The reason why Tyler, The Creator avoids drugs and alcohol
Tyler, The Creator has always been a controversial figure. But one thing he can’t be accused of is being a substance abuser. Neither drink nor drugs have ever appealed to him.
During a 2012 interview with Oyster Magazine, Tyler was straight-up asked if he did “a ton” of drugs. “No,” he replied, “I’ve never had a drink in my life. I mean, I troll people and tell people I do drugs, but truthfully I don’t. I’ve never had a drink in my life. I don’t smoke or anything.”
Pressed on why that is, he initially claimed not to be sure. “I don’t know,” he said. “It’s just not for me. I just don’t have to.”
Tyler then went on to talk about some of the kids he grew up with who, because of substance abuse, ended up going off the rails. These kids were skaters, some of whom had the “potential to be pro,” but, as Tyler saw it, they “got caught up in the party and drinking life and now they’re failures.” He found that extremely off-putting.
“I vowed never, ever to become one of them,” he said. “It’s just not me.”
That interview took place well over a decade ago now, but it seems that Tyler’s resolve has never wavered. As recently as in 2025, he was publicly reaffirming his commitment to sobriety.
Appearing on Hot 97 to promote his ninth album Don’t Tap The Glass, Tyler at one point mentioned the “wild life” that he leads—but he didn’t reach for that term in the way it typically is used.
“My actual regular life is probably much different than a regular person,” he clarified. “Not saying it’s better or anything… I have a crazy schedule. I live a wild life, based on that.”
But as for drink and drugs, he still stayed clear of them. “No smoke,” he said. “I’ve never been drunk in my life. Nothing, I have no interest in it. Maybe, like, ten years, me and wifey on the boat, I’m like, ‘Fuck it, let’s do that. And then we’ll try Molly.’ [It’s] just not for me now.”