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As media-conscious as any rapper since Eminem, newcomer Tyler, the Creator is well aware of the volume required to make himself heard over the hype surrounding his first label-affiliated full-length. And on "Goblin" the 20-year-old frontman of Los Angeles' Odd Future happily provides it, describing in amped-up detail his outrageous hatred (for any number of subjects) atop ominous, Neptunes-inspired beats he largely produced himself. Musically speaking, the album never rises above the standard set by "Yonkers," the bracingly stripped-down single from earlier this year in which Tyler threatens to stab Bruno Mars in the esophagus. But for all the MC's talk about wanting to win a Grammy, you only occasionally get the sense from "Goblin" that perfect musical moments are what matter to Tyler: Spewing words by the bucket load, he seems concerned primarily with lightening a mental load grown only heavier since his first taste of fame. The hour-plus result is clearly too long; Tyler probably wishes it were longer.
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