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Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler 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 Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, better known as Odd Future and often abbreviated as OF or OFWGKTA, was an American alternative hip-hop Musical collective, music collective formed in Los Angeles, California in 2007. The group consisted of rap ...
. Within the group, Tyler participated as a rapper, producer, director and actor, releasing studio albums that he produced for its respective members. Okonma also performed on the group's sketch comedy show '' Loiter Squad'' (2012–2014). Along with his collaborations with the group, Tyler developed his solo career beginning with his self-released debut studio album, '' Bastard'' (2009). ''Bastard'' earned him recognition in the online music press as an emerging artist from the indie music scene. His second studio album, ''
Goblin A goblin is a small, grotesque, monster, monstrous humanoid creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearan ...
'' (2011), brought him mainstream media exposure, aided by the popularity of the single "
Yonkers Yonkers () is the List of municipalities in New York, third-most populous city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the most-populous City (New York), city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County. A centrally locate ...
" and its accompanying music video. During this period, Tyler faced controversy in the media for his
horrorcore Horrorcore (also called shock rap, horror hip hop, horror rap, death hip hop, death rap, or murder rap) is a subgenre of hip hop music based on horror-themed and often darkly transgressive lyrical content and imagery. Its origins derived from ...
-influenced sound and his violent, transgressive lyrical content. After the release of his third studio album, ''
Wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...
'' (2013), Tyler began to separate himself from his horrorcore productions, turning to more accessible sounds incorporating fusions of
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
,
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
and R&B. In 2015, Tyler released his fourth studio album, '' Cherry Bomb'', which featured guest appearances from artists such as
Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...
and
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
. In 2017, Tyler released '' Flower Boy'', which earned him widespread critical acclaim and commercial success. Subsequent studio albums '' Igor'' (2019) and '' Call Me If You Get Lost'' (2021) debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 and won Best Rap Album at the
2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
and 2022 Grammy Awards, respectively. His eighth studio album, '' Chromakopia'' (2024), debuted at number one with the highest first-week sales of his career. Aside from his musical productions, Tyler 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 Louis Vuitton Malletier SAS, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ...
. Tyler 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 Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
,
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals and creatures * A male duck * Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...
,
Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...
,
Lana Del Rey Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Lana Del Rey discography, Her music is noted for its melancholic exploration of Glamour (presentation), glamor and Romanc ...
, and
Billie Eilish Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell ( ; born December 18, 2001) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single "Ocean Eyes (song), Ocean Eyes", written and produced by her broth ...
, among others. He has also directed all of the music and promotional videos of his career, under the pseudonym ''Wolf Haley''. Tyler has won two
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
s, 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 ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
''. In 2024, the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' featured Okonma in its "L.A. Influential" series as a "creator who is leaving their mark" in Los Angeles.


Early life and education

Tyler Gregory Okonma was born on March 6, 1991, in
Hawthorne, California Hawthorne is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California. It is part of a seventeen-city subregion of the Los Angeles metropolitan area commonly known as the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay. As of the 2020 United States cens ...
,Caramanica, Jon (May 4, 2011)
"Tyler, the Creator, of Odd Future and 'Goblin'"
, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''
the son of a Nigerian father with Igbo ancestry, and a Biracial American mother of and ancestry. He spent his early life living in Hawthorne before 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 albumsincluding a tracklist with song lengthsbefore 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 Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...
areas. In the eighth grade, Okonma joined a drama class and was kicked out for being too hyperactive; further, in the ninth grade, he was not allowed to join the band class because he could not read music. He worked at
FedEx FedEx Corporation, originally known as Federal Express Corporation, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate holding company specializing in Package delivery, transportation, e-commerce, and ...
for under two weeks, and at
Starbucks Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational List of coffeehouse chains, chain of coffeehouses and Starbucks Reserve, roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It was founded in 1971 by Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gor ...
for over two years. Okonma took his stage name from a
Myspace Myspace (formerly stylized as MySpace, currently myspace; and sometimes my␣, with an elongated Whitespace character#Substitute images, open box symbol) is a social networking service based in the United States. Launched on August 1, 2003, it w ...
page he used to post his creative endeavors. When Okonma was 15, he had a YouTube channel named "Bloxhead". His first YouTube video was released on February 28, 2008. He posted videos until October 2009, when he stopped uploading to focus on his debut album, ''Bastard''. The channel was originally titled " I Smell Panties" named after his comedy hip-hop duo group with Jasper Dolphin.


