“I don’t like to follow the rules and that’s just who I am. I hope you understand,” Tyler, the Creator sings on the opening track of Cherry Bomb. This sentiment is one he's lived by since he released Bastard in 2009.

Cherry Bomb, Tyler’s fourth album, has a little nothing for everyone. It’s all over the place because Tyler rebels against the norm. Along with the rest of his Odd Future crew, he made a name for himself with dark lyrics overshadowed by political incorrectness. These immature aspects are not necessarily gone, but the focus has shifted. Now they’re all getting more serious and treating their craft as a form of art. For proof, look no further than Earl Sweatshirt’s excellent I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside. But while Earl’s album hones in on a specific mood, Tyler’s shifts at every turn. Cherry Bomb is an explosion of ideas. Slow songs, angry songs, love songs, you name it; he tries it, which has always been the case. It is worth noting this is his shortest, most cohesive album. He’s found a way to abridge all the introspective, long-winded skits into concise song tie-ins.

Many argue that Tyler is best when he is simply rapping, not trying to incorporate other voices and annoying accoutrements. The result is “Smuckers” which will end up a fan favorite. Here he goes head-to-head with two of the most powerful rappers around: Lil Wayne and Kanye West. The two rappers obviously have rubbed off on Tyler, from Lil Wayne’s punch line rapping to directly quoting Kanye on the title track. But it’s the Pharrell Williams feature that makes the most sense. Although he only guests on one track, his influence can be heard throughout Tyler’s career. An outspoken fan (particularly of N*E*R*D, Pharrell’s hip hop rock band), “Buffalo” is more than an homage to the producer’s defining sound.

Tyler has a gift for verse. Much like Eminem, his topics sometimes ruffle feathers, yet there’s no denying he has a control over words many do not. However, rapping is what Tyler seems the least interested in. An album of “normal” hip-hop songs would be a disservice to himself and the genre. Tyler could have a hit single if that was his measure of success, but he clearly prefers to let his ideas wander. There are plenty of rap tracks for those only interested at a skin deep level. A couple songs (the title track and “Pilot”) take influence from Death Grips and add layers of grime atop his menacing lyrics. Then there’s the flip side where “2Seater” and “Fucking Young/Perfect” take lengthy love songs in wild directions. Cherry Bomb comes to a close with a doo-wop number that, after 50+ minutes of Tyler, doesn’t feel out of place.

Genre tags are quickly going the way of the buffalo. Yes, Cherry Bomb is a hip-hop record if you must classify it. Sure, it’s sometimes easier to categorize him as childish (the Cara Delevingne inspired “Blow My Load”) or offensive (“Book”), but a strict definition is a disservice to everyone. Tyler, the Creator aspires to be more than a musician. He wrote this album, produced it, sung on it, rapped on it, and all this between filming his TV show, creating a fashion line and releasing an app to coincide its release. These days, it’s rare to find anyone challenging the status quo. Not augmenting some minor chord changes or adding EDM bass, but real rebellion. Well here it is, in all its unpleasant, dirty glory.