Vote IGOR: Tyler’s journey from Vine to the Grammys

Art+by+Krystal+Nava

