By: Tyler Barnes
CHROMAKOPIA is the latest effort from one of the most popular hip-hop artists in the game right now, Tyler, The Creator. People love Tyler for his authentic and unique voice in the music industry. He brings such a unique and forward-thinking creative process to the table while still paying tribute to everyone and everything that has inspired his music. On top of his position in people’s hearts, Tyler, The Creator is currently on one of the best album runs in hip-hop. CHROMAKOPIA has massive boots to fill for fans and critics alike since it is coming off of Flower Boy, IGOR, and CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST. Through these albums and his older involvement in the inactive group Odd Future, he has steadily cultivated a loyal and vast fan base among the most popular names in modern hip-hop, being placed up there with Kendrick Lamar, Future, and A$AP Rocky, to name a few. With all that said, is CHROMAKOPIA another hit for Tyler, The Creator? The short answer is undoubtedly yes, but here is the longer answer attesting to this album’s quality.
CHROMAKOPIA takes thematic inspiration from Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, and Tyler’s mother is a huge inspiration for this record’s creation and content. Throughout the record, you can hear voice memos from Tyler’s mom, either giving wisdom or showing her thoughts based on the track’s content. In fact, it’s her voice that leads off the album, telling Tyler that his creativity is inside of him, calling it “the light.” From this wisdom, chants of the album’s name are heard, then stomps akin to a militia marching take over the mix. The chanting is interrupted by Tyler’s whispers, reflecting how far he has come in the rap game, mentioning his new heights financially and his connections with titans such as Pharrell Williams. One soulful hook from Daniel Caesar later, the album truly starts with distorted bass permeating in the mix, and Tyler hyping himself up in the break before his next verse. The next verse sees Tyler contemplating his status, debating if he should bow out of the rap game or continue onward. ‘St. Chroma’ is a great blueprint and depiction of the record’s main themes, detailing Tyler’s mask as the artist and the issues that Tyler contemplates underneath the mask he dons. From his personal struggles to his artistic struggles, to the album’s centerpiece and primary imagery: the mask. It doesn’t take long for the record to start revealing all of these problems one by one.
Coming off of the braggadocious second track ‘Rah Tah Tah,’ ‘Noid’ is the first real insight into the paranoia that Tyler, The Creator faces as an artist, and as someone who just wants to live a normal life. He fears that everyone around him is out to get him, showcasing the extensive measures he takes to keep himself safe. From here, Tyler expresses the stressors in his life since his massive success as an artist, talking about people looking too deep just to get any scraps of music he has been working on, paparazzi, and the parasocial relationship that divides him from his fans and impacting his output. This song perfectly blends the struggles and shows Tyler’s mask slipping, soundtracked by an experimental beat with touches of psychedelia. The album’s sound takes a huge left turn from CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST’s more mainstream-friendly production, allowing Tyler, The Creator to exercise his skills as a producer and to truly go all out with this record’s sound and creativity. Time and time again, this record shows the vast lengths of Tyler’s creative process and how it doesn’t run thin for an album that lasts a little over 50 minutes.
Tyler’s mask keeps slipping throughout the duration of the next song, ‘Darling, I.’ The song features the beloved Teezo Touchdown on the hook and on backing vocals, delivering what is one of the most melodic performances on the entire record. In the verses, Tyler discusses his struggles to find a lifelong partner, commitment and fulfillment being his biggest problem with his partners, but instead knowing that at the end of his rope, his music will have been the most fulfilling thing in his life. It’s a revealing sentiment, especially considering that Tyler has wanted to start a family, but always finds himself chasing another woman. As a response to this last verse, the next song ‘Hey Jane’ provides a shaking story about Tyler and his current partner dealing with the huge responsibility of handling a child after an accidental pregnancy. The weight of the decision to keep it or not is immense and is clearly translated in the verses of the song, with the two lovers communicating their thoughts with one another. Tyler makes his feelings about raising a child known and the implications that this will have if it ever gets out, but makes it clear that the life of this child lies in the woman’s hands. The song ends with the woman hoping that her relationship with Tyler is untouched despite everything, telling him there’s “no pressure,” the same words Tyler used to conclude his verse. The ending leaves the listener with an ambiguous ending for the outcome of the child’s life, but there is a subtle implication, with the next song being titled ‘I Killed You.’
