Tyler the Creator “CHROMAKOPIA”: 5 Best Verses

Like every new album from Tyler The Creator, there’s a lot to like about CHROMAKOPIA. The journey as an artist. While the Hawthorne native’s performance is exciting, the thematic density of most of the tracks leaves vast open space for analysis and in-depth thematic exploration. In other words, the new album can feel overwhelming at times, especially when we’ve only been listening to it for a few hours. Furthermore, it is impossible to succinctly define all of its themes in such a short period of time.

But there are many verses here that immediately stand out as some of Tyler the Creator’s best work, his most complete narratives, and the most compelling examples of his carefully crafted nuances. Whether it’s about fatherhood (or his own father), black hair, religion or identity, the former Odd Future frontman’s pen hits an all-time high. So we’ve rounded up five of the best verses from “CHROMAKOPIA” that caught our attention during our first few listens. For the sake of consistency, we’ll stick to the rap performances here, as well as Taylor herself. While these are just early impressions, the statements and reflections on this LP are sure to leave an imprint on your ears. We can only imagine what other treasures they held, and these excellent verses can point the way.

Relationships, commitment, and fatherhood are big themes on CHROMAKOPIA , so it’s only fitting that Tyler The Creator outlines his feelings on romance on the album’s first track. He delivers one of the most blunt and direct verses on the album at a steady pace, explaining why he doesn’t like monogamy. First, the “What A Day” creative compares the partner to all the different cars he loves for different reasons, echoing the lingering success and excess of “Call Me If You’re Lost.” theme. This isn’t just a playboy song, though, Taylor also points out his own flaws that prompt this sentiment.

“Too many grooves, I’m too curious to try/Hide things, feel shame deep inside/Because honestly, T’s not perfect/So how can I get it all from one person?” Taylor, Creator rapping in the clip. Ultimately, he was truly grateful for the bonds of his lost love, but he came to the conclusion that the real thing that would bring him lasting companionship was the art he created. That feeling of love is what he pursues and cherishes, even if it’s temporary.

Both verses in “Hey Jane” (named after an abortion-related healthcare company) address Tyler The Creator’s relationship with a woman and their unplanned pregnancy, revealing their personal insecurities about it. , and affirmed their commitment to supporting each other regardless of the women’s decisions. Both are wonderful narratives, with succinct lines and tender details, but since the second one is from a female perspective, we’d rather let the future mother herself narrate this. Regardless, the leader of Camp Flog Gnaw provides a balanced and mature assessment from both sides, and his story is fascinating.

With lines like “We haven’t been able to love each other yet/Took a shortcut to forever, I’m depressed” and “All the mental and physical changes you have to deal with/All the heaviest emotional and physical pain/Just giving a kid a last name? Fuck it Hell, Tyler the Creator swings gracefully on the pendulum of fear and fearless support, knowing it’s not a perfect situation, but he’s prepared to take responsibility for his and his partner’s choices, prioritizing her wishes and needs from a narrative perspective. The letter-like framing of each verse makes this one of CHROMAKOPIA’s most striking lyrical moments.

Tyler, the Creator is a rapper, not a poet, but the first verse of “I Kill You” blurs that line through a common literary device in both art forms: personification. Drawing on themes of heritage and identity, he talked about his hair and commented on the importance of hair in black culture. Like the rest of CHROMAKOPIA, there’s masterful push and pull on display here. On the one hand, Taylor explains what black culture and himself have done to fit their hair into a white supremacist society that looks down on them. “Undiscovered, a few knots are a map/our route to escape them” is a particular cutting line that feels ashamed of trying to erase this history with chemicals, cutting, straightening, etc.

However, by the end of the song, Tyler, The Creator concludes that he will “never kill” his hair, flipping the first line from “If they see you on me, I gotta go” to “If they see to you” on top of me, and then I was at peace. ” What was once an occasional mention on CMIYGL became one of Taylor’s most adept, proud, and culturally influential statements of late.

When Tyler The Creator makes noise on CHROMAKOPIA, it’s exciting and perfectly matched to his rough-and-tumble rock ‘n’ roll. “Thought I Was Dead” embodies this explosively, especially the verse that begins with his dual stance on white rappers (and probably fans) who mock hip-hop. The 33-year-old is unapologetic about his past, flaunting personal growth and success that people consider insincere. Lines like “I’ll break down until my hair turns gray/I’ve got too many drives, I’m terabytes” show that his recklessness hasn’t faded from his early Goblin days. The execution was better this time.

Additionally, we would be remiss not to mention the seamless flow switching and dynamic delivery in this passage. This is the best, most powerful example of Tyler, The Creator’s bravado on CHROMAKOPIA, directed both at an inadequate and uninspired rap game and at criticism of his often unfiltered opinions. Apparently somersaults and quips help these shots land: “TT changed, like the fit got dirty/I was a young man, then an*** hit thirty/I was a mill” and then an*** Hit thirty/B***h, you’re not Coco Gauff, you can’t serve me.

Through several verses here, Tyler the Creator calls out the pain that comes with “masks.” But the most interesting verse is in the fourth verse, where Tyler seems to be talking about himself, his insecurities, his negative energy, and the criticism others may have of him. Maybe that’s a range, but in other CHROMAKOPIA cuts there are specific references to hair loss, family destruction, fear of fatherhood, becoming rich at 19, and other details.

Still, it’s filled with gut-wrenching bars like “You won’t get any respect before we announce your death/Obviously you want someone to send you flowers/You eat fertilizer to balance your shit.” Maybe it’s all that Related to another rapper, but maybe Tyler, the Creator is taking off the mask of his own high self-esteem, confidence, and consistency. There’s always the fear of losing yourself and “falling”, coupled with the fact that flying toward the sun with hubbub and self-worth can, every once in a while, lead to a downward spiral back to earth. Tyler Okonma has incredible reasons to believe in himself. But we’re glad he feels comfortable enough to take off his mask without fear.