He may be the most unconventional artist of this generation: Tyler, the Creator. In music, fashion, sneakers, and even film, the rapper from California consistently proves his worth.
Last Monday, Tyler dropped the album Chromokopia, which has the potential to be crowned the best album of 2024. But this isn’t his only groundbreaking project of the year.
Tyler, the Creator
For those who grew up in the 2010s, Tyler, the Creator is undoubtedly a familiar name. The artist has a unique sound, a fast flow, and a dose of humor - especially for those who remember him from Vine. In 2011, Tyler released his debut album Goblin, which established his name immediately with its raw sound and features from artists like Frank Ocean, Domo Genesis, and Hodgy.
Not even two years later, the artist released his next project: Golf, an album featuring Erykah Badu, Earl Sweatshirt, and Mike G. Releasing two albums within two years with such big names is impressive, especially when you realize that this wasn’t the only thing Tyler was working on.
In 2007, the artist started his own rap collective, Odd Future, which included Mike G, Frank Ocean, Syd the Kyd, Domo Genesis, Left Brain, and Hodgy. The group brought a distinct sound to the hip-hop industry, which at the time was dominated by artists like Soulja Boy, Lil Wayne, and Jay-Z.
In 2008, the group released The Odd Future Tape, a debut album featuring no less than 19 tracks. Despite being a collaborative project, Tyler's sound was clearly prominent throughout. Later, artists like Brandun DeShay, Pyramid Vritra, L-Boy, and Na-Kel Smith joined the group. In 2012, the collective released their final album, The Off Tape V.2.
GOLF WANG
Besides music, Tyler was also working on establishing his own clothing label: GOLF WANG. The brand started as a merchandise line, but quickly expanded beyond that. GOLF WANG embraced Tyler's personal style, which is characterized by a mix of streetwear and colorful designs, often complemented by a Supreme cap.
The name GOLF WANG also references Odd Future, which was fully known as Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All.
In 2011, Tyler launched GOLF le FLEUR, a sublabel of GOLF WANG that focused more on chic designs. Both Golf Wang and GOLF le FLEUR remain relevant over a decade later. The GOLF le FLEUR designs feature a vibrant flower motif and have appeared on Converse products since 2017.
Over the years, Tyler's style has evolved into what it is today. In 2017, he released the album Flower Boy, one of his best works, featuring tracks like "See You Again," "Who Dat Boy," "November," and "Boredom." The album cover features Tyler himself in one of his signature outfits. However, it was with the album IGOR that he truly showcased his full potential.
IGOR
The year is 2019. Billie Eilish releases her debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, Juice WRLD drops his second and final album Death Race for Love, and Tyler shakes up the rap world with IGOR. The album is groundbreaking in every sense and features collaborations with Slowthai, Pharrell, Playboi Carti, Charlie Wilson, and Kanye West.
Despite the rapper warning listeners not to expect a rap album ("Don’t go into this expecting a rap album" - Tyler, 2019), it is indeed a rap album. Tracks like "EARFQUAKE," "NEW MAGIC WAND," and "WHAT'S GOOD" quickly made their way into Billboard's top 100, but it’s the album's launch that makes it truly iconic.
The album comes with an alter ego named IGOR. During the launch of Tyler's fifth studio album, the artist is seen with a blonde bob in pastel-colored suits.
In the music video for "EARFQUAKE," we see the rapper in all his glory, showcasing his acting and dancing skills. Throughout his tour, he appeared at each performance with the same blonde bob, often wearing a pink suit and loafers.
Louis Vuitton and Virgil Abloh
It's clear: Tyler is a multi-talent with a keen eye for music, design, and fashion. His talent caught the attention of designer Virgil Abloh, founder of OFF-White and then Creative Director at Louis Vuitton. The duo shared a longstanding friendship that went beyond mere mutual interests.
After Virgil's sudden passing in late 2021, Tyler played a significant role in Abloh's final runway show for Louis Vuitton, where his music was played, and he made his entrance riding a bike.
After Virgil's passing, there was much speculation about who would take over. In 2023, it was finally announced that Pharrell Williams would step into Virgil's role, much to the delight of many.
Pharrell had already proven himself with his own label, Billionaire Boys Club, and various collaborations with brands like adidas, Chanel, and Tiffany & Co.
Under Pharrell's leadership, Tyler designed his first collection for Louis Vuitton this year. The duo had been friends for a long time. Given their shared visions, giving Tyler his own collection was a strategic move.
The collection combined Tyler's colorful and extravagant style with Louis Vuitton's monogram designs - a match made in heaven.
Chromokopia
Just when you think, "Has Tyler reached his limit?", the artist comes out with yet another project. On October 16, 2024, just a month after his latest collaboration with Converse, Tyler shared a clip on his Instagram featuring unreleased music, captioned "1. st chroma." In the clip, Tyler is seen wearing a mask, and listeners hear the vocals of Daniel Caesar and Frank Ocean - or at least that’s what many were hoping for.
A day later, Tyler revealed the official title and release date of his next album, Chromokopia. The cover resembles David Bowie's Heroes cover, complete with similar hand placement. The name Chromokopia seems to reference chromophobia, the fear of color. In the album's initial clips, Tyler also plays with black-and-white imagery and color.
On Monday, October 28, 2024, Tyler dropped his album. While most music is released on a Friday, the choice of a Monday was intentional, as Tyler mentioned in an interview with Nardwuar. According to him, more music should be released on weekdays so that listeners engage more thoughtfully with the album, including Chromokopia.
The album features artists like Teezo Touchdown, Childish Gambino, GloRilla, Lil Wayne, Sexyy Red, ScHoolboy Q, Doechii, and Daniel Caesar. Critics are praising it, as am I. Even the tour for the album looks promising with guest artists Lil Yachty and Paris Texas.
The first music video from Chromokopia, titled "NOID," has already been released, produced, and directed by Tyler himself. The clip features none other than Ayo Edebiri.
Once again, Tyler proves that his creativity shines through in everything he does. And we haven't even mentioned his first role in the A24 film Marty Supreme, directed by Josh Safdie, alongside names like Timothée Chalamet and Gwyneth Paltrow.
