The 29 Best Songs of Tyler, The Creator

When it comes to the evolution of music, Tyler, The Creator belongs to a venerable class of hip-hop artists who have reinvented themselves multiple times and displayed completely different styles: names like Andre 3000, Kanye West and Pharrell. Tyler, The Creator’s best songs show clear signs of growing and expanding his artistry.

Taylor first came to prominence on the scene with 2011’s “Yonkers,” which is remembered for its shocking, horrific black-and-white video, which depicted the young rapper eating and killing himself before hanging himself. Throws an insect. The standout from his debut album Goblin is a fitting introduction to Odd Future’s pounding rap sound through the group’s de facto leader – a guy who likes to tell rape jokes and chant “Kill people, burn shit, Fuck school.

Since then, the Cali artist has grown and matured both musically and in the content of his songs. He’s always expressed strong emotion in his tracks, whether it’s directed at his absentee father or railing against an industry that’s been slow to embrace him and his team of outsiders. However, his musicianship continued to grow with albums such as Wolf and Cherry Bomb, the latter recorded at Hans Zimmer’s studio with a full orchestra including Roy Ayers, Charlie Wilson and Contributions from legends like Wanya Morris of Boyz II Men. On these albums, Taylor touched on concepts like romantic love and finding purpose in life—a far cry from “A*sMilk.”

In 2017, Taylor received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album for Flower Boy, a project in which he ditched the sonic distortion of his previous work in favor of cleaner beats and sung melodies while maintaining top-notch section. He has since won two Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album for “Igor” (2020) and “Call Me If You Get Lost” (2021), cementing himself as one of hip-hop’s true stars.

As fans prepare for the October 28 release of Tyler’s latest effort, Chromakopia, XXL sums up his career by curating 29 of his best songs over the years.