Tyler, the Creator was born as Tyler Okonma in Hawthorne, California. He picked a pretty good stage name because he’s been creating ever since he debuted with his first mixtape in 2009.
Tyler, the Creator is known almost exclusively as a rap artist, but this title doesn’t tell his full story. Over the years, he’s refined and expanded his craft to include several genres that deserve their own recognition.
Tyler, the Creator’s Music Genre
Hip Hop
Tyler, the Creator’s hip hop come out to play most notably on the album “Igor.” He packs a lot into just a little bit on every track, with most songs being fairly short in duration, but totally filled with interesting instrumentation and fragmented vocals.
“Earfquake” was the top hit from this album, and it’s hip hop to its core. It’s a slightly disjointed track that’s cobbled together with many different vocal sections but still presents earthy, unified music.
Another unmistakable hip-hop track from Tyler, the Creator is “New Magic Wand” which makes classic use of background female vocalists that are standard for the genre.
Horrorcore
Horror is one way to describe how many people felt about Tyler, the Creator’s horrorcore album, “Goblin”.
The runaway hit from this album, “Yonkers”, fits this description perfectly. On this track, Tyler, the Creator employs gory lyrics against a pulsating beat. His first mixtape, “Bastard,” also delves into horrorcore, though it’s a much less polished sound.
The horrorcore genre is marked by aggressive and explicit lyrics, plus overall dark and twisted themes.
R&B
“Call Me If You Get Lost” is an R&B album that lets the music do most of the work. Tyler, the Creator’s version of R&B isn’t complete unless he lays a sick rap flow overtop of the more subdued instrumentals.
“Wusyaname” infuses rap and traditional R&B vocals into the same mix and augments the whole thing with Tyler, the Creator’s freestyle skills. “Sweet/I Thought You Wanted to Dance” is another staunchly R&B track that’s crafted with Carribean vibes.
Conclusion
Tyler, the Creator will most likely be immortalized as a rap sensation. And there’s no doubt his thoughtful flows and boundary-pushing style have earned him the distinction. However, this young star is still rising and he’s soaring across genres as he ups the artistic stakes and bends the rules.