“CHROMAKOPIA” pulls no punches, and proves Tyler the Creator is at the top of his game

Graphic by Maddie Cohen

by sam shipman

Tyler Gregory Okonma, known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, has released an album every two years starting with Bastard in 2009 to Call Me If You Get Lost in 2021. In that time frame, Tyler cemented himself as one of the most influential modern hip-hop artists winning a slew of awards, launching a highly successful clothing brand, and netting over 40 million monthly Spotify listeners. 

Tyler has achieved this all by creating multiple albums regarded by many as some of the best records of the 2010s and finding that rare charisma that appeals to a wide audience. Some fans felt slightly betrayed, however, in 2023, when he broke the album-every-two-year cycle. Tyler released the extended version of Call Me If You Get Lost, adding several new tracks featuring A$AP Rocky and Vince Staples, but notably did not release a record.

Enter the back half of 2024, and besides the announcement of a Camp Flog Gnaw lineup, nearly radio silence from Tyler. That was until October 16, when he posted the first teaser for his eighth studio record, CHROMAKOPIA with a scheduled release date of October 28. This announcement dropped out of nowhere, and suddenly, fans became a part of the album rollout before they even knew what was happening. 

This unexpected thrust into the next era of Tyler the Creator is exactly the point, as Tyler puts it himself on “St Chroma,” the opening song of the record: "I built a path of freedom 'cause them words that he said / Give a fuck about tradition, stop impressin' the dead."

 CHROMAKOPIA showcases that Tyler has stopped caring about what the public thinks of him and that he understands his place in the musical conversation—not as a good rap artist, but as one of the greatest musicians of our time. What’s important to note is that, despite this bold proclamation, he is not so cocky to go entirely left field from his sound; he instead embraces aspects from each of his eras in one 50-minute project.  

With Igor (2019), Tyler created his most fleshed-out concept album front to back, which most fans consider his greatest work. It features incredibly catchy choruses alongside beautifully autotuned vocals in songs like “I THINK” and “A BOY IS A GUN*”. In his following project, Call Me If You Get Lost, Tyler wanted to once again highlight his rapping ability, as he did back in his Wolf and Goblin eras. 

In CHROMAKOPIA, Tyler doesn’t land on a theme; conceptually it’s all over the place with lyrically honest songs such as “Judge Judy” or “Like Him.”  Tyler then leads into the raunchy whistle-filled: “Sticky” and the playfully floaty “Balloon” respectively. 

While some fans might see this as a messy collection of songs rather than a fleshed-out vision, it could be argued that the uncompromising chaos on CHROMAKOPIA is exactly what fans need to see from Tyler. The album feels like Tyler is speaking to his fans saying “fuck what you think about me, this is where I am right now,” and that notion is reflected in multiple moments on the record.

In the song “Noid,” Tyler directly calls out his fans for making him unconformable in public:  “No cameras out please /I wanna eat in peace / I Don't wanna take pictures with you n****s or bitches  /Nervous system is shook, way before 19 /LA will do that to you /Where you from n****? Who ya? /Satellites, Screenshots, Paparazzi, NDAs.”

In “Hey Jane,” Tyler is brutally honest about a pregnancy scare from both his perspective and the woman's: “Wow, I'm disappointed in me, this ain't like me / How could I be reckless? This ain't my lifestyle/ Never had no scare, in my life 'til now / Ain't in the space to raise no goddamn child / Hey Jane, I'm terrified, petrified / I don't wanna give my freedom up, or sanitize it / This my fault, the results are justified I fucked up / I'm stressed out, I'm dead inside.”

Some of Tyler’s other projects feature deep and honest songs such as “WILSHIRE” or “Answer”, but it’s always clear when Tyler is creating a song that’s destined to be a hit: “See You Again” or “EARFQUAKE”. The difference between the previous records is that CHROMAKOPIA tackles these tender moments in a more rugged, disorganized way. Tyler is spilling his uncensored thoughts to his listeners throughout most songs on the album, which he debatably hasn’t done since CHERRY BOMB (2015). 

It’s also important to note that the album does this through its instrumentals as well as its lyrics. 

The song “Sticky” is the closest example of a hype song that has the chance to be a hit, but it still takes a minute for the catchy drum beat to come in. The most streamed song a week after its release and leading single “Noid,” calms down around the 3-minute mark before having a rather relaxed outro in comparison to the rest of the song’s standoffish synth-filled beats. The middle of “Judge Judy” turns into an instrumental slow burn with Childish Gambino on backing vocals, until Tyler comes back in like spoken word, rather than intense rapping. 

On top of the instrumental and lyrical presentation, CHROMAKOPIA does not have a single unnecessary feature.  

ScHoolboy Q offers a snappy and hazy verse on “Thought I Was Dead.” Doechii’s feature on “Balloon” is silly, complementing Tyler’s lively energy. Lola Young provides stunning backing vocals on “Like Him,” making Tyler’s message about his father even more pronounced and intimate. GloRilla and Sexyy Red make the listener want to dance on “Sticky,” anchored by the legendary Lil Wayne in the middle of the track. Other artists such as Daniel Caesar, LaToiya Williams, Santigold, and Teezo Touchdown offer angelic vocals across the whole the project, amplifying Tyler’s messages further.   

It feels like Tyler is truly just making songs that he wants to make. This approach weeds out would-be critics and gives the fans in it for the long haul the chance to soak up this project to the fullest." 

In CHROMAKOPIA, Tyler displays cunning rap verses, melodic and catchy choruses, and lengthy instrumental sections in a way that doesn’t try to please, but instead stays true to his vision for his music at this moment. By ignoring the noise around him, Tyler has given his fans the greatest gift he can—his most uncompromising and honest project so far.