Career


2007–2011: Odd Future, ''Bastard'', and ''Goblin''

Okonma co-founded the alternative hip hop collective
Odd Future Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, better known as Odd Future and often abbreviated as OF or OFWGKTA, was an American alternative hip-hop Musical collective, music collective formed in Los Angeles, California in 2007. The group consisted of rap ...
in 2007, alongside
Hodgy Gerard Damien Long (born November 9, 1990), better known as Jerry (formerly Hodgy and Hodgy Beats), is an American rapper and record producer. He is best known for being a founding member of the hip hop collective Odd Future. Music career Long ...
, Left Brain, and Casey Veggies. They self-released their debut mixtape, ''
The Odd Future Tape Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, better known as Odd Future and often abbreviated as OF or OFWGKTA, was an American alternative hip-hop Musical collective, music collective formed in Los Angeles, California in 2007. The group consisted of rap ...
'', in November 2008. On December 25, 2009, Okonma self-released his first album, '' Bastard''. It was eventually ranked 32nd on
Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...
Media's list of the Top Albums of 2010. On February 11, 2011, Okonma released the music video for "
Yonkers Yonkers () is the List of municipalities in New York, third-most populous city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the most-populous City (New York), city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County. A centrally locate ...
". The video received attention from several online media outlets. An extended version with a third verse was made available on
iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
. Okonma won Best New Artist for "Yonkers" at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. Okonma's thematic content in these first two solo projects led fans and publications alike to categorize him in the
horrorcore Horrorcore (also called shock rap, horror hip hop, horror rap, death hip hop, death rap, or murder rap) is a subgenre of hip hop music based on horror-themed and often darkly transgressive lyrical content and imagery. Its origins derived from ...
scene, although he vehemently rejected his connection with it. In early 2011, Okonma was gaining the interest of a number of figures in the music industry, including Steve Rifkind,
Jimmy Iovine James Iovine ( ; born March 11, 1953) is an American entrepreneur, former Music executive, record executive, and media proprietor. He is the co-founder of Interscope Records and became chairman and CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Interscop ...
,
Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. An influential figure in modern Hip-hop, hip hop music, Rick Ross has become known for his "Wiktionary:booming, booming" vocal perfor ...
and
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
. Okonma and the rest of Odd Future eventually signed a deal with Red Distribution/Sony in April 2011. His second studio album, ''
Goblin A goblin is a small, grotesque, monster, monstrous humanoid creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearan ...
'', 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 ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show was the third installment of the '' Late Night'' franchise. Hosted by 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 An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" re ...
'', 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 third 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 Adult Swim (stylized as dult swimand s is an American adult-oriented television programming block that airs on Cartoon Network which broadcasts during the evening, prime time, and Late-night television, late-night Dayparting, dayparts. T ...
on March 25, 2012. The show ran for three seasons and featured guest appearances from celebrities, including Johnny Knoxville,
Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...
and
Seth Rogen Seth Aaron Rogen (; born April 15, 1982) is a Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known primarily for his comedic Leading actor, leading man roles in films, the accolades he has received include nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, ...
. In 2015, Okonma stated that the show "is no more". On February 14, 2013,
Odd Future Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, better known as Odd Future and often abbreviated as OF or OFWGKTA, was an American alternative hip-hop Musical collective, music collective formed in Los Angeles, California in 2007. The group consisted of rap ...
uploaded a video to their YouTube account, which includes L-Boy skydiving and stating that ''
Wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...
'' would be released on April 2, 2013. The same day, Okonma would reveal the three album covers via his Instagram account. In promotion of ''Wolf'', Okonma performed several guest verses for other artists, notably " Trouble on My Mind" by
GOOD Music GOOD Music (often stylized as G.O.O.D. Music; a backronym for Getting Out Our Dreams) is an American independent record label founded by rapper Kanye West in 2004. The label entered an exclusive long-term worldwide music distribution, distributi ...
artist
Pusha T Terrence LeVarr Thornton (born May 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as one half of the Virginia-based hip hop duo Clipse, which he formed with his older brother No Malice, Malice. M ...
, " Martians vs. Goblins" by The Game (also featuring
Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...
), " I'ma Hata" by
DJ Drama Tyree Cinque Simmons (born April 22, 1978), known professionally as DJ Drama, is an American disc jockey (DJ), record executive and music promoter. He initially gained recognition as the DJ for Atlanta-based rapper T.I., and continued to gai ...
(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 Trash talk is a form of spoken insult usually found in sports events, although it is not exclusive to sports or similarly characterized events. It is often used to intimidate the opposition and/or make them less confident in their ability to wi ...
(also featuring Hodgy Beats). Okonma also co-produced the song "666" from MellowHype's third album ''
Numbers A number is a mathematical object used to count, measure, and label. The most basic examples are the natural numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and so forth. Numbers can be represented in language with number words. More universally, individual numbers can ...
'', 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 RED Music, stylized RED MUSIC, formerly RED Distribution, LLC (Relativity Entertainment Distribution) was a Sony Music, Sony-owned sales and marketing division that merged under The Orchard (company), The Orchard in 2017. RED previously hand ...
under
Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...
. It featured
guest appearance The term guest appearance generally denotes the appearance of a guest in an artistic or pop-culture setting. The guests themselves (referred to as guest artists, featured artists, guest stars, or guest fighters, depending on context), are disting ...
s by Frank Ocean, Mike G, Domo Genesis, Earl Sweatshirt, Left Brain, Hodgy Beats,
Pharrell Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo ...
, Casey Veggies and
Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu, is an American singer and songwriter. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut al ...
. 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''