Another hugely important moment, and arguably the centerpiece of the record, is the track ‘Take Your Mask Off.’ The track’s verses serve as anecdotes relating back to the title of the song. Each story tells of a different person who puts on a mask and struggles as a result of the mask that they continue to wear. From a gangster who doesn’t truly want to be a part of the street life, to a gay preacher, and a mother tired of the life she’s leading, these examples perfectly tie back to the album’s highlight feature, the mask. After telling each of these stories, Tyler shifts his perspective during the last verse, talking about himself and reflecting on all his actions and the insecurities that he faces. He talks about the negative thoughts he has in regard to his investments, his habits in public and goes hardest on himself when it comes to his relationship with family. It’s in this song that we understand why he doesn’t wish to be a parent, closing the book on ‘Hey Jane’ and telling the audience that through his self-obsession he lacks the confidence to be a parent. It’s also in this verse that there is a subtle nod back to Tyler’s Wolf trilogy of records, bringing up the idea of going back to therapy for all of the problems he’s facing. Now that all of this is on the table and out there for the world to see, hoping to be more transparent as a figure and show that he still has room to grow and find himself.
While a lot of the album discusses heavy topics and Tyler’s vulnerabilities, there are high moments for sure. Take, for example, the biggest bangers on this record, ‘Rah Tah Tah,’ ‘Sticky,’ and ‘Thought I Was Dead.’ ‘St. Chroma’ seamlessly transitions into the tinny and industrial sound of ‘Rah Tah Tah,’ leaving barely any room for the listener to breathe before immediately being launched into a high-energy and hard-hitting cut. Following the first song’s establishment of the mask that Tyler wears, the second song sees him keeping the mask on tight, giving a cold performance filled with various clever bars and double-entendres related to sex. The song lyrically doesn’t say a lot in relation to the album’s concept, however, it does add a layer of depth to what Tyler discussed later on the album with his struggles with women. For a raunchy song like this, the menacing and metallic beat goes a long way to establishing a void-like atmosphere and also building the harsh tone with the song’s lyrics.
The posse cut ‘Sticky’ is easily the most divisive song on the album, but its star power, overpowering charisma and bombastic beat make this song an undeniable banger. The track features Tyler doing several cadences across the song before the track starts truly going over. The beat truly evolves the second GloRilla enters the fray, establishing a dominant force and leaving a crater when she’s finished. Following her and Tyler’s verse is Sexxy Red’s feature wherein she does her usual raunchy braggadocio, but it really fits the energy of this song. The best is still yet to come, with the jaw-dropping surprise feature from hip-hop legend, Lil Wayne. Lil Wayne’s performance is widely regarded as the best verse on this song, and it is hard to deny as he sounds clearer than ever, surprisingly sporting no autotune whatsoever, and killing his verse. From this all-star performance, the beat is enhanced yet again with horns being introduced into the mix, and making this song hit harder and feel larger than life. After the refrain, Tyler comes back onto the song, continuing off of Sexxy Red’s energy, giving some surprisingly sexual wordplay while flexing his brand deal with Louis Vuitton and how much money he has. A standard verse, sure, but it’s Tyler’s personality and delivery that sells this song.
The last high-energy song I will mention is the eleventh track, ‘Thought I Was Dead.’ This song is mostly about Tyler shooting down anyone’s criticism about him calling out culture vultures, likely a response to the people who disliked his take on artists like up-and-comer, Ian. There is also the first verse, which suggests that Tyler enjoys being out of the spotlight, and when people suspect that he might be dead, he considers that a good thing because he is finally out of the public eye and can breathe without the suffocating presence of media attention. Schoolboy-Q makes an appearance on this song, spitting about similar feelings that Tyler expressed in his opening verse, as well as backing vocals from Santigold throughout the track. The song’s repetitive and simple hook is more than enough to get stuck in people’s heads, but it also comes down to the song’s intriguing low-end production. Most of the percussion and horns are in the lower end, while occasionally reaching the higher end of the mix, leaving plenty of room for Tyler and Schoolboy-Q to get their verses across. The bass also provides a great foundation for the song, giving the performers the extra punch they need.
This new Tyler, The Creator has everything a hip-hop fan could want from him. CHROMAKOPIA has its share of heavy songs, bangers, lyrical introspections, and tongue-in-cheek tracks all capped off with Tyler, The Creator’s signature smooth flow and flexible delivery. Once again, Tyler, The Creator has proven that he is truly a one-of-a-kind artist, and in only two weeks, had the entire world’s gaze on him and his newest, most revealing and personal opus.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading! I’ve left out some tracks so you can discover what they’re like for yourself. They add even deeper layers to the album’s themes and sound palette, so if you haven’t already, please check out Tyler, The Creator’s CHROMAKOPIA.
CHECK OUT TYLER, THE CREATOR’S NEW ALBUM!
YouTube: CHROMAKOPIA
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/chromakopia/1776500452
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0U28P0QVB1QRxpqp5IHOlH