It is 2011 and Goblin had just dropped. If you were to ask me what my thoughts were on Tyler, The Creator or anyone in Odd Future, I would’ve said, “not for me”. At that time I was heading into my mid-20s and everything from the “Yonkers” video, to their antics in and out of the music, the rampant homophobia (intentional or not), the “KILL PEOPLE BURN SHIT FUCK SCHOOL” mantra they and their fans lived by, not only was I detached from it but in my opinion, represented nothing that I wanted from music, specifically Hip-Hop at that moment in time. When it came to the west coast, I was more TDE than OF. That trend continued with Tyler’s later releases, Wolf and Cherry Bomb where he would wear his influences HEAVY on his sleeve (Pharrell, Kanye, etc.) yet lacked the emotional maturity to pull off something that even my jaded ass could enjoy.
Yet in 2017, something changed. Tyler would release Flower Boy, where it appeared he began to bring it all together. Playful melodies, clever wordplay, a look into what Tyler is going through outside of the glitz and glitter (no pun intended). An album my wife-then-girlfriend enjoyed heavily outside of BROCKHAMPTON’s trilogy that year, while not even being a Hip-Hop head. While 2019’s IGOR lacked in rapping, it made up for in having ear worms in the form of pop & alternative R&B songs, where 2021’s Call Me If You Get Lost gave me everything that I wanted, where this was Tyler at his peak as a rapper, producer and curator. Three years later and CHROMAKOPIA arrives and after a deluxe edition release and an extended break from his usual release schedule, where is Tyler’s mindset in the current frame of the world?
1. St. Chroma
Featuring Daniel Caesar; Produced by Tyler, The Creator
The first track accompanied by Mr. Daniel “All Smiles” Caesar. So on first listen, I wasn’t really feeling this as much. However, with repeated listens, I understand more of what the intent behind this song is from a lyrical standpoint. His mother begins the track and will throughout the album sprinkle tidbits of advice to Tyler, on how to navigate through the music industry, relationships and life in general.
2. Rah Tah Tah
Produced by Tyler, The Creator
And now we are here. The bangers that we are accustomed to from Tyler. Tyler is on his bragging shit, talking about the money he’s got, the women that he (probably) screws. Brag raps can get old but if you have enough clever wordplay you can make it work. The line that stuck out the most is
The biggest in the city after Kenny, that’s a fact now
To be honest, with his string of albums, he may be right.
3. Noid
Produced by Tyler, The Creator
For a “lead single”, I was a bit iffy on this at first. However, this grew on me over time when I actually sat down and paid attention to what’s going on. I like the guitar sample and the African chanting during the chorus (which I later found out is a sample altogether). Lyrically, this is Tyler dealing with the headaches that fame brings and the bigger you are, the less time you have to keep your peace of mind.
4. Darling, I
Featuring Teezo Touchdown; Produced by Tyler, The Creator
As relatable as the song is thematically, I am not the biggest fan of Tyler’s singing, so as “endearing” as the song may sound, it would’ve been better if Teezo just handled the singing duties all by himself, because he killed his parts, but Tyler made up for it with his verses.
5. Hey Jane
Produced by Tyler, The Creator
So far, the most personal song on this album. Also, the most relatable to me. Being in a relationship, the tug-o-war of commitment, especially when the prospect of children is brought into the fray. It’s weird because we’ve heard Tyler be personal before, but it has you wondering… “Tyler, are you hiding a child?”
6. I Killed You
Produced by Tyler, The Creator
What a difference reading the lyrics makes, because a song that was already a bop takes on a whole new meaning when you realize that Tyler is talking about identity, specifically around how we see ourselves with our own hair. As someone who only gets a haircut once or twice a year, I can say with confidence, that I am happy to be nappy for most of the year.
7. Judge Judy
Featuring Childish Gambino; Produced by Tyler, The Creator
This is another example of how a song that has such a deeper meaning than what you get from listening to it passively. Similar to “Darling, I”, as much as I appreciate the song’s concept and intent, I’m not moved at all by Tyler or Gambino’s singing on this one.