On April 9, 2015, Okonma released the music video for the song "Fucking Young" to Odd Future's official YouTube channel. The video also included a short snippet of another song, "Deathcamp". Okonma announced on the same day that the songs will be featured on his upcoming album ''Cherry Bomb'', set for release on April 13, 2015. Okonma announced via his Twitter account that the album would feature Charlie Wilson, Chaz Bundick and Black Lips member Cole Alexander. Two days later, Okonma performed the songs "Fucking Young" and "Deathcamp" for the first time at
Coachella Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music festival, music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valle ...
. During the set, Okonma notably criticized VIP members in the audience, of which many were celebrities, for their lack of enthusiasm. ''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 Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
,
Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...
and
Schoolboy Q Quincy Matthew Hanley (born October 26, 1986), better known by his stage name Schoolboy Q (stylized as ScHoolboy Q), is an American rapper. He began recording in 2007, and released his first two mixtapes, ''ScHoolboy Turned Hustla'' (2008) and '' ...
. 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. Okonma cancelled the Australian leg of his Cherry Bomb World Tour following a campaign by the grassroots organization Collective Shout to bar him from returning to Australia due to their opinion that his music promotes and glorifies violence against women. On August 26, 2015, Okonma revealed that he had been banned from visiting the United Kingdom for three to five years, which forced him to cancel a string of tour dates supporting the ''Cherry Bomb'' album, including the
Reading and Leeds Festivals The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Fest ...
. The reason for the ban comes from lyrics dating back to 2009. His manager Christian Clancy said they were informed of the ban via a letter from then-
Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, more commonly known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom and the head of the Home Office. The position is a Great Office of State, maki ...
Theresa May Theresa Mary May, Baroness May of Maidenhead (; ; born 1 October 1956), is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2016 to 2019. She previously served as Home Secretar ...
. May cited lyrics from the album '' Bastard'' as the reason for the ban, although Okonma had toured multiple times in the UK since its release. Okonma later claimed that he felt he had been treated "like a terrorist" and implied that the ban was racially motivated, stating that "they did not like the fact that their children were idolizing a black man".


2017–2018: ''Flower Boy,'' television, and ''WANG$AP''

