Dropped by surprise just seven months after previous album Chromakopia, Tyler, the Creator is taking hip-hop back to the clubs with his ninth studio album Don’t Tap The Glass. At least, that seems to be the explicit intention laid out in the three rules that accompanied the release: one, body movement; two, only speak in glory (“none of that deep shit!”); and, most importantly, three, Don’t Tap The Glass.

Still, despite rule number two, there does seem to be some thought behind the new project’s cryptic tagline. Writing on social media just minutes after the project was released, Tyler lamented how his friends didn’t dance in public anymore for fear of being filmed. To some extent, then, it seems that the ‘glass’ the project is referring to is the smartphone screen, constantly forming a barrier between people’s ability to enjoy the moment. This appears to connect with the project’s announcement by way of a giant figure encased in glass at various locations around New York City. Rather than inventing yet a new persona for himself to follow the likes of Igor’s Igor, Chromakopia’s SGT Chroma, and Call Me If You Get Lost’s Tyler Baudelaire, Don’t Tap The Glass.’s cartoonish action figure appears to represent the listener – encased in the glass bubble of social media and prevented from enjoying the real world. 

But, don’t think too deeply about all of that – not overthinking is about the only thread tying this project together. In stark contrast to Chromakopia’s personal storytelling on tracks like “Hey Jane” and “Judge Judy”, on this new release, Tyler raps about eating the creampie in the backseat and not trusting white people with dreads (fair). Elsewhere, with a slew of samples ranging from Michael Jackson to N64 cult classic The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, production takes cues from soul, disco and West Coast hip-hop’s signature talkbox vocal sound effect. Suffice to say, Tyler wants us to tap our feet and not our phones while listening to this one.

Below, we break down five samples from Tyler, the Creator’s surprise new album DON’T TAP THE GLASS. 

“ROKED” – SHYE BEN TZUR, JOHNNY GREENWOOD AND THE RAJASTHAN EXPRESS

Kicking off the project’s eclectic collection of samples on “Big Poe” is “Roked” by Israeli musician Shye Ben Tzur, in collaboration with Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood and Indian ensemble band The Rajasthan Express. The track is lifted from Ben Tzur’s album Junon, which was recorded in India’s Rajasthan region and pays homage to the Sufi Islamic musical genre of qawwali. Fitting with DON’T TAP THE GLASS’ singular theme, the track opens with Ben Tzur chanting “roked” – a Hebrew word meaning ‘to dance’. 

“PASS THE COURVOISIER PART II REMIX” – BUSTA RHYMES FEAT. PHARRELL WILLIAMS AND P. DIDDY

If Tyler’s looking to make crowds dance, then Flatbush hip-hop legend Busta Rhymes is always a safe bet. Arriving in the second half of lead track “Big Poe” is a vocal sample from the part two remix of Rhymes’ “Pass the Courvoisier”, featuring Pharrell Williams and P. Diddy – the former of which also appears as a guest vocalist on the track, rapping with pitched-up vocals. Let’s just hope Diddy gets no royalties from this one.

“OFF THE WALL” – MICHAEL JACKSON

Running throughout the entirety of the soulful dance track “Ring Ring Ring” is the driving bassline from Michael Jackson’s “Off the Wall”, the title track from the controversial artist’s fifth studio album. The sample fits like a (white) glove here, with DON’T TAP THE GLASS’ production sharing MJ’s signature blend of funk, soul and pop. 

“KNUCK IF YOU BUCK” – CRIME MOB

On “I’ll Take Care of You”, Tyler starts off with soft melodies and strings that feel like an ode to some of his past work, before we get hit with a “Knuck If You Buck” sample. Released in 2004, the track is famously known as Atlanta rap group Crime Mob’s debut crunk single. The group featured six founding members M.I.G., Cyco Blac aka Money Blac, Lil’ Jay, Princess, Diamond and Killa C. Throughout the 2000s, they became ATL royalty, but it was their debut that remained on club floors worldwide.
With an album that so far seems to be a real ode to dance, it makes sense that Tyler, who has proven himself as a musician who actually really studies music, would pay homage to the OG track that has had generations dancing to it for 20 years. (HD)

“CHERRY BOMB” – TYLER, THE CREATOR

Concluding this world-bending list of samples is none other than Tyler himself, on which 2015 track “Cherry Bomb” is sampled for the drum loop of genre-blending penultimate track “I’ll Take Care of You”. The sample arrives amid wider comparisons between DON’T TAP THE GLASS and Cherry Bomb-era Tyler – much like the new record, the Californian rapper has previously described the latter project as not “personal at all” and both share guest verses from Pharrell Williams. 

Elsewhere, rumours are already circling that the track’s lead melody lands as a pitched and slowed-down plus ping-pong’d sample of The Legend of Zelda’s iconic “Great Fairy Theme”. We’ll let the sample detectives verify that one in due course.