On his seventh studio album, 鈥淐hromakopia,鈥� the multi-hyphenate pulls back the curtain. Across 14 tracks, the rapper born Tyler Okonma interrogates the anxieties that come with age and fame, intertwining them with his own wisdom and some that arrive via carefully-placed voice messages.
Tyler is a jack of all trades excelling across industries in music, fashion and television. Like his hero Tyler is known for his unconventional fashion sense as the founder of luxury label鈥檚 Golf Wang and Golf le Fleur, along with his television work on the Adult Swim sketch comedy series 鈥淟oiter Squad.鈥� He established his role as a counter cultural tastemaker and controversial rule breaker with his first mixtape, 2009's 鈥淏astard," and continues to push the boundaries of music 鈥� it's no wonder his latest release continues to break barriers.
鈥淐hromakopia鈥� starts off strong with 鈥淪t. Chroma鈥� 鈥� an introduction to the new masked persona on the album's cover 鈥� with forceful military cadences in the background of both Tyler and vocals. A reassuring woman's voice is heard at the beginning, 鈥淵ou are the light. It鈥檚 not on you. It鈥檚 in you.鈥�
鈥淚 ain鈥檛 never had a doubt inside me,鈥� he raps. 鈥淎nd if I ever told you that I did, I鈥檓 (expletive) lyin鈥�.鈥�
As a whole, the album 鈥淐hromakopia鈥� represents the as he delves into his 30s. In this new era, he seeks understanding in all aspects of his life as he seeks to understand himself.
It's not all light, like on the track 鈥淟ike Him,鈥� where Tyler explores similarities to an estranged father.
鈥淕ive me love and affection / Attention, protection (Go),鈥� he sings in the second verse. 鈥淗ow could I ever miss a chance (Go) / That I never had?鈥�
At a listening party for the album in Inglewood, California, on Sunday night, Tyler offered a kind of mission statement for the album. 鈥溾�極h, I鈥檓 not the guy I was at 20," he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e got a gray hair on my chest. Life is life-ing. I just wanted to write about stuff I think about when I鈥檓 dolo,鈥� shorthand for the slang term 鈥渟olo dolo,鈥� to mean 鈥渂y myself.鈥�
He's thinking about a lot: 鈥淗ey Jane鈥� details a pregnancy scare atop dreamy production, 鈥淭ake Your Mask Off鈥� tells the story of various characters afraid to live in their truth. It's as much about Tyler, the Creator himself as it is about them. 鈥淚 hope you find yourself," he says. "I hope you take your mask off.鈥�
Lead single 鈥淣oid鈥� targets celebrity, addressing paranoia and the strange parasocial relationships that come with fame in a claustrophobic, transgressive package. The chorus samples Zambian rock band Ngozi Family鈥檚 1977 track, 鈥淣izakupanga Ngozi.鈥�
But the album isn鈥檛 all deep introspection. Tyler is as brash as ever on like 鈥淭hought I Was Dead鈥� and 鈥淩ah Tah Tah,鈥� which use deep bass that reverberates, felt in the listeners' bones.
His fun and outrageous personality isn't hidden, either. It鈥檚 clearly heard on tracks like the cheerful "Sticky鈥� which features Lil Wayne, and Sexyy Red and 鈥淏alloon,鈥� which features Doechii.
The entire album, as stated on the 鈥淐hromakopia鈥� artwork, was written, produced and arranged by Tyler Okonma. It鈥檚 a too-early mid-life memoir, one many 30-somethings will relate to: An album that considers all that he's accomplished, fears and hopes for the future to come.
Leslie Ambriz, The Associated Press
