Tyler, The Creator is one of the most exciting artists in hip-hop. The LA rapper recently released his project, Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale, to great critical acclaim and remains at the forefront of alternative rap music.
Widely considered one of the most creative minds in contemporary hip-hop, through his music alone, it is evident draws on a vast, eclectic array of influences to bring us the fantastic material he does. From Goblin to IGOR and Flower Boy, the emcee and producer has sampled many acts, from the English rock band Czar to Japan’s Tatsuro Yamashita; his knowledge knows no bounds.
Born Tyler Okonma, Tyler The Creator has always been a forward thinker concerning music. A product of the LA-based collective Odd Future, alongside legendary names such as Frank Ocean, Earl Sweatshirt and Flying Lotus, Tyler The Creator is just one of the many ingenious musicians that the group produced in the early-2010s. Since his emergence, the lyricist and trend-setter has been able to collaborate with the likes of Kanye West, Pharrell and Vince Staples. Since 2014, Okonma has been a standout artist who receives vast amounts of critical acclaim for his ability to morph and integrate the sonics of hip-hop into other genres.
On many occasions, Okonma has been recognised for his outstanding contributions to music. Across his 12-year career, Tyler The Creator has released six studio albums, one EP and one solo mixtape. Tyler, The Creator has had two number-one albums on the Billboard 200 and with abundant talent, it is no surprise the LA native has garnered the attention of many in the music industry, including Steve Rifkind, Jimmy Iovine, and Jay-Z.
Speaking with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, following his album IGOR, the emcee spoke on his influences and interests, Okonma even revealed his favourite rapper. Speaking on his influences, the Tyler stated, “Erykah, Outkast, D’Angelo, Ye. D’Angelo has a whole album of just basslines and a rimshot. ‘One Mo Gin’ has a f*ckin’ 30-second intro before he starts talking, and I remember being nine ’cause I bought that on my ninth birthday in 2000. Bro, do you know how hard it is on your ninth birthday going to buy Amel Larrieux’s Infinite Possibilities album!”
Following this, Okonma was asked who his favourite rapper was, to which he swiftly responded, “Pusha T’s my favourite rapper. That n*gga hit me [up] when the album came out and told me I killed it! I replied back you don’t know how much this mean to me! I love that n*gga!”
