What Did Tyler, the Creator Create?

Chances are, if you’re not a fan of rap music, you have never heard of this man.

Tyler Gregory Okonma, better known as Tyler, the Creator, is a cruel enigma. He has his hands in the rap collective Odd Future (Frank Ocean is also a member), along with a record label he created (Odd Future Records), directing music videos, acting in the television show Loiter Squad, and graphic art.

For a 22-year-old kid from LA, that’s not bad.

From the moment my little sister introduced me to him by showing me his “Yonkers” video (Disclaimer: this video contains haunting imagery and the lyrics of the song are very graphic), I have been wondering what he is about. I appreciate rap music to a degree, and I do appreciate Tyler very much, but he took some time to get used to. Frankly, on first listen, most of his music is frightening.

On first listen, the obscenities hinder the listener from really settling into the beat of the song. Tyler is extremely deft in producing his unique sound and creating something hypnotizing. However, his lyrics are often violent and could be construed as misogynistic and homophobic. Murder, sex, and rape are commonly and graphically described, and Tyler describes the influence of many alter egos on his actions. It’s all very troubling for the listener the first few times around.

However, after giving any one of his three solo albums a few listens, there’s a chance that you’ll settle into it and perhaps realize that Tyler is a talent in his own terrifying, evil way.

There’s just as much of a chance that you’ll hate him and his music. That’s a seminal part of his appeal. You love him or hate him. You understand where his lyrics come from or you don’t. You are sucked in by his persona or repelled by it.

Whenever people tell me they hate Tyler, I ask them why. Every person I have asked said that his language offended him or her. No one has ever commented on the topics he touches upon. No one realizes that Tyler is extremely dedicated to his work and is constantly establishing his name in the independent music business. No one even talks about his creative style, his remarkably genuine sense of humor, or his sincere personality outside of rap.

So, where does the violence come from? The absence of his father is a popular theme in his music — his mother raised him. However, according to Tyler’s music, his mother never understood him. Maybe he embraces releasing the underlying anger we all have and simply says what he pleases. Using music as a form of catharsis is not a new concept, but Tyler takes it to a whole new level.

Tyler represents those at his age level, teenagers and young adults, who are frustrated with corporate America and who just want to thrash and skateboard and wear knee-high socks and Vans. Tyler discovered and acted as a mentor to Earl Sweatshirt, a fellow member of Odd Future. He wants desperately to produce for the big names in rap, hip-hop, and R&B that he admires and strives every day to reach that level of stardom. He is playful, prankish, and vulnerable — like any person — but he lets his (literal) demons come out a little more than the average. Tyler gets nervous before he performs and he loves his fans. He’s played on Fallon and MTV, and his latest album, “Wolf” (released yesterday), is #1 on iTunes.

The cover art for his newest solo album, Wolf.

And yet, critics and other musicians constantly attack him for expressing his fury in his music. In response, Tyler claims that he uses offensive language not necessarily to offend, but to hit and hurt people with the stark truth and grab attention. He also stated in an interview with MTV that he is not personally insulted when people use slurs against him. He separates into Tyler the rapper and Tyler the person. It seems to be working well for him.

“I’ve got so many beats and songs, but no one’s giving me a chance yet,” Tyler said to Billboard. “I want to take Justin Bieber for a month and just lock him up in a cage where we sit and make music. He’s one of the most successful people in the world, but his music could be so much tighter.”

That’s what Tyler has created. The tightest rap music in the game, the controversy, the shield that defends Tyler the person.

(Follow Tyler, the Creator on Twitter and Instagram @feliciathegoat. For more information on Tyler and his many projects, visit www.oddfuture.com.)