In preparation for Tyler, The Creator’s new album “CHROMAKOPIA,” I’ve started listening to all of Tyler’s past work. My favorite of these past albums is his 2013 record, “Wolf.” 

I first listened to it a few years ago, and I’ve had it in and out of my rotation ever since then. Not to spoil too much of how I think of it, but it is within my top three of Tyler’s projects.

First as always, I think Tyler absolutely delivered on nearly every song. There are, of course, a couple songs every here and there that don’t necessarily resonate with me, like “Pigs” or “Treehome95.” Regardless, I’d say that every other track is a hit. 

My favorite songs off of “Wolf” are “Jamba,” “48” and “Lone.” 

As for “Jamba,” I love Tyler’s flow during each of his verses. He makes sure to match well with the feature, Hodgy, too. 

“48” offers a more melodic side to Tyler with him singing the chorus. Following this, Tyler goes right back to his classic rapping. 

When it comes to “Lone,” I adore the somber tone that Tyler attaches to his voice. It really does make it seem that he’s over everything that he’s been through. If you enjoy Tyler’s typical flow and overall sound, you’re sure to like his performance here. 

We’ll cover this more in the section of the album’s replayability, but the way that Tyler can tell the story at hand all throughout the album, all while sounding cohesive, also speaks as to how great he is as an artist.

Next up, we have the features of the album. There are quite a lot here, but a few excellent collaborators are as follows.

On “Jamba,” we have Hodgy. He absolutely glides on the instrumental during his verse, honestly rivaling Tyler’s verse. The two’s verses both intertwine with each other perfectly, making his feature all the more better. 

On “Slater,” we get a melodic interlude from Frank Ocean. His voice is layered with Tyler’s and offers a wonderful listening experience as he vocalizes near the end of the track. 

Lastly, we get Domo Genesis and Earl Sweatshirt on “Rusty.” Domo begins on the track with his excellent verse. This verse is one of my favorites off of the entire tracklist. After Domo’s verse, we get a hook that is nothing short of addicting. The way that he addresses each bar makes it so pleasing to listen to. 

To round off the track, we get Earl on the third verse of the song. While I do believe that it’s the worst verse of the song, the verse is still really good. This just speaks volumes about how good the entire album is. 

While these are the most notable features that can be found on the record, every single feature has something that makes them appealing. 

Most important to me is the production. Without a good production, it’s doubtful for me to enjoy an album. 

Thankfully, every instrumental off of “Wolf” is beyond great. From the raunchy sound from “Jamba,” to the drab soundscape of “Lone” as Tyler speaks about how he’s regretting the fame he’s received as well as speaking on his grandmother passing away. No matter what track you pick out from the bunch, it will be very difficult to compare it to another track. 

The fact that Tyler can pick out instrumentals that sound so different from each other, but still be slightly similar in order to put them all together is crazy to me. Some of my favorite pieces on the record are “Answer,” “IFHY,” “Rusty,” and even the exuberant “Tamale” with the beat being legit all over the place. Whether you want a more serious tone or a playful song, you get both out of the tracklist here.

When it comes to replayability, this album knocks it out of the park. As the album progresses, we hear about characters such as Wolf, the protagonist, Sam, the antagonist, and Salem, Sam’s girlfriend, and all of their time at the local summer camp, Camp Flog Gnaw. Without spoiling anything, all I can say is that I do often see myself revisiting the album as a whole just to hear the story be told again and again. 

I know that I usually preach that I only like shorter albums. However, although this album is 70 minutes, the way the album progresses it does not feel this long whatsoever. I do not know how, but this album feels like it’s 50 minutes at most even after relistening to it all these years. With this, it’s easy to see that the album’s replayability is apparent.

When keeping everything in mind, I truly do love everything this album has to offer. From Tyler’s great performances on each track to the iconic story between Wolf and Sam, it’s no surprise that this album is among one of Tyler’s greatest albums to this day. 

I give “Wolf” a 9 out of 10.