Tyler, the Creator facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tyler, the Creator
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Tyler, the Creator, at Primavera Sound 2022
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Tyler Gregory Okonma
March 6, 1991 Hawthorne, California, U.S.
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| Years active | 2007–present |
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Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, and fashion designer. He has been cited as one of the most influential figures of pop culture of his generation, due to his unique, eclectic and colorful music and fashion styles, popularizing rap music as an "Internet phenomenon" that included a new wave of alternative hip hop and R&B artists during the 2010s.
Okonma became well known in the late 2000s, when he emerged on the internet as the leader and co-founder of the music collective Odd Future. Within the group, Okonma participated as a rapper, producer, director and actor, releasing studio albums that he produced for its respective members. Okonma also performed on his sketch comedy show Loiter Squad (2012–2014).
Along with his collaborations with the group, Okonma developed his solo career. His debut studio album Goblin (2011) brought him mainstream media exposure.
After the release of his second studio album, Wolf (2013), Okonma turned to more accessible sounds including fusions of jazz, soul and R&B. In 2017, Okonma released Flower Boy, the first of a successful trilogy that would be followed by Igor (2019) and Call Me If You Get Lost (2021), all of which earned him widespread critical acclaim and commercial success, with the latter two debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 and each winning Best Rap Album at the 2020 and 2022 Grammy Awards, respectively.
Aside from his musical productions, Okonma became a significant figure in fashion with his clothing ventures Golf Wang and Le Fleur, and for his collaborations with major brands such as Lacoste, Converse and Louis Vuitton. Okonma is also the founder of the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival music festival, which has been held annually since 2012, and which featured appearances by Kanye West, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Lana Del Rey, and Billie Eilish, among others. He has also directed all of the music and promotional videos of his career, under the pseudonym Wolf Haley. Okonma has won two Grammy Awards, three BET Hip Hop Awards, a BRIT Award, and a MTV Video Music Award. In 2019, he was named "Music Innovator of the Year" by The Wall Street Journal. In 2024, the Los Angeles Times featured Okonma in its "L.A. Influential" series as a "creator who is leaving their mark" in Los Angeles.
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Early life and education
Tyler Gregory Okonma was born on March 6, 1991, in Hawthorne, California, the son of a Nigerian father with Igbo ancestry and an American mother of mixed African-American and white Canadian descent. He never met his father and spent his early life living in Hawthorne, moving to Ladera Heights at 17. At the age of seven, he would take covers out of CD cases and create covers for his own imaginary albums—including a tracklist with song lengths—before he could even make music. At the age of 14, he taught himself to play the piano.
In his 12 years of schooling, he attended 12 different schools in the Los Angeles and Sacramento areas. In the eighth grade, Okonma joined a drama class and was kicked out for being too hyperactive, and in the ninth grade, he was not allowed to join the band class because he could not read music. He worked at FedEx for under two weeks and at Starbucks for over two years. Okonma took his stage name from a Myspace page he used to post his creative endeavors.
Career
2007–2011
Okonma co-founded the alternative hip hop collective Odd Future in 2007, alongside Hodgy, Left Brain, and Casey Veggies. They self-released their debut mixtape, The Odd Future Tape, in November 2008. On December 25, 2009, Okonma self-released his first solo mixtape. The mixtape was eventually ranked 32nd on Pitchfork Media's list of the Top Albums of 2010. On February 11, 2011, Okonma released the music video for "Yonkers". The video received attention from several online media outlets. An extended version with a third verse was made available on iTunes. Okonma won Best New Artist for "Yonkers" at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards.
In early 2011, Okonma was gaining the interest of a number of figures in the music industry, including Steve Rifkind, Jimmy Iovine, Rick Ross and Jay-Z. Okonma and the rest of Odd Future eventually signed a deal with Red Distribution/Sony in April 2011. His debut studio album, Goblin, was released May 10, 2011. Okonma and fellow Odd Future member Hodgy Beats made their television debut on February 16, 2011, when they performed "Sandwitches" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. On March 16, Okonma and Hodgy performed "Yonkers" and "Sandwitches" at the 2011 mtvU Woodie Awards, being joined by other members of Odd Future during "Sandwitches". During an interview with Okonma for Interview, Waka Flocka Flame expressed his interest in collaborating with the Odd Future frontman to direct a music video for him. In early 2011, Okonma told fans through his Formspring account that his second album would be called Wolf and it was scheduled to be released in May 2012. Okonma also announced that Odd Future would establish their own TV show called Loiter Squad. On September 8, 2011, the show was finally confirmed as a 15-minute live-action show composed of various sketches, man on the street segments, pranks and music made by Odd Future. Dickhouse Productions, the production partnership that created Jackass, was scheduled to produce the show.
