Tyler’s backstory and home before music, energetic and banned from acting classes and teaching himself piano and other instruments.
Tyler, the creator, a very well-known artist, has recently caught true popularity. To get to know Tyler, we must start with his backstory.
“Tyler, the Creator” or Tyler Okonoma is a musical artist who has been creating beats and songs since 2006. With his first single, “Pancakes,” which brought him fame originally. This track eventually gained the attention of an early musical group named “Odd Future.” This group was well known from its beginning, gaining notability from its other members, such as Frank Ocean and Steve Lacy. These artists all banded together to form this group that lasted until 2015. Releasing two albums and countless singles, the first album was “The Odd Future Tape.” During this time, all of the members except Tyler, Frank and Steve Lacywere all at their peaks. Making singles almost monthly and featuring other members on their personal albums. This is when Tyler released his first studio album, “Bastard” shaped to show his real inside teen. This not only started his career, but some songs helped early fans learn about how troublesome his childhood really was, and helped him explore some new subgenres of rap and R&B to learn what he liked. In 2011, “Goblin.” This album was the start of his vast career, gaining him notable fame with songs like “Analog,” “Fish, ”“Radicals” and most notably “Yonkers,” which won Tyler his first MTV musical award for “Best New Artist.” This not only sparked immeasurable fame towards him but also gave him inspiration for a “2 Year album rule.” This was the rule that, until he dies, he will release an album within the next two years after the last. But where does Tyler’s backstory really begin?
As a toddler, Tyler spoke openly about how he never knew his father. His dad, according to him, had just walked off when he was young and never wanted to be a part of his life. This sad background helped shape his first album, “Bastard,” and his second, “Goblin.” During these albums, he was always cooking up the next big song. He did just that in 2013 when he released his most influential and my favorite album, “Wolf.” This album had a set list that had almost every song on the top charts for a long time. Winning him his first Grammy and letting him experience listening to himself on the radio for the first time, which he stated had “Changed my perspective.” On the “Wolf” album, he had created a song named “Answer.” This song has lyrics that helped us depict his true feelings toward his father during his teenage years. The song shows his character speaking on the phone, wishing that his father would answer the call. He talks about how he would just like to talk to his Dad once and figure out why he left. “Hey Dad, it’s me uh, oh, I’m Tyler. I think I’d be your son. Sorry I called you the wrong name. See, your name isn’t Dad, I think losers a little more fitting.” These lyrics and “I got Clancy, he gave me a chance to see a world that I wasn’t supposed to, and I’m stoked that I didn’t know you.” Also, calling his father just a “Sperm donor” which helps us see how much resentment he has for his father and also how much sadness he holds in his heart for wishing he had his true father to help him grow up. Eventually, near the song’s ending, he states. “Clancy gave me a beautiful house with a case of stairs, so you not being there is the fire that started my career.” These lyrics show us that he truly fueled his career and passion from his anger towards his dad and wanting to be better and make his father wish he had stayed.
When asked about his father, Tyler stated, “I was so hyper and energetic as a kid that I was kicked out of drama class on the first day.” Also stating that he just wished his dad were there to support him as a troubled kid. Flashing forward to modern day, Tyler released another song about his father. He named the song “Like him.” It gained instant fame from its backstory. The song includes lyrics like “Do I look like him?” Eventually, in the song, at the very end, he plays a voice recording from his mother. She states that his father actually really wanted to be a part of his life. His mom apologizes and says that she was too young and immature to realize what an opportunity that was. She pushed his father away and kept it from Tyler to avoid facing her own dumb mistakes. He was heartbroken, eventually keeping all of his personal life in the shadows and just forgiving his mother since there’s no way to go back.
Back in 2012, when Tyler was freshly disbanding Odd Future, He made a genius business decision. First, He spent lots of money and created his very own carnival area. Then he started advertising it and made his own music show named “Camp Flog Gnaw”. The genius name was created from his original brand, “Golf Wang”, scrambled. This show has had many stars since 2012, including Frank Ocean, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Mac Miller, and hundreds of Grammy winners, and invites every year’s biggest rap and R&B artists. The lineups also include smaller artists that he personally listens to. He always invites local bands and artists on his tours around America, like his old friend “Lil Yachty” and “Paris Texas.” They were both on his North America tour in 2024. He also often visits his second home in Geneva, Switzerland, when on vacation. Creating the album “CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST” In 2020 and rereleasing it as “Call me if you get lost (The estate sale)” in 2022, with all new songs and the same vibe.
Not only does Tyler have a music festival, but he also owns 2 Brands and pop-up stores each month in new cities for them. His first “Golf Wang” Holds his older merchandise and skater brand, Selling boards, Skater attire, and shoes. While the newer “Golf Leflure” sells expensive, high-quality items like coats and expensive outfits that he wears and designs. Tyler has also recently had a collaboration with brands like “Supreme” and “Vans”. Releasing his own shoe and shirt designs.
As we now know, Tyler has an amazing musical talent. He tells a story in a recent interview about how he taught himself the piano. Since he grew up too poor to afford lessons, he simply improvised. Since then, he was inspired to make his own music, even down to the background instruments. Even to this day, he makes his own beats, finds his own samples, and creates his own lyrics.
Many fans wonder why Tyler has stopped producing his older, grungy, extreme music. His response? “I have grown up, and now that I live a better life, I don’t feel as angry anymore.” His old music had also been what many would say is on the border of censorship. His old songs like “Fish” and “Tron Cat” are very good examples. Both have very comfortable lyrics to say the least. He also talked in the past about how each album tries a new style of music and engaged in a new subgenre. Many people also ask, “How many subgenres does Tyler’s music cover?” Well, to list a few: Horrorcore, Experimental Hip Hop, Jazz Rap, Alt Hip Hop and many others.
Tyler is notorious for also doing many other extreme activities, creating a story as he says. Tyler has been banned from the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. He was unbanned from all of these countries, but likes to talk about how silly that is to him. He loves to skateboard, which is what helped him decide to create Golf Wang.
What other things has Tyler done for fun?
Tyler has not only starred in many television shows just for fun but also voiced for many Nickelodeon shows, such as The Regular Show. He also created his own TV show. He named this show “Loiter Squad” And has featured many other famous rappers on this show. Notably, visiting jails and making tons of hilarious skits from 2012-2014. He states that everything he does is for fun, never for money. This allows him to act out and be hilarious even when in tense times in these shows.
Odd future today.
As we know, Tyler was an original member of the group Odd Future, but where are his former bandmates today?
Frank Ocean.
Frank was one of Tyler’s closest friends since they met at Odd Future’s house. They featured each other on their songs all through 2016, when Frank made his biggest album, which skyrocketed his career. Even today, his music gets tens of millions of streams monthly. Frank had basically disappeared after this album. No one knows the true reason for his mysterious
disappearance, but many speculate that he had simply gotten his money and left. Many pictures of him had popped up online every now and again, but no one truly knows where he is ever since. Even Tyler admits to missing him and wondering where he went.
Earl Sweatshirt.
Earl was another close friend of Tyler’s. After Odd Future, he steadily gained fame until around 2018. He released albums often, but they just didn’t meet the standards of his success. After that, he had reportedly taken a large break from music until releasing his next album in 2019, named “some rap songs.” This album finally met his standards after being ghost for that year. Relieving his fans, after this, he continued to make albums following Tyler’s 2-year rule ever since. with his most recent album “Live Laugh Love.” Charting the top 100 for a few weeks. He talks often about to himself, he is just a normal guy. And that he is always surprised to see a fan outside. I guess he has not quite grasped his fame yet.
