About

The Grammy-winning US rapper pits soul-searching against some killer tunes.

Over the course of his past four albums, rapper Tyler, the Creator has traded his edgy teenage Odd Future persona – and homophobic rhymes – for a more nuanced and expansive skillset, with frequent nods to a more fluid sexuality. Cue hits – and Grammys. At once hard-hitting and emotionally disarming, CHROMAKOPIA doubles down on three major themes: maturing (or not), the act of mask-wearing, and Tyler’s angsty relationship with fame. The opening triptych packs a punch, making the bold claim, on Rah Tah Tah, that Tyler is “the biggest out the city after Kenny” (Kendrick Lamar). The superlative Noid nods towards a Black Sabbath riff while detailing Tyler’s fear of fan behaviour.

Turning inwards, a deceptively lovey-dovey Darling, I makes plain that Tyler is not built for commitment, but manages to spin immaturity with convincing vulnerability. Would not having children be a blessing – or a missed opportunity to grow (Tomorrow)? On Hey Jane, Tyler talks through a pregnancy with emotionally intelligent ambivalence, recalling OutKast’s Ms Jackson. Like Him airs conflicted feelings about his estranged father to a piano-led cut featuring one of many cameos by Tyler’s mother, Bonita Smith, who also appeared on his 2021 LP, Call Me If You Get Lost. It all makes for an album that balances candour with artfulness and some unequivocally banging tunes. — (via The Guardian)

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Tyler, the Creator Turns His Struggles into a Dazzling Display on CHROMAKOPIA.

Tyler, the Creator’s solo catalog charts out quite a journey. Starting out as something of a shock-rap troll — getting banned from performing in certain countries, using an image of some well-pissed pants as album art, embracing the edgiest side of his humor —  the enigmatic rapper has spent the latter half of his career proving just how creative and surprisingly sensitive he really is. It’s as if to say, “I can take this shit seriously and do it better than all of you.” His new album CHROMAKOPIA makes a strong case that he really can.

If IGOR was Tyler’s high-concept experiment and CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST was the more accessible reintroduction of Tyler, the Man, CHROMAKOPIA falls somewhere in the middle. Produced entirely by Tyler himself, the album embraces the sonic wildness of his 2019 character study while offering verses as vulnerable as those from songs like “Wilshire.” He might be wearing a mask on the album artwork, but the artist spends the album’s 53 minutes doing everything in his power to take it off.

After the braggadocios, whisper-rapped intro “St. Chroma,” Tyler goes on to explore various corners of his psyche: the lust that drives him, his fear of an uncertain future, and the origins of his feelings and behaviors. With such a focus on his identity, it’s no surprise that a foundational inspiration for the album was the advice his mother would offer a disinterested Tyler as a child and young adult. “Now that I’m 33, all that stuff is like, ‘oh, that’s what the fuck she was talking about,’” Tyler said during the CHROMAKOPIA listening party. — (via Consequence of Sound)

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Label: Columbia, Sony Music 
Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, Deluxe Edition, Reissue, Stereo, White
Released: 2025
Genre: Hip Hop, Jazz, Funk / Soul
Style: Rap, Neo Soul, Contemporary R&B

File under: Hip Hop
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