On April 8, 2017, Frank Ocean released a song titled " Biking" on his
Beats 1 Apple Music 1, previously branded as Beats 1, is a 24/7 music radio station owned and operated by Apple Inc. It is accessible through iTunes or the Apple Music app on a computer, smartphone or tablet, smart speaker (such as the Apple HomePod), ...
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 ''Bill Nye Saves the World'' is an American television show streaming on Netflix hosted and created by Bill Nye. It is both a sequel and a revival of sorts of '' Bill Nye the Science Guy'', which is also created by Nye. The show's byline was, ...
''. On June 28, the trailer for Okonma's TV show '' Nuts + Bolts'' premiered on
Viceland Viceland (stylized in all caps; also known as Vice TV in the United States) is a brand used for television channels owned and programmed by Vice Media. The brand launched on February 29, 2016, with two cable channels in North America. The Vice ...
. 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 Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a member of the hip hop music, hip hop coll ...
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 fifth album, '' Flower Boy'', which was released on July 21, 2017. Several singles were released following up to the album's release date, including "
Boredom In conventional usage, boredom, , or tedium is an emotion characterized by Interest (emotion), uninterest in one's surrounding, often caused by a lack of distractions or occupations. Although, "There is no universally accepted definition of bo ...
" and " I Ain't Got Time!". The album was released via
iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
,
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
, 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 Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...
's fourth studio album '' Damn''. On March 29, 2018, Okonma released "
Okra Okra (, ), ''Abelmoschus esculentus'', known in some English-speaking countries as lady's fingers, is a flowering plant in the Malvaceae, mallow family native to East Africa. Cultivated in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions aro ...
", among 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 Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a member of the hip hop music, hip hop coll ...
announced a collaborative project, ''WANG$AP'', by releasing a music video for a remix of Monica's " Knock Knock" called "
Potato Salad Potato salad is a salad dish made from boiled potatoes, usually containing a dressing and a variety of other ingredients such as boiled eggs and raw vegetables. It is usually served as a side dish. History and varieties Potato salad is foun ...
" on "AWGE DVD (Vol. 3)", a video compilation by AWGE, ASAP Rocky's creative agency.


2019–2023: ''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 sixth 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". On January 26, 2020, Okonma won his first-ever Grammy at the 62nd Grammy Awards, winning Best Rap Album for ''Igor''. 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 In the English language, ''nigger'' is a racial slur directed at black people. Starting in the 1990s, references to ''nigger'' have been increasingly replaced by the euphemistic contraction , notably in cases where ''nigger'' is Use–menti ...
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 seventh studio album, '' Call Me If You Get Lost'', Okonma placed
billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
s 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 Lumberjack is a mostly North American term for workers in the logging industry who perform the initial harvesting and transport of trees. The term usually refers to loggers in the era before 1945 in the United States, when trees were felled us ...
", 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 Louis Vuitton Malletier SAS, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ...
'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 Louis Vuitton Malletier SAS, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ...
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 is a Japanese fashion designer, disc jockey (DJ), record producer and entrepreneur. He is best known as the creator of the streetwear brand, A Bathing Ape (Bape), and currently serves as artistic director for Kenzo. Additionally he is a member ...
's album ''I Know Nigo!'', the opening track "Lost and Found Freestyle 2019" with
A$AP Rocky Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a member of the hip hop collective ASAP Mo ...
, 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".


2024–present: ''Chromakopia''

On April 13, 2024, Okonma performed a headliner set at
Coachella Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music festival, music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valle ...
, closing out Saturday night with a performance that included guest appearances from Childish Gambino,
ASAP Rocky Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a member of the hip hop music, hip hop coll ...
, 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 Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating fireworks, but also includes safety matches, oxygen candles, Pyrotechnic fastener, explosive bolts (and other fasteners), parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, q ...
, 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". On October 16, 2024, Okonma revealed the name of his next album as '' Chromakopia'' in a teaser video titled " St. Chroma". On October 21, Okonma released the single, " Noid". The album was released on October 28. Following this, Tyler performed the album at smaller venues and in public. He also performed the album at the 10th edition of the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival on November 16. He announced '' Chromakopia: The World Tour,'' his seventh headlining concert tour in support of the album on October 23, 2024. It started on February 4, 2025, in Saint Paul and is set to conclude on September 21, 2025, in
Quezon City Quezon City (, ; ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read and pronounced in Filipino language, Filipino as Kyusi), is the richest and List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 c ...
. He also announced that Lil Yachty and Paris Texas would serve as supporting acts for the tour.