2012–2014: Wolf and Loiter Squad TV show
Odd Future's television show Loiter Squad premiered on Adult Swim on March 25, 2012. The show ran for three seasons and featured guest appearances from celebrities, including Johnny Knoxville, Lil Wayne and Seth Rogen. In 2015, Okonma stated that the show "is no more". On February 14, 2013, Odd Future uploaded a video to their YouTube account, which includes L-Boy skydiving and stating that Wolf would be released on April 2, 2013. The same day, Okonma would reveal the three album covers via his Instagram account.
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In promotion of Wolf, Okonma performed several guest verses for other artists, notably "Trouble on My Mind" by GOOD Music artist Pusha T, "Martians vs. Goblins" by The Game (also featuring Lil Wayne), "I'ma Hata" by DJ Drama (also featuring Waka Flocka Flame and D-Bo), the title track from fellow Odd Future member Domo Genesis' collaboration album with The Alchemist, No Idols, and "Blossom & Burn" by Trash Talk (also featuring Hodgy Beats). Okonma also co-produced the song "666" from MellowHype's third album Numbers, which featured Mike G.
Through March and April 2013, Okonma toured North America and Europe. The first single from the album was released on February 14, 2013, titled "Domo23" along with the music video which features cameos from Domo Genesis, Earl Sweatshirt, Jasper Dolphin and Taco Bennett. On February 26, 2013, Okonma performed the songs "Domo23" and "Treehome95" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
Wolf was released on April 2, 2013, by Odd Future Records and RED Distribution under Sony Music Entertainment. It featured guest appearances by Frank Ocean, Mike G, Domo Genesis, Earl Sweatshirt, Left Brain, Hodgy Beats, Pharrell, Casey Veggies and Erykah Badu. The album was produced solely by Okonma, except for the final track "Lone". Along with the lead single "Domo23", music videos were filmed for "Bimmer", "IFHY" and "Jamba". Upon release, the album was met with generally positive reviews and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, selling 90,000 copies in its first week.
On January 31, 2014, Okonma was reported to be recording with Mac DeMarco.
2015–2016: Cherry Bomb
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Cherry Bomb was released digitally on April 13, 2015, through Odd Future Records, with physical copies of the album, featuring five different album covers, set to be released on April 28, 2015. The album features performances from notable artists such as Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Schoolboy Q. The album was supported by a world tour through North America, Europe and Asia, beginning at Coachella Festival on April 11, 2015, and ending in Tokyo, Japan in September 2015.
2017–2018: Flower Boy, television, and WANG$AP
On April 8, 2017, Frank Ocean released a song titled "Biking" on his Beats 1 radio station "Blonded Radio", which features both Tyler, the Creator and Jay Z. Eight days later it was announced Okonma would write, produce, and perform the theme song for scientist Bill Nye's new show, Bill Nye Saves the World.
On June 28, the trailer for Okonma's TV show Nuts + Bolts premiered on Viceland. The show focuses on things Tyler, the Creator finds interesting or is passionate about, and explains how they are created. The series premiered on August 3, 2017.
On June 29, 2017, Okonma released the song "Who Dat Boy" featuring ASAP Rocky on a new YouTube channel, following many promotional countdown posts on his social media accounts. Later that night, he released the song on streaming services alongside a new song titled "911 / Mr. Lonely" featuring Steve Lacy, Frank Ocean, and Anna of the North. On July 6, 2017, he announced the title, tracklist and release date of his fourth album, Flower Boy, which was released on July 21, 2017. Several singles were released following up to the album's release date, including "Boredom" and "I Ain't Got Time!". The album was released via iTunes, Spotify, and other major music services. On September 14, 2017, Tyler, the Creator announced his third TV show to date, The Jellies. It premiered on October 22, 2017. Flower Boy received rave reviews from critics and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, giving Okonma his second Grammy nomination after contributing to 2013 Album of the Year nominee Channel Orange, but was beat out by Kendrick Lamar's fourth studio album.
On March 29, 2018, Okonma released "Okra", amongst a string of freestyles and remixes. Okonma referred to it as a "throwaway song", stating that it was not going to be included on any upcoming album, and was not an indication of the sound of any future projects. On May 22, 2018, he released "435", continuing this string of singles. On July 23, 2018, Okonma and ASAP Rocky announced a collaborative project, WANG$AP, by releasing a music video for a remix of Monica's "Knock Knock" named "Potato Salad" on "AWGE DVD (Vol. 3)", a video compilation by AWGE, ASAP Rocky's creative agency.
2019–present: Igor and Call Me If You Get Lost
On May 6, 2019, Okonma released two short video clips on his online profiles which featured new music. The videos showed him dancing erratically while wearing a long blonde wig, multicolored suit, black sunglasses, and a grill; he donned the same style for pictures on his social media and the music videos for the album's singles. He soon announced his fifth studio album, Igor, which was released on May 17. Igor was met with widespread critical acclaim and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, becoming Okonma's first number-one album in the United States. The album also features the song "Earfquake", which peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. On December 23, 2019, Okonma released two songs, "Best Interest", a song that did not make the cut of Igor that was released with a music video, and "Group B". Igor won the award for Best Rap Album at the 62nd Grammy Awards.
