Tyler, the Creator : Chromakopia
Maturity is an abstract part of aging; you aren’t bound to do anything with acquired wisdom, but learning from your experiences can only enrich you life. It’s common for any of us to brush off insights passed down onto us, only for that wisdom to click years later. It’s this latter notion that Tyler, the Creator reckons with on his eighth studio album Chromakopia, a record that represents another new achievement in what’s been a long string of them for the artist.
Whereas Tyler was once known as an abrasive provocateur, his career and persona have taken a radical shift over the past decade. On 2017’s Flower Boy, Tyler introduced the world to a version of himself willing to bare past scars and heartache with his audience. He’s continued to embrace this creative direction on albums like 2019’s IGOR, and his latest, Chromakopia, is a raw and poetic deep dive into his biography.
Tyler has said that the album is a reflection on past wisdom his mother has shared, and how he’s come to understand her words now as an adult. This is apparent from the start with “St. Chroma,” which features narration from Tyler’s mother, Bonita Smith. Throughout the album, Smith’s narration reappears, dropping bits of wisdom she’s shared with her son: “You are the light, it’s not on you, it’s in you. Don’t you ever in your motherfuckin’ life dim your light for nobody.”
Tyler uses the opening track to establish the record’s protagonist, St. Chroma, and from there, reflects on various aspects of his life. Whereas “Rah Tah Tah” serves as a grandiose proclamation of his talent, calling himself “the biggest out the city after Kenny”—a nod to Kendrick Lamar—the following track “Noid” is a representation of the intensely emotional songs that comprise much of the album. As Tyler addresses the stress he feels being a celebrity—“Living between cameras and recorders, I want peace but can’t afford”—the track also plays into is his efforts to ground himself throughout the record. For many, Tyler may only be known as Tyler, the Creator—a globally beloved artist. Although that’s a part of who he is, it isn’t all of Tyler. Chromakopia offers a lens to understand that, and despite his fame, his struggles are relatable.
One of the album’s standout tracks is “Hey Jane,” in which Tyler relays the story of a relationship between himself and an older woman where the latter becomes pregnant. Tyler performs and shares this story by offering lyrics through two perspectives—that being himself and the older woman. What results is a profoundly intimate vignette of events where we come to understand everyone’s mindset on an intimate level.
Following “Hey Jane,” Tyler confronts an array of topics, and his feelings associated with them; whether that be past relationships (“Judge Judy”), or how he feels around his mom getting older and how stressful the idea of having a kid is to him (“Tomorrow”). Tyler’s talent is undeniable when it comes to slinging humorous wordplay, but it’s the moments of stark reflection that give Chromakopia its emotional power. Take these lines from “Tomorrow” for example: “My mother’s hands don’t look the same/These jet black strands are turning gray/I’m gaining weight, I’d rather rest/The thought of children, it brings me stress/Because time is changing.”
While Tyler’s lyricism is captivating enough on its own, each track is accompanied with a stellar instrumental arrangement. Like his previous LPs, Chromakopia features a stylistic blend of rap with jazz, R&B and psychedelia, with each composition offering hypnotic rhythms and melodies that are easy to latch onto, but which also offer delightful surprises.
Chromakopia delivers its share of laughs and energizing highlights, but more than anything, it’s rich in feeling and introspection. An artist who began his career as a teenager, Tyler, the Creator is now in his early thirties, which can often represent a major time of reflection. Learning is a never-ending process, and we can each decide to embrace or disregard the wisdom that comes our way. On Chromakopia, Tyler is acknowledges his previous lack of understanding and expresses a desire to grow. And in doing so, he’s crafted his most moving album to date.
Label: Columbia
Year: 2024
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