Artistry

Okonma's music has been described as alternative hip-hop,
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
,
neo soul Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from Soul music, soul ...
,
West Coast hip hop West Coast hip-hop is a regional genre of Hip-hop, hip-hop music that encompasses any artists or music that originated in the West Coast of the United States. West Coast hip-hop began to dominate from a radio play and sales standpoint during th ...
, jazz rap, and hardcore hip hop, while his early music has been described as
horrorcore Horrorcore (also called shock rap, horror hip hop, horror rap, death hip hop, death rap, or murder rap) is a subgenre of hip hop music based on horror-themed and often darkly transgressive lyrical content and imagery. Its origins derived from ...
. When Okonma emerged on the music scene as a "strange figure" of the Internet and one of the leaders of the music collective
Odd Future Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, better known as Odd Future and often abbreviated as OF or OFWGKTA, was an American alternative hip-hop Musical collective, music collective formed in Los Angeles, California in 2007. The group consisted of rap ...
, his musical productions instinctively became noted for resembling those of
Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo ...
and his works in N.E.R.D and
The Neptunes The Neptunes were an American record production duo composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1992. Williams often provided backing vocals and music video appearances on the duo's productions, while H ...
during the 2000s, which Okonma has referenced as his greatest inspirations and references. The
horrorcore Horrorcore (also called shock rap, horror hip hop, horror rap, death hip hop, death rap, or murder rap) is a subgenre of hip hop music based on horror-themed and often darkly transgressive lyrical content and imagery. Its origins derived from ...
-based aesthetics and transgressive lyrical content of his debut and second albums '' Bastard'' and ''
Goblin A goblin is a small, grotesque, monster, monstrous humanoid creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearan ...
'' were influenced by Eminem, especially his album ''
Relapse In internal medicine, relapse or recidivism is a recurrence of a past (typically medical) condition. For example, multiple sclerosis and malaria often exhibit peaks of activity and sometimes very long periods of dormancy, followed by relapse or r ...
'' (2009), which according to Okonma, is one of his favorites. When asked about the reason for his offensive content in his lyrics, Okonma responded that "they are not offensive" and that "I just like to piss off old white dudes." The "nihilistic" and dark aesthetic of his early work was heavily criticized in online music communities for including lyrics in which he talked about rape and murder. The music video for "
Yonkers Yonkers () is the List of municipalities in New York, third-most populous city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the most-populous City (New York), city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County. A centrally locate ...
", which featured Okonma eating a cockroach and committing suicide at the end, attracted controversy in the media, as well as being posted by
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
on his Twitter account, calling it "the video of 2011". As the de facto leader of Odd Future during the early 2010s, the group quickly gained notable attention from the media and the Internet, comparing them to the
Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop collective formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its members include RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and, until his death in 2004, O ...
for their rebellious attitude and refusal to fall within industry standards. However, Okonma quickly denied these comparisons: "we are in a completely different thing". The group's " DIY" approach made a strong impact on hip-hop, releasing music and content whenever they wanted through unconventional platforms such as YouTube,
Tumblr Tumblr (pronounced "tumbler") is a microblogging and Social networking service, social networking website founded by David Karp in 2007 and is owned by American company Automattic. The service allows users to post multimedia and other content ...
or
Myspace Myspace (formerly stylized as MySpace, currently myspace; and sometimes my␣, with an elongated Whitespace character#Substitute images, open box symbol) is a social networking service based in the United States. Launched on August 1, 2003, it w ...
, influencing artists to take an alternative path in building their careers. The group and Okonma also influenced fashion, beginning to popularize urban clothing under the
streetwear Streetwear is a style of casual clothing which became global in the 1990s. It grew from New York hip hop fashion and Californian surf culture to encompass elements of sportswear, punk fashion, punk, Skateboarding#Culture, skateboarding, 1980s no ...
Supreme and Converse brands, in addition to their own brand " Golf Wang" with its striking colorful aesthetic. Okonma also brought a new wave of attention to
skateboarding Skateboarding is an extreme sport, action sport that involves riding and Skateboarding trick, performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry Profession, job, and a method of tr ...
and biking as he was constantly seen riding a BMX or skateboard around Los Angeles. Several members of the group, such as
Frank Ocean Frank Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987) is an American singer and songwriter. He has been credited by several music journalism, music critics as a pioneer of the alternative R&B genre. Ocean has won two Grammy Awards and a B ...
and Earl Sweatshirt, would go on to have successful musical careers, while alternative groups such as The Internet, led by Syd and Steve Lacy, would spawn. From the release of his third studio album ''
Wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...
'', critics noticed a musical change in Okonma's productions, venturing into more accessible and melodic sounds through fusions of
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
, R&B and
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
, including collaborations with artists from those genres such as
Erykah Badu Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu, is an American singer and songwriter. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut al ...
, Charlie Wilson or Frank Ocean. He also took a more intimate approach in his lyrics, talking about his father's abandonment in the song "Answer". 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. ''The Medium'' would write in an analysis that "(Cherry Bomb) is the album that signaled this change and would pave the way for his follow-up's ''Flower Boy'' and ''IGOR'' to build upon, in terms of Tyler's style of production and lyricism." Around this time, Okonma would indefinitely step away from his responsibilities with Odd Future, signing with the record label
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...
. Okonma's fifth 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 The BET Awards are an American award show that was established in 2001 by the BET, Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate Black person, Black entertainers and other minorities in music, film, sports and philanthropy. The awards, which ...
, Okonma thanked Q-Tip, André 3000, Chad Hugo,
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
,
Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott (born July 1, 1971), also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She began her musical career as a member of the Contemporary R&B, R&B girl group 4 All the Sistas Arou ...
,
Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after National Football League, NFL and Canadian Football Lea ...
, and
Hype Williams Harold "Hype" Williams (born August 1, 1970) is an American music video and film director, film producer, and screenwriter. Early life Williams was born in Queens. He is of mixed African-American and Honduran descent. He attended Adelphi Univ ...
as his influences. In addition to music, Okonma also established 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 2021 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 Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
. Okonma has
asthma Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...
, and has been seen using an inhaler while on stage. For this reason, he follows a straight edge lifestyle.


