Maps of Music

Wolf (2013)

Where the lyrics of Wolf take you, and where it was really made.

Tyler, the Creator's third album moved away from the horrorcore themes of his first two records, yet it debuted at number three on the Billboard 200.

Key places

Recording location in Dallas (2013)

Recording site Luminous Sound — Listed as a recording location for Wolf. The dot sits at the city center of Dallas, not at the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recording location in West Hollywood (2013)

Recording site The Treehouse — Listed as a recording location for Wolf in Los Angeles. The dot marks the building's listed address. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Wolf is the third studio album by American rapper Tyler, the Creator
• Released April 2, 2013 by Odd Future Records
• Concept album built on a continuous story of the characters Wolf, Sam and Salem
• Guest appearances include Mike G, Domo Genesis, Earl Sweatshirt, Left Brain, Hodgy Beats, Erykah Badu and Pharrell
• Lead single 'Domo23' released February 14, 2013
• Debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 with 89,000 copies in its first week

Background

• Tyler's two prior projects, Bastard and Goblin, used lyrics and themes common to horrorcore, a label Tyler said he did not belong to
• In a November 2011 Spin interview, Tyler said he wanted to move away from the themes of his earlier work
• He said the third album would brag more about money and buying things, but in his own sarcastic way
• The story links to Bastard and Goblin, and fans debate whether Wolf comes before or after Goblin chronologically
• Therapist character Dr. TC makes his last appearance on a Tyler album on the final track 'Lone'
• The Wolf tour from March to April 2013 was Tyler's first solo tour without Odd Future

Recording

• Recording locations listed for the album: Klearlight in Dallas and The Treehouse in Los Angeles

Cover

• On February 14, 2013, Tyler revealed three different album covers on Instagram
• The deluxe edition includes a fold-out poster of the full cover artwork designed by Mark Ryden

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Tyler Gregory Okonma, born March 6, 1991, in Hawthorne, California.
• Co-founded the alternative hip-hop collective Odd Future in 2007 with Hodgy, Left Brain, and Casey Veggies.
• Released the self-produced debut album Bastard in 2009.

Members

• Solo artist known as Tyler, the Creator, and the founder and leader of Odd Future.

Career

• Goblin (2011) brought mainstream attention through the single "Yonkers" and its music video.
• Wolf (2013) marked a shift away from horrorcore toward jazz, soul, and R&B.
• Flower Boy (2017) received widespread critical acclaim and commercial success.
• Igor (2019) and Call Me If You Get Lost (2021) both debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and won Best Rap Album at the Grammy Awards.
• Chromakopia (2024) and Don't Tap the Glass (2025) also debuted at number one in the U.S.
• Founded the clothing brands Golf Wang and Le Fleur, and the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival festival.
• Has won three Grammy Awards in total.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Pitchfork: Craig Jenkins says the album shows radical growth as a producer, composer and arranger
• Consequence: Jeremy D. Larson says the buoyant production keeps the album from getting bogged down in vanity
• AllMusic: David Jeffries calls it a fun album for fanatics, but says the willingness to shock feels too comfortable now
• Exclaim!: Chris Dart says Wolf shows Tyler growing into life as a smart, diverse artist
• Slant Magazine: Jesse Cataldo sees progress on some fronts but says the production is weighed down by Tyler himself
• The Boston Globe: Martin Caballero finds a broad vision and deft execution that hold the album together better than Goblin
• XXL: Eric Diep says the album meets its own high expectations with an absorbing journey through Tyler's imagination
• Fact: Chris Kelly says Tyler is exciting again, as a producer rather than as the leader of Odd Future

Reappraisal

• Metacritic: average score of 70 from 31 professional reviews
• AnyDecentMusic?: 6.9 out of 10 based on critical consensus
• XXL ranked it number 18 among the best albums of 2013
• HipHopDX named it one of the top 25 albums of 2013

Records

• US Billboard 200 debut: number three, 89,000 copies in the first week
• Second week: 18,000 more copies, 107,000 total in the United States
• Denmark: top 10, number 10 (according to German Wikipedia)

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · de.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Four days after release, Tyler put the whole album up for free streaming on his SoundCloud account.
• The Wolf tour was his first solo tour without Odd Future.
• The 'Domo23' music video features cameo appearances from Odd Future members Domo Genesis, Earl Sweatshirt, Jasper Dolphin and Taco.
• Therapist character Dr. TC makes his last appearance on a Tyler album on the closing track 'Lone'.
• The album's story is said to link to Bastard and Goblin, and fans still debate the chronology.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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