IGOR BY TYLER OKONMA

Keep it 100. When you heard Bastard how long did you think Tyler would last in music? I’d bet that the majority of the people who knew who Tyler was gave him 2-3 years at best. 

Actually a better question would be who has ever recorded 6 studio albums and each album is better than predecessor? Not Kendrick. Some would argue Section 80 is better than GKMC and TPAB is way better than DAMN. Not J.Cole. Everyone thinks Forest Hill Drive is his best work and the 2 albums after that aren’t better than it. Not even Jay and Kanye have done this. Tyler’s discography is in ascending order. His best is always his last. I dunno who you could say that about in music. It’s almost unheard of. 

So with that said Tyler is in that tier that people always put Kendrick and Cole in. The tier people always try to force Big Sean and Wale into Tyler is rightfully in that tier and in my opinion he’s on a hotter streak than Cole and Kendrick right now. Outside of 4:44, Flower Boy was the best rap album in 2017. Tyler influence in pop culture is greater than his peers. He’s what Kanye was during that first 3 album run. His artistic direction on his last 2 albums are amazing. The way he puts his spin on his influences which are Pharrell and Kanye. He’s making some of the best music I’ve ever heard currently. He’s the best artist in the game right now.

If you look at Tyler’s discography it’s like this amazing character arc in a TV series. The character you met in the beginning has transformed into this fully fleshed out character with different motivations. He’s like Vegeta from Dragonball Z. Vegeta started out as this villain but as the show progressed he turned into this anti hero family man who still has hints of traits from his old self that you fell in love with. Were seeing an artist that’s changed and learned different things just like a great character in tv or film. Just like Vegeta is the most complex character in the Dragonball Universe, Tyler is the most complex artist in music. 

So yeah about IGOR. 

Upon first listen I was like what the fuck did I just listen to? I said this in a good way. The way the production just grabbed and shook the fuck outta me. The hint of lo-fi in the production was artistic and gives this album an old ass movie feel. The rollercoaster of emotions throughout the entire album. The fact that you can’t even feel the album run time when you’re listening to it. IGOR is one of those albums you can’t just randomly skip songs. It’s so beautiful if you just watch the entire movie. It’s like watching the scene from Goodfellas where Tommy is fucking around withHenry in the restaurant pretending like he’s pissed and then not watching the rest. That scene gives you a better understanding of Henry and Tommy if you watch the entire movie. 

The moment you hear IGOR’S THEME it’s like you’ve entered into the world of this character that’s setting the stage of what’s about to happen. It’s like this character has no worries but yet feels something is on it’s way to change the protagonists life. When I hear this theme I just picture some weird ass nigga walking in the middle of the street listening to his walkman with this attitude that he’s cooler than everyone but disturbed. Then the Earfquake happens. 

Earfquake is the most beautiful shit I’ve ever heard. This nigga begging like Keith Sweat and declaring how this person love makes him feel. He’s taking all the blame for the relationship that’s crumbling. It’s this last ditch effort to save this relationship that’s basically dead. The way this nigga singing with Uncle Charlie Wilson is like the relationship is dying in his arms and it’s nothing he can do. You feel the fuck outta heartbreak on this track. The background vocals are fucking immaculate. The moment Playboi Carti makes his appearance on the song it’s hard not to shed a tear. He was literally the perfect fit for the song. I love artists that care about who fits in their records instead of forcing people on the song. The song just gets stronger and stronger as it plays. It’s definitely a hit record. 

Running Out Of Time takes a minute to truly take off but once you get to the minute mark this nigga Tyler gets in his bag on production. It’s like the character is in denial that the relationship is over and is placing the denial at the doorstep of his love interest and saying they’re not really who they say they are and they’re not really ready to move on either. He knows he’s running out of time to save this relationship. The end of this song is DELICIOUS my nigga! 

Tyler puts his foot on the gas for the rest of the album once New Magic Wand hits. Like he went into 50 Point Steph Curry mode on production, lyrics, and storytelling. Like he literally did not fucking miss from this song forward. New Magic Wand sounds like a nigga named IGOR is about to fuck some shit up and is going through this psychotic episode in this dark ass room plotting on ways to get rid of the bitch involved in this love triangle. You feel the jealousy like Sincere felt the jealousy coming off that mothafuckin couch in the movie “Belly.” Like this nigga Igor has lost his fucking mind. The part where you hear “I can make her leaaaaaaaaaaaaaave” gave me chills but was gorgeous as fuck at the same time. Tyler and Santigold snapped on that then it goes to this loving beat change. Like it literally fucks with your emotions. 

A Boy Is A Gun is probably my favorite track. The Kanye influence is obvious and I ain’t mad at it. This track is in a nutshell why everything bad for you feels so good. This relationship is not good for either person involved and Igor doesn’t seem to give a fuck. If this shit kills him I’m sure he’d die a happy death. This should be the next single. 

Puppet is Tyler wondering if he’s being used in the relationship and seeing that he has no self control when it comes to the relationship. It has this very 1960’s ballad feel. The end of this record is ridiculous. Tyler is King of the beat switches. Like I ran that shit back 6 times. Fucking filthy. Then it goes into What’s Good where Igor basically has a bad bitch moment and remembers he’s the shit and might go to the club with his baddies and show the world why he’s the shit. Every hurt person out of a relationship goes through this. 

Gone, Gone is Igor looking on the bright side of moving on. He’s found this silver lining in losing his love. It’s this bittersweet moment in the story. It’s like Tyler took us to church on the production side. Again at the 2:50 mark the beat switch is just unfuckwitable. Like fuck this nigga bruh. How is he this talented? Then Thank You comes on and Igor is thanking the person that broke his heart. We’re seeing him trying to be the bigger person in this unhealthy situation. The blueprint building rhyme scheme on this was nasty. Great songwriting. 

I Don’t Love You Anymore really be thumpin in the whip. This shit is Michael leaning over on his toes in Smooth Criminal smooth. This beat is depressing but it still hits hard. The repetitive hook just symbolize this nigga Igor whining like a brat with his arms crossed and his lips pouting. It’s hilarious the imagery I gathered from just the hook alone. Igor knows he loves this person it’s just one of the fucked up stages of heartbreak that you endure. Your emotions are so unreliable when you go through heartbreak. 

Who this Temptation David Ruffin head ass nigga Igor think he is? This nigga had a Motown perm in his head when he made Are We Still Friends. I was expecting Teddy Pendergrass to appear on this shit. I think Tyler could make an insane music video for this shit. It’s the perfect ending for this album like it wraps up the story perfectly. 

Yeah IGOR is the C-Word and you know how much I hate the C-Word but when it’s warranted I gotta say it. IGOR is a classic. Ladies and Gentlemen you are witnessing the best artist in the game right now. Tyler Okonma. 

Peace.

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