Sexuality

Okonma has been the subject of speculation regarding his
sexuality Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually. This involves biological, psychological, physical, erotic, emotional, social, or spiritual feelings and behaviors. Because it is a broad term, which has varied ...
and has made numerous direct references in lyrics and interviews to having had same-sex relationships or experiencing same-sex attractions. He described himself in a 2015 ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' interview as "gay as fuck" and said "My friends are so used to me being gay. They don't even care." In 2017, during an interview with '' Noisey'', Okonma said that by age 15 he already had a boyfriend. In a 2018 interview with '' Fantastic Man'', while discussing the ''Flower Boy'' lyric "I been kissing white boys since 2004" and the public response to it, Okonma said "It's still such a grey area with people, which is cool with me. Even though I'm considered loud and out there, I'm private, which is a weird dichotomy." ''Igor'' follows what many interpreted to be a romantic relationship between Okonma and a closeted
bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...
man, while the song "Wilshire" on ''Call Me If You Get Lost'' has the lyric "I could fuck a trillion bitches every country I done been in/Men or women, it don't matter, if I seen 'em, then I had 'em". The song " Sorry Not Sorry" from the deluxe version of the album includes the lyric "Sorry to the guys I had to hide/Sorry to the girls I had to lie to", referring to his hiding male lovers from the public. Okonma has been criticized for his use of
homophobic Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, Gay men, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred, or ant ...
slurs, particularly his frequent use of the epithet "
faggot ''Faggot'', often shortened to ''fag'', is a Pejorative, slur in the English language that was used to refer to gay men but its meaning has expanded to other members of the queer community. In American youth culture around the turn of the 21s ...
" in his lyrics and on Twitter. He has denied accusations of homophobia, stating, "I'm not homophobic. I just say ''faggot'' and use ''gay'' as an adjective to describe stupid shit,"Pattison, Louis (2011) "Tyler, The Creator ''Goblin''", ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'', May 14, 2011, p. 12
Lester, Paul (2011)
Tyler the Creator in the UK: forget hip-hop, we're the new Sex Pistols!
", ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', May 7, 2011. Retrieved May 14, 2011
and, "I'm not homophobic. I just think ''faggot'' hits and hurts people." However, he later said in an interview with
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
, "Well, I have gay fans and they don't really take it offensive, so I don't know. If it offends you, it offends you. If you call me a
nigger In the English language, ''nigger'' is a racial slur directed at black people. Starting in the 1990s, references to ''nigger'' have been increasingly replaced by the euphemistic contraction , notably in cases where ''nigger'' is Use–menti ...
, I really don't care, but that's just me, personally. Some people might take it the other way; I personally don't give a shit." Okonma supported fellow
Odd Future Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All, better known as Odd Future and often abbreviated as OF or OFWGKTA, was an American alternative hip-hop Musical collective, music collective formed in Los Angeles, California in 2007. The group consisted of rap ...
member
Frank Ocean Frank Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987) is an American singer and songwriter. He has been credited by several music journalism, music critics as a pioneer of the alternative R&B genre. Ocean has won two Grammy Awards and a B ...
after Ocean publicly revealed a past relationship with another man. Lyrics on the album '' Flower Boy'' led to speculation that Okonma was
coming out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBTQ people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. This is often framed and debated as a privacy issue, ...
as gay; the tracks in question were "Foreword", "Garden Shed", and "I Ain't Got Time!"


