The brilliance of Tyler the Creator

Today, Tyler Gregory Okonma, more commonly known as Tyler the Creator, is accepted as one of the most transformative musicians on the scene. He is recognized for not only his unique rapping, but also for his radical growth as a producer, composer, and arranger. He is also recognized as co-founder of a flourishing hip-hop collective. However, he wasn’t always regarded as a brilliant musician. Before his breakthrough, he had a poor reputation and was regarded as nothing more than a provocative troll who ate cockroaches. 

This begs the question: how did someone commonly regarded as a rebellious kid go from freestyling into a 144p webcam to accepting a Grammy after hosting his own music festival down the street? 

Tyler has told the press that he has always had a passion for music. He was creating his own album covers by the age of seven. He was raised by a single mother and is a self described misfit. In 9th grade his school didn’t let him join band class because he couldn’t read music, but he didn’t let that stop him. Tyler may have been a misfit, but as the following years began to prove, he was far from an outcast. 

His goal with his early music was to sound as outrageous as possible, and get a reaction out of anyone who had ears and it’s safe to say he met his goal of riling people up. Regardless, his music maintained a sense of authenticity under all the shock value. Through his music, he was able to reveal some genuine feelings of teenage angst that his listeners related to. It was an outlet for Tyler to explore new sounds and unpack his emotional baggage. At this point, he still regarded himself as a nobody, but this was only the beginning of the legacy that is Tyler the Creator.

Tyler’s next project, “Yonkers,” would be the one that would put him on the map. Despite the manic character he flaunts in public, he very much knew what he was doing, and he sought to bring his creativity to the forefront by any means necessary. Even if that meant eating an actual cockroach. His music was sure to leave an impression. 

As his popularity grew and he released more albums, it was getting impossible to ignore Tyler’s impact. At the point he was producing his album “wolf” he was in a completely new stage of his life. And being the huge music news he is, he let the edgy schtick take a back seat and focus more on the actual sound of his work. He began to take new risks with his music, and it was something he had to do if he wanted to reach new heights. During time he emulated sounds of what he grew up hearing, while taking a more genuine approach than his previous works. 

Tyler’s early music came from a place of suffering, and by opening up with “Wolf,” he seemed to be able to capture a level of peace and self acceptance and translate that with sound. 

Tyler literally changed the game with the release of “Flower Boy” and “Igor.” Tyler is far from predictable or trite, each song offering a different experience, a story, and emotion. Flower Boy in particular serves as a stark contrast from the abrasiveness of his previous works, being his most intimate yet. Tyler has stated that he wrote down every feeling for this album. He was no longer shrouding parts of himself in his alter egos, instead he was liberating his inner self onto each chord. Ironically enough this album embraces femininity, breaking the stigmas he was once accused of perpetuating. 

This really shines through in flower boy, in particular the song “Garden Shed.” Here Tyler hints at his authentic identity without openly saying it and is by far one of his most vulnerable songs yet. After years of being slammed for homophobia, Tyler plays by his own rules and his indirect coming out on Flower Boy reflects his rebellious values perfectly, which is probably why it resonates with so many people.

Tyler grew up without his father in his life. Tyler is often quoted as saying: “I think if I had a dad I would have went the normal college route like a lot of other people, I’m not angry, I’m so stoked my life panned out how it did.” Tyler serves as a beacon of inspiration for young kids from similar backgrounds, that as long as something makes you fulfilled, that’s all that matters. Once dismissed by the industry that he now dominates. 

Tyler came onto the scene unapologetic and brash, completely different than what he embodies now, yet he’s managed to guide himself across the musical landscape and evolve without losing his authenticity. The theme that conventional expectations that people set for themselves is inferior to being your true self has stayed the same, sending a strong message to young audiences.