On October 28, 2024 Tyler the Creator dropped his eighth studio album called “CHROMAKOPIA” featuring fourteen songs with a multitude of guest artists. These songs, as with all of his music, offer a unique unapologetic tone. In my opinion, listening to Tyler the Creators new music solidified the idea for me that his music and his persona has redefined hiphop.
Tyler the Creator first started out with a group called Odd Future back in 2009 then went into making his own music with his first studio album “Goblin”. In an interview conducted by the podcast Rap Radar in 2023, Tyler the Creator looks back on his debut album stating that although it was not his best work, it was more about the energy being different than what others were doing at the time.
Personally, I think his energy has grown stronger and stronger throughout the years. As an avid Tyler the Creator listener, there is no denying that Tyler holds a certain unique style regarding his music, his appearance, and the art that goes into his concerts, music videos, and album covers. With “CHROMAKOPIA” dropping, he created the correct marketing that fits his vibe. For example, instead of the album dropping at midnight on a Friday, he decided to wait until 6 AM on a Monday.
After his most recent album was released, fans got to work on listening and dissecting the songs. The first song listed in the album is named “St. Chroma” which is speculated to be Tyler’s new alter ego. This song was featured by Daniel Caesar and opens with a statement from his mom “you are the light, it’s not on you, it’s in you, don’t you ever in your mother****ing life dim your light for nobody” before adding in the beat. This song held a very powerful tone and meaning behind the lyrics and the strong chaotic beat. This sets the tone for the rest of the album.
Throughout the rest of the album, Tyler goes through what he has gone through in his life and lessons he has learned with the help of statements from his mom put into the songs. In Tyler fashion, the songs hold a raw message while paired with shocking lyrics and instruments. Some of his songs, include more of a storytelling than a song, on this album the song fitting thst description is “Hey Jane”. This song opens a story about getting a girl named Jane pregnant and the societal and personal issues that go along with this. I believe this song shows Tylers personality as he has never been one to hold back on an uncomfortable topic which is something he is most praised for.
I also noticed with this particular album Tyler is receiving a lot of praise for letting his featured artists to be themselves on their songs. Tyler encourages everyone to have their own voice and it is shown through his music as he creates songs to fit around his features instead of just offering a few lines of a premade songs which can be seen in the mainstream industry of hip hop.
With Tyler being so far from the ordinary, he has always gotten accused of being under the influence especially when it comes to his performances as he is so outgoing with running around on stage, dancing, and making a variety of noises. Tyler is quick to shut down these accusations as he has chose to live a sober life as he is “just not interested” in having his mind altered by any substance. I have always admired this as the music industry can be so corrupt with drugs and alcohol being used to help enhance a performance or to help write songs.
Tyler the Creator will continue to evolve on his own terms and push the boundaries he has created. Although his music is not enjoyed by everyone, I encourage everyone to look into his interviews and statements on being true to oneself. It is important for everyone to feel confident in themselves and Tyler continues to be one of the largest advocates for being authentic. As a long time admirer, I continue to find power through his impacts and have had “CHROMAKOPIA” on repeat for the last week and a half which will last until I see him in concert in March.
Photo courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment.