Tyler the Creator, more formally known as 33-year-old Tyler Gregory Okonma (rapper, record producer, director, and fashion designer), recently dropped his highly anticipated album “Chromakopia.” He’s known for his insanely creative work and with the recent release, the reputation still reigns true. The album consists of 14 tracks with an additional secret track included on the vinyl version of the album. The album consists of “St. Chroma” (featuring Daniel Caesar), “Rah Tah Tah,” “Noid,” “Darling, I” (featuring Teezo Touchdown), “Hey Jane,” “I Killed You,” “Judge Judy,” “Sticky” (featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne), “Take Your Mask Off” (featuring Daniel Caesar and LaToiya Williams), “Tomorrow,” “Thought I Was Dead” (featuring Schoolboy Q and Santigold), “Like Him” (featuring Lola Young), “Balloon” (featuring Doechii), “I Hope You Find Your Way Home,” and the bonus vinyl track “Mother.” (featuring Play Boy Carti).
Despite Tyler stating there wouldn’t be any features under one of his Instagram posts, the album is filled with them. Similar to all of Tyler’s albums, the album is well tied together with smooth song transitions, like the one between “Rah Tah Tah” and “Noid,” and a root topic that’s expressed through the lyrics of most of the songs. Each song has its own unique subtopic but all of them were inspired by Tyler’s experiences while growing up in Los Angeles and the lessons he’s taken from his mother, Bonita Smith. Almost every song starts or ends with a voicemail from Smith giving advice, showing admiration, or having casual conversation with Tyler. This feature adds to the vulnerability in the album and gives more insight into Tyler’s personal life.
The album starts off with the song “St.Chroma,” beginning with a voicemail from his mother followed by the sound of marching and the word “chromakopia” repeats over and over again. The song then transitions into a continuous build up of beats which has you anticipating with bated breath, until the beat drops into an almost angelic singing with the marching continuing in the background. The listening experience feels a lot like being on a roller coaster, minus the nausea. The song alludes to Tyler’s beginnings and him knowing he had greater things ahead of him.
With each song comes a different story. “Hey Jane” touches on the topic of a close call towards parenthood, while other songs like “Balloon” touched on his introspective feelings toward success and his motivation toward his actions. Other songs like “Like Him” and “Noid” touch on more serious topics. “Noid” speaks on the paranoia caused by fame and the uncertainty and insecurity that comes with it. “Like Him” seems to be the heaviest for most avid Tyler listeners. Tyler has expressed hatred for his “absentee” father in his prior releases, the song “Answer” being a prevalent example of his intense feelings towards his father. But in the song “Like Him,” it’s revealed that his father wanted to stay in his life, but his mother had blocked that connection. He expresses the intense mess of emotions that came from his newfound knowledge, repeating the phrase “Do I look like him?” over and over throughout the song. The end of the song had an excerpt of Smith apologizing for not revealing the information earlier. The song struck me like lightning as an avid enjoyer of his music. Tyler was known to have a lot of hatred for his father. It must have felt like whiplash when he found out that he missed out on so much care and support and having that hatred molt into a confusing jumble of emotions. This is a prime example of how Tyler’s releases are like a public diary. One which gives his fans insight into his private life.
The release also showcased Tyler’s signature move, switching between genres within songs and the full album itself. His beat drops bring an exciting uncertainty because it’s usually something very unexpected, whether it be a transition between songs or a transition in songs themselves. “Rah Tah Tah,” “Balloon,” and “Darling I” are good examples of these tone switches. They really highlight his ability in making unique work. Tyler also doesn’t let his lyrics determine the tone and beat of the song. For example, “Hey Jane”, which implies that the character for the song, “Jane”, commits suicide at the end of the song, but the song itself is fairly upbeat and doesn’t hold heaviness. His ability to do this creates a unique listening experience. “Chromakopia” really highlighted his talent.
The album is well made overall, but in the end, everyone has different tastes. Many have been complaining about the unpredictability of the album and the number of samples used, while others commend his creativity in making the samples work uniquely within his music. This album is definitely for those who enjoy the uncommon and focus on details and the meaning behind them. I personally love this album. It really highlights his talents and passion for music. It definitely sits high up on the list of my favorite releases from him.
