. I imply, how does he need his followers to expertise it?
CARMICHAEL: Nicely, No. 1 is not any sitting nonetheless. Tyler desires folks to be transferring once they take heed to this album to grasp the spirit of it – dancing, driving, working, doing one thing bodily. And you’ll positively hear the eras of dance that Tyler was influenced by within the samples he picked, from Miami booty bass to the electro funk of Mantronix to Crime Mob’s crunk anthem “Knuck If You Buck.” The album is perhaps known as “Do not Faucet The Glass,” however it’s clear that Tyler’s out to shatter all of the myths round masculinity and motion.
MCCAMMON: So I suppose the takeaway is, dance like no person’s filming, proper?
CARMICHAEL: (Laughter) Certainly, yeah.
MCCAMMON: Honest sufficient. That is NPR Music’s Rodney Carmichael. Thanks a lot, Rodney.
CARMICHAEL: Thanks, Sarah.
(SOUNDBITE OF TYLER THE CREATOR SONG, “I’LL TAKE CARE OF YOU”)
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