Legal issues

On December 22, 2011, Okonma was arrested on suspicion of vandalism after allegedly destroying equipment during a show at The Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood. A fan recorded video depicted Okonma throwing a microphone at a sound engineer. Okonma subsequently paid $8,000 in damages to The Roxy. On March 15, 2014, Okonma was arrested in
Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...
, for inciting a riot after telling fans to push past security guards at his
South by Southwest South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
performance. Okonma faced up to one year in prison and a $4,000 fine. Okonma's lawyer, Perry Minton, argued that the riot charge was overblown and perpetuated misconceptions of his client, who had no criminal record. The charges were later dropped. On August 26, 2015, Okonma revealed that he had been banned from visiting the United Kingdom for three to five years, which forced him to cancel tour dates supporting the ''Cherry Bomb'' album, including the
Reading and Leeds Festivals The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend. The Reading Fest ...
. His manager Christian Clancy said they were informed of the ban via a letter from then-
Home Secretary The secretary of state for the Home Department, more commonly known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom and the head of the Home Office. The position is a Great Office of State, maki ...
Theresa May Theresa Mary May, Baroness May of Maidenhead (; ; born 1 October 1956), is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2016 to 2019. She previously served as Home Secretar ...
. May cited lyrics from the 2009 album '' Bastard'' as the reason for the ban, although Okonma had toured multiple times in the UK since its release. Okonma later said that he felt he had been treated like a terrorist and implied that the ban was racially motivated, stating that "they did not like the fact that their children were idolizing a black man." According to the BBC, it is believed the ban was lifted in February 2019, concurring with a scheduled performance in London to promote ''Igor''. However, the 2019 show was forcibly cancelled by police due to safety concerns that the venue was "overcrowded" and "too rowdy." After winning International Male Solo Artist at the 2020 Brit Awards, Okonma referenced the ban. "I wanna give a special shout out to someone who I hold dear to my heart, who made it where I couldn't come to this country five years ago," he said. "I know she's at home pissed off. Thank you Theresa May."


Controversy

From 2010 to 2011, he made a series of sexually explicit comments directed towards
Selena Gomez Selena Marie Gomez ( ; born July 22, 1992) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, producer, and businesswoman. Gomez began her career as a child actress, appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), a ...
over Twitter. In a 2013 interview, he stated that he and Selena were not on good terms, explaining, "We don't really get along. She don't like me. We don't like each other. Because I'm kicking it with
Justin Justin may refer to: People and fictional characters * Justin (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Justin (historian), Latin historian who lived under the Roman Empire * Justin I (c. 450–527) ...
— like that's my homeboy. She always be mean muggin' me. Like why are you hating on me?" In 2021, he made the public apology in his song "Manifesto" in his studio album '' Call Me If You Get Lost''. Tyler Aquilina of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' wrote of the controversy, "Tyler was known as a provocateur at that point in his career, and was frequently criticized for what many observers called homophobic and misogynistic lyrics, including depictions of violence against women".


Feuds


Eminem

Eminem, in his 2018 single " Fall", referred to Okonma as a "
faggot ''Faggot'', often shortened to ''fag'', is a Pejorative, slur in the English language that was used to refer to gay men but its meaning has expanded to other members of the queer community. In American youth culture around the turn of the 21s ...
" and inferred that he explored sexuality in his music for attention. Eminem also attacked Okonma for being critical of his single " Walk On Water" and '' Shady XV'' (2014). After receiving backlash for his lyrics, Eminem responded in an interview with Sway, saying, "I think the word that I called him was one of the things where I felt like this might be too far. In my quest to hurt him, I realized I was hurting a lot of other people. It was one of the things that I kept going back to. Not feeling right with this". In an interview with ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', Okonma responded, saying, " he "Fall" linewas okay. Did you ever hear me publicly say anything about that? I knew what the intent was. He felt pressured because people got offended for me. We were playing ''
Grand Theft Auto ''Grand Theft Auto'' (''GTA'') is an action-adventure video game series created by David Jones and Mike Dailly. Later titles were developed under the oversight of brothers Dan and Sam Houser, Leslie Benzies and Aaron Garbut. It is prima ...
'' when we heard it. We rewound it and hrugged Then kept playing".


