It seems a strange paradox when a fast-spitting, mouthy rapper is reluctant to do what he does best – talk – particularly when the rapper is as outspoken and controversial as Odd Future leader Tyler, the Creator.
The 22-year-old (real name Tyler Okonma) isn’t rude or dismissive during our 15-minute phone chat, just mostly obstinate and uncommunicative.
“I’m bad with questions,” he says, almost apologetically. Last month, Okonma again courted controversy in the US after an online advertisement he directed for a soft drink was branded ”arguably the most racist commercial in history” by senior African-American academic Dr Boyce Watkins.
The ad, which featured a battered woman attempting to identify her attacker from a police line-up of young African-American men and a talking goat, was considered a depiction of racial stereotypes. Pepsi Co issued a public apology and pulled the ad.
Due to the nature of his lyrics, Okonma has also previously faced accusations of homophobia, misogyny and promoting violence against women. Has he any theories on why he has such a talent for offending people
“Because I’m not a robot,” he drawls, during a rare expansive moment. “I’m not a follower. I’m a leader. And anyone who speaks their mind is always criticised.
“It’s always been like that. Everyone’s always being a f—ing robot and then someone like me comes [along] and doesn’t follow every f—ing thing everyone else is following, or does something different, and there’s always someone who’s not going to like it.”
Hip-hop collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (usually abbreviated to OFWGKTA or Odd Future) formed during 2006-07 in Los Angeles. It’s unclear how many members are part of the collective (somewhere between 25 and 60), but its best-known members are Okonma, Earl Sweatshirt, Syd tha Kyd, Hodgy Beats and last year’s Grammy winning breakout artist, R&B singer Frank Ocean.
As a solo artist, Okonma has released three albums – 2009’s Bastard, 2011’s Goblin and this year’s Wolf. His albums often sound like a form of therapy (parodied on all three albums in conversations with fictional shrink Dr TC), his horrorcore-style lyrics taking in subjects such as violence, rape fantasies, murder and even necrophilia.
“Kill people, burn shit, f— school!” he urged on Goblin, summing up his philosophy at that time. He has also faced criticism for his frequent homophobic slurs, in particular his use of the word ”faggot”.
He ham-fistedly defended this charge on Wolf with a lyric about frequent collaborator Frank Ocean (“. . . saying I hate gays, even though Frank is on 10 of my songs”), who confessed last year that his first love was a man.
However, Wolf does highlight Okonma’s increased sophistication as a musical composer and producer, while his lyrics feature deeper storytelling. Okonma rails against the father he has never known (Answer), works through the death of his grandmother (Jamba, Lone) and describes his scarily obsessive fans (Colossus).
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“Uh, yeah, our fans are really intense,” Okonma says. “They love me. It’s crazy. I mean, I know what it’s like. I’m a big fan of certain people [too], so it don’t really bother me much.”
Given his unresponsiveness, it seems pointless to ask his perspective on self-censorship, whether he feels any responsibility to be a role model, the likely effect of his lyrics on some of his more unstable fans, or whether there are more articulate ways to describe his detractors than ”faggots”.
It simply isn’t that kind of interview. But when prompted, he does offer one surprisingly honest, self-aware perspective on his success.
“Yeah, I’ve changed,” he says. “I’m more of a dick now. I don’t know why. I try not to be, but sometimes I can’t even help it.”
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