8. Sticky
Featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red, & Lil Wayne; Produced by Tyler, The Creator
This is the perfect example of having multiple features on a song but not have them overstay their welcome, but somehow it leaves you wanting more. Big Glo ready to fight somebody, Sexyy Red is her usual ratchet self, Wayne trying to make things rhyme that shouldn’t and Tyler flexing at the end. It’s like crunk for 2024 but not enough to scare suburban white kids.
9. Take Your Mask Off
Produced by Tyler, The Creator
We’ve heard Tyler get personal in the past with songs like “Answer”, “Garden Shed” and more, but it’s a song like “Take Your Mask Off” where you really start to feel for him and where he is in his journey. A song like this is a continuing progression of Tyler showcasing his vulnerability throughout his late-career albums and beginning to shed the immaturity and recklessness of his earlier output and we’re starting to get the real Tyler.
10. Tomorrow
Produced by Tyler, The Creator
The theme of this song is very akin to Kanye’s “Welcome to Heartbreak” on how Tyler yearns to appreciate the simpler things in life but instead all he has around him are material possessions. I’ve mentioned that I’m not a fan of Tyler’s singing, but this is one of the few songs where it’s impactful, where you’re hearing the pain in his voice. It starts to lose me a bit once the pitch shifting and synths come in on the last chorus but it’s not too much of a detriment.
11. Thought I Was Dead
Featuring ScHoolboy Q & Santigold; Produced by Tyler, The Creator
This is the banger of the album and maybe the song I go back to the most. I guess I’m just in a mood for more uptempo tracks to combat this incoming wintery desolation. Q understands the assignment and does what we come to him for and Tyler is rapping like he’s making a statement. If there is any song you go to on CHROMAKOPIA, this is the one. Also, Santigold, where you been at?
12. Like Him
Featuring Lola Young; Produced by Tyler, The Creator
I do not care for this song. Understand, there is a difference between not caring for a song and hating it altogether. It’s not that the song is bad but it’s due to one of the reasons that I don’t often go back to IGOR, I come to Tyler for his raps and not his singing and a lot of his singing often comes off as forced especially with the effects thrown to his voice. So I am not going back to this one and if you plan to do this song at karaoke, have a gang of helium tanks around so you can create the feeling.
13. Balloon
Featuring Doechii; Produced by Tyler, The Creator
When I saw Tyler and Doechii perform this at Camp Flog Gnaw this year, I’m thinking to myself, “these two complement each other so well”. There’s no overarching theme or concept, it’s just two emcees, poppin off for three minutes. Believe me, after the heaviness of the last few songs, this in addition to “Thought I Was Dead” was necessary.
14. I Hope You Find Your Way Home
Produced by Tyler, The Creator
The closer of the album and Tyler wraps everything up in a bow and the last voice we hear is his mom and now proud she is of him and to keep letting his light shine. What to take away from it? Tyler is that nigga and that bitch!
There’s a reason I don’t like reviewing albums on the first few listens. The various elements that you find on an album like CHROMAKOPIA, won’t be as easy to detect on the first try. Nowadays, it takes weeks if not months for me to really latch on to an album especially when things are thrown at you non-stop in the days of streaming. I’m glad I took my time with this one, because I guarantee you, had I wrote my review the week it came out, I would’ve told you, this is the first time in a while where I was disappointed with what I got as a listener and a fan.
Flower Boy changed my mind on who Tyler is as a rapper, IGOR shifted my musical palette into accepting more than just rap on a surface level from him, Call Me If You Get Lost, years later, is an overall masterpiece and CHROMAKOPIA this year, cements Tyler’s position as a generational artist. It depicts Tyler finally shedding the skin of his insecurities and revealing that confidence that he’s had this whole time, but with every album, layers begin peeling off. Tyler, the Creator is finally comfortable in his own skin, allowing himself to be vulnerable and not hide behind childish antics and in doing that, has made his best work to date.
In other words, Kenny better step his shit up.
