Odd Future’s Tyler, The Creator is one of the most creative minds in contemporary hip-hop and draws on a vast, eclectic array of influences to bring us the fantastic music he does. From the English rock band Czar to Japan’s Tatsuro Yamashita, his knowledge knows no bounds.
With his beginnings in the LA rap crew Odd Future, often stylized OFWGKTA, Tyler The Creator has always been ahead of the curve with his music. However, strangely, one of the artist’s biggest fans is the renowned vocalist Robin Thicke.
The two very different artists have developed a mutual respect over the years that was jumpstarted by the Cherry Bomb lyricist (real name Tyler Okonma). As an open-minded and innovative musician, Okonma is known for having a diverse range of influences, and in 2017, the ‘Oldie’ rapper sampled Robin Thicke for his track ‘See You Again’ featuring Kali Uchis.
Released as the fourth single for his 2017 project Flower Boy, the single was certified three times platinum by the RIAA and was considered by critics as one of the standout tracks. Although the self-produced track was put out six years ago, it has recently become popular on TikTok and has become prevalent on the internet attracting new listeners and becoming relevant once again.
However, as an ever-present TikTok phenomenon, Robin Thicke himself recently took to Instagram to post a video of his son, Julian performing the song. Uploading a heartwarming clip, the singer wrote a caption reading, “I still have water in my eyes and lump in my throat because I’m overwhelmed by your voice, spirit and talent. You and Peyton sound so great together. I am so impressed by you. That was an incredible performance at any age. My son Julian Fuego Thicke!!! Wow! @feliciathegoat”
Having sampled Thicke for the track, now seeing his son perform the track was an incredible thing for Okonma to see, and the impressed emcee took it upon himself to comment on the clip, writing, “super cool!” You can see Julian Thicke’s rendition of ‘See You Again’ below.