DJ Khaled

In June 2019, after ''Igor'' debuted at number 1 on the ''Billboard'' 200 over
DJ Khaled Khaled Mohammed Khaled (; born November 26, 1975), known professionally as DJ Khaled, is an American DJ and record producer. Originally a Miami-based radio personality, Khaled has since become known for enlisting high-profile music industry ar ...
's album '' Father of Asahd'', DJ Khaled posted a video on Instagram, criticizing Okonma's music saying, "I make albums so people can play it and you actually hear it. fdriving your car, you hear another car playing it, go to the barbershop, you hear them playing it ndturn the radio on, and you hear them playing it. It's called great music. It's called albums hereyou actually hear the songs. Not no mysterious shit you never hear the songs". He then deleted the video. On August 6, 2021, Okonma spoke about the DJ Khaled controversy on Hot 97, stating that he enjoyed "just watching a man die inside because the weirdo is winning". He claimed that DJ Khaled "had to deal with that because his whole identity is being number one and when he didn't get that, that sat with him longer in real life time than that moment. I moved on." Okonma made multiple references to "mysterious music" on Twitter, writing "MYSTERIOUS MUSIC! HA!" after winning Best Rap Album at the 2022 Grammy Awards for ''Call Me If You Get Lost''. ''Rolling Stone'' reported in a November 7, 2023
feature story A feature story is a piece of non-fiction writing about news covering a single topic in detail. A feature story is a type of soft news, primarily focused on entertainment rather than a higher level of professionalism. The main subtypes are ...
about DJ Khaled that he had expressed interest in collaborating with Tyler, the Creator, and that he asserted they now have a good rapport.


Discography

Studio albums * '' Bastard'' (2009) * ''
Goblin A goblin is a small, grotesque, monster, monstrous humanoid creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearan ...
'' (2011) * ''
Wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...
'' (2013) * '' Cherry Bomb'' (2015) * '' Flower Boy'' (2017) * '' Igor'' (2019) * '' Call Me If You Get Lost'' (2021) * '' Chromakopia'' (2024)


Tours


Headlining

* Wolf Tour (2013) * 2014 Tour (2014) * Cherry Bomb Tour (2015) * Okaga, CA Tour (2016) * Flower Boy Tour (2017–2018) * Igor Tour (2019) * Call Me If You Get Lost Tour (2022) * Chromakopia: The World Tour (2025)


Co-headlining

* Rocky and Tyler Tour (2015)


Supporting

*
Kid Cudi Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ; formerly stylized as KiD CuDi), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and fashion designer. Born and raised in Clevelan ...
- Cud Life Tour (2013)


Filmography


Television


Films


Video Games


As director


Music videos


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * * * {{Authority control 1991 births 20th-century American male rappers 21st-century African-American male actors 21st-century African-American male singers 21st-century American businesspeople 21st-century American male actors 21st-century American male singers 21st-century American rappers African-American atheists African-American businesspeople African-American fashion designers African-American LGBTQ people African-American male rappers African-American male singer-songwriters African-American record producers African-American skateboarders African-American television personalities Alternative hip-hop musicians American atheists American fashion designers American graphic designers American hip-hop record producers American hip-hop singers American LGBTQ rappers American LGBTQ songwriters American male film actors American male singer-songwriters American music industry executives American music video directors American musicians of Nigerian descent American people of Canadian descent American people of Igbo descent Brit Award winners Businesspeople from Los Angeles Columbia Records artists Grammy Award winners for rap music Hardcore hip-hop artists Horrorcore artists Igbo businesspeople Igbo male actors Igbo musicians LGBTQ people from California LGBTQ-related controversies in music Living people Male actors from Los Angeles MTV Video Music Award winners Musicians from Hawthorne, California Obscenity controversies in music Odd Future members People from Ladera Heights, California People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Rappers from Los Angeles Record producers from California Singer-songwriters from California Singers from Los Angeles Television personalities from California West Coast hip-hop musicians XL Recordings artists