rap god

Decoding the enigmatic Tyler, The Creator: 31, fluid, & more

Tyler the Creator in a puffy yellow jacket and hat dancing on stage

Some say that two-time Grammy winner for Best Rap Album, Tyler Gregory Okonma, who goes by the name Tyler, the Creator, is one of the most fascinating artists this generation has seen.

Born in Hawthorne, California, to single mom Louisa Whitman, Tyler is a popular American rapper, songwriter, singer, director, actor, and producer. He has a sister named Lynda and has never known his father because he left when Tyler and Lynda were very young.

Although his career began with jobs at both FedEx and Starbucks, Tyler knew his true passion was music. He was creating covers of imaginary albums and replacing them on the CDs he had at home. This began when he was 7 and self-learned the jazz piano by the time he was 14 years old.

Tyler, the Creator at a glance

Here are a few stats about Tyler, the Creator that you may be interested to know:

  • Birthday: March 6, 1991
  • Height: 6’1” (185 cm)
  • Nationality: American
  • Current City: Los Angeles

How did Tyler, the Creator get famous?

Tyler developed an interest in music when he was a child. It only grew in intensity over the years. He released his first mixtape in the year 2009, and it was a hit, finding a place on 2010’s Pitchfork Media’s list of Top Albums.

Following this, he signed a deal with ‘XL Recordings’ and launched his debut album Goblin. The song ‘Yonkers’ from this album was a resounding hit.

2011 played a significant role in Tyler’s career when he won multiple awards and became one of the most talked about celebrities in the music industry. He started making appearances in TV shows like ‘Late Night with Jimmy Falon’, and ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live. Ever since Tyler has grown from strength to strength in his musical journey.

His words may have landed him in controversies, but they are also the reason behind the huge adulation he enjoys today.

How many albums has Tyler, the Creator released?

Tyler has released six albums, including:

  • Goblin in 2011
  • Wolf in 2013
  • Cherry Bomb in 2015
  • Flower Boy in 2017
  • Igor in 2019
  • Call Me If You Get Lost in 2021

Apart from this, he released a mixtape called Bastards in 2009 and has directed over 30 music videos.

How many awards has Tyler, the Creator won?

Tyler has been nominated for 37 awards and won 10 of them to date. His first award was the MTV Video Music Award in 2011 for Best New Artist. It was his song ‘Yonkers’ from his debut album Goblin that won him this accolade. Following this, there was no looking back. Wall Street Journal awarded him the title of Music Innovator of the year in 2019.

A few other notable awards that Tyler has won are the Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album in 2020 for IGOR and 2022 for Call Me If You Get Lost. He also won the BET Album of the Year, for Call Me If You Get Lost in 2022.

How has Tyler, the Creator influenced the music industry?

Tyler’s attitude toward life, his music, and other works have inspired the likes of Billie Eilish, Kevin Abstract, Jack Harlow, and Lil Nas X. The raw energy, and passion behind his projects, have certainly had a deep impact on the hip-hop culture.

Is Tyler, the Creator Gay?

Tyler has never explicitly declared his sexual orientation. Nevertheless, based on his social media posts, and comments during interviews, he does get featured amongst queer celebrities. He prefers to keep his private life private, and yet creates a mysterious aura about his sexuality by choosing to make flippant comments like, “I like girls. I just end up f*cking their brother every time” and “I had a boyfriend when I was fifteen.”

Many people thought Tyler to be homophobic, owing to the lyrics of his songs, the overwhelming use of the word f*ggot in his debut album, and other antigay slurs featured in his songs. However, he has refuted this directly. He also openly supported Frank Ocean, when Frank publicly spoke about having feelings for a young man.

Will the real Tyler please stand up

Tyler has come a long way from being the songwriter who Justin Bieber and Rhianna both rejected. And the singer who was trolled by Eminem and criticized by DJ Khaled. He even found a place as Tyler, The Provocateur in GQs Man of the Year list of 2019, but this bestselling rapper still feels like a misfit.

Nevertheless, his multitude of fans, sold-out arenas, and net worth of over $16 million, put him amongst the who’s who of the music industry. Speculation about Tyler’s sexuality has been around for several years and will continue to be a grey area until he puts it out there.

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