On January 26, 2020, Okonma won his first-ever Grammy for Igor at the 2020 Grammy Awards. Okonma admitted that while he was "very grateful" for his win, the categorizing of his music as rap is a "backhanded compliment." "It sucks that whenever we — and I mean guys that look like me — do anything that's genre-bending or that's anything they always put it in a rap or urban category. I don't like that 'urban' word — it's just a politically correct way to say the n-word to me," he said. He also added that he would love to be recognized on a more mainstream level and not forever pigeonholed in "urban" categories.
For his sixth studio album, Call Me If You Get Lost, Okonma placed billboards in major cities across the world containing a phone number that when called, played a recorded conversation between Okonma and his mother. That recording is included in the album as "Momma Talk". Soon after the billboards were spotted, a website of the same name was discovered. The album's lead single, "Lumberjack", was released on June 16. The following day, Okonma revealed the album's cover and confirmed its release date of June 25. Upon release, it received widespread critical acclaim and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, becoming Okonma's second number-one album in the United States. On January 5, 2022, Tyler, the Creator was announced as a headliner of Louisville's Forecastle Festival scheduled for May 27–29, 2022.
Louis Vuitton's Men's Fall-Winter 2022 fashion show, held at Carreau du Temple, Paris was one of the last shows put together by the late fashion designer and Louis Vuitton creative director Virgil Abloh. This show was scored by Tyler, the Creator. His score was arranged by Arthur Verocai and it was Gustavo Dudamel who conducted the live performance by the Chineke! Orchestra.
On March 25, 2022, Okonma appeared on two tracks off Nigo's album I Know Nigo!, the opening track "Lost and Found Freestyle 2019" with A$AP Rocky, and the closer, "Come On, Let's Go", the latter of which was released along with a music video showcasing Tyler's Golf le Fleur* clothing line. Call Me If You Get Lost won the award for Best Rap Album at the 64th Grammy Awards.
On March 27, 2023, Okonma revealed Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale, which would include songs recorded for Call Me If You Get Lost but did not appear on the final album, including the single "Dogtooth", which was released on the day of the announcement, alongside a music video. On Twitter, Okonma stated that "Call Me If You Get Lost was the first album I made with a lot of songs that didn't make the final cut". On March 29, 2023, another single "Sorry Not Sorry" was released, alongside a music video. The Estate Sale was released on March 31, 2023, along with a music video for the song "Wharf Talk".
On April 13, 2024, Okonma performed a headliner set at Coachella, closing out Saturday night with a performance that included guest appearances from Childish Gambino, ASAP Rocky, and Kali Uchis along with a duet of "Earfquake" with Charlie Wilson. He began the set bursting through the wall of a fake trailer using pyrotechnics, before performing tracks from across his discography. Critics labeled the performance as an "exhilarating, high-stakes spectacle", and a "brilliant reminder of a cult hero's power".
Artistry
Okonma's music has been described as alternative hip hop, hip hop, neo soul, West Coast hip hop, jazz rap, and hardcore hip hop, while his early music has been described as horrorcore.
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From the release of his second studio album Wolf, critics noticed a musical change in Okonma's productions, venturing into more accessible and melodic sounds through fusions of jazz, R&B and soul, including collaborations with artists from those genres such as Erykah Badu, Charlie Wilson or Frank Ocean. However, his next release, Cherry Bomb, had a mixed reception from fans and critics for its experimental production, in which Okonma decided to "create only songs" without any connection between them, with a more "aggressive" and "noisy" aesthetic.
Okonma's fourth album, Flower Boy, "marked the beginning of a new era — a complete departure from the wildly offensive lyrics and dark themes that defined his previous works". Igor, Okonma's first Grammy-winning album, was a deeply personal concept album about "the emotional journey of being the odd man out in a love triangle", while Call Me If You Get Lost, his second Grammy-winning album, was a concept album about "the persona of "Tyler Baudelaire," a suave, well-traveled gentleman with a sophisticated taste for high art". This latest trilogy established Okonma as one of the most acclaimed and highest-rated artists of his generation and decade. During his acceptance of the Cultural Influence Award at the BET Awards, Okonma thanked Q-Tip, André 3000, Chad Hugo, Kanye West, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, and Hype Williams as his influences. In addition to music, Okonma also establish himself in the fashion industry with Golf Le Fleur, a high-end luxury line described to "embody the globe-trotting mise en scène of his latest album Call Me If You Get Lost".
Personal life
Okonma has been an avid skateboarder since 2002 and collects BMX bicycles. He identifies as an atheist. Okonma has asthma, and has been seen using an inhaler while on stage. For this reason, he follows a straight edge lifestyle.
Discography
Studio albums
- Goblin (2011)
- Wolf (2013)
- Cherry Bomb (2015)
- Flower Boy (2017)
- Igor (2019)
- Call Me If You Get Lost (2021)
Awards and nominations
