The impression teenagers in the early 2000s had of their predecessors in the ’90s was that of counterculture basement-dwellers making their own rules and launching Nirvana ahead of Michael Jackson on the top of the Billboard charts. During his incessant reign at the dawn of the new century, Ja Rule and Nelly were some of the most popular rappers in the country, Nickelback ruined karaoke forever with “How You Remind Me,” and American Idol had just launched the beginning of an unyielding experiment in populist star-breeding. If you came into adolescence around the turn of the century, there were few artists as strikingly appealing as Eminem. Tyler’s early adoption of Eminem’s ethos may have been as rooted in generational circumstance as personal connection. It’s a remarkable point for Tyler to reach from a career that began in the shadow of another audacious rapper who never made it that far in his own artistic evolution. Recently, however, “Old Town Road” performer, Lil Nas X, opened up about his sexual identity, becoming one of the first openly gay black country-rap artists.Tyler Gregory Okonma won the red carpet at this year’s Grammys - where his fifth and most recent studio album Flower Boy was nominated for Best Rap Album - donning a mixture of high fashion (a Louis Vuitton scarf) and his own fashion (custom Chuck Taylor High-Tops, a collaboration between Le Fleur and Converse), also rocking a baby blue Supreme coat, a traditional Russian ushanka hat, a cheetah print dye job, and accent stained teeth.īoth the peerless look and his institutional recognition represent a dramatic sea change in Tyler, The Creator’s reputation over the last decade since he first landed on the public radar swearing and screaming that he’s “a fuckin’ walkin’ paradox.” At present, Tyler is instead something of a polymath his various cultural roles include that of a fashion designer, television tycoon, festival producer, budding filmmaker, and most recently, a symbol of hip-hop’s shift in focus towards artists breaking long-upheld boundaries of sexuality and gender identity. Tyler, the Creator is one of few rappers with lyrics discussing same-sex attraction in mainstream music. I don’t like that ‘urban’ word - it’s just a politically correct way to say the n-word to me,” he said in an interview following his win, discussing the treatment of black artists. “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. That’s especially true when he earned the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. Since then, however, the artist has been somewhat open about his sexuality, embracing his unique position in the music community.
It wasn’t always like that, though.Īccording to The New York Times, Tyler, the Creator “freely used anti-gay slurs” while starting his career, prompting skepticism from a number of fans. When he improvises Tyler, the Creator discusses same-sex attraction. Tyler, the Creator sometimes raps about same-sex attractionĪlthough he hasn’t exactly come out as gay or a member of the LGBTQ community, in recent years, this rapper often dropped hints regarding his open sexuality.