Goblin
A dark, confrontational descent into suburban teenage angst. Minimalist, distorted synths clash with a gravelly baritone in a raw, lo-fi hip-hop landscape.
A dark, confrontational descent into suburban teenage angst. Minimalist, distorted synths clash with a gravelly baritone in a raw, lo-fi hip-hop landscape.
Major label debut
Low, distorted synths scrape against a gravelly voice, sounding like a basement door swinging open in the dark. You are pulled into a tense, claustrophobic therapy session where teenage rage and raw, minimalist beats collide. It feels cold, metallic, and deeply uncomfortable, capturing the gritty friction of a mind unraveling in real time.
This record introduces mental health as a raw, unfiltered centerpiece, externalizing a dark psychological struggle that would never again feel quite this unvarnished or public.
Critics generally embraced the album as a passionate, dark, and provocative alternative to mainstream rap, appreciating its unsettling humor and highly distinctive perspective. While some reviewers felt the dense and challenging material showcased raw potential rather than a fully cohesive execution, the record was broadly valued for its uncompromising and independent spirit.
“I’m not even remotely interested in being entertained by rape rap, no matter how clever or dumb, which is why now that I’ve said how sonically intriguing and pretty decent this album is, I’m going to delete it permanently from my hard drive”Read review
“A massive spoonful of marvelous hip-hop medicine, of the most unnerving, hyperreal humour you may well ever hear”Read review
“His second solo album, while often truly horrible, is also fascinating and funny”Read review
“Shock as a tactic has eroded over the years, and Tyler’s attempts to repeatedly lionize his demons don’t land anywhere near the target of innovation or originality that he banks on”Read review
“One of the densest and most provocative statements that independent rap has produced in years”Read review
“A very listenable, very well realised album from an artist whose career is only getting started”Read review
“While Tyler revels in dropping words or statements for the sheer value of their negative impact, Goblin is far from being a scattershot album of epithets”Read review
“Queerly irresistible in the same way one idly stares at road kill, Goblin is a masterpiece for those capable of stomaching it”Read review
“Like Eminem, he’s the product of a broken home, rapping to purge the dark thoughts, machine-gunning obscenities like it’s the only way to siphon off some pressure”Read review
“To dismiss Tyler simply because of his political incorrectness would be a shame. His approach may or may not be interesting to you, but the energy in his music, his performances, his general attitude is infectious”
“What is here is more promise than delivery, yet it’s still a game-changing record for indie hip-hop”Read review
“Goblin is the sound of a truly unique voice in music, one that is unapologetically dark and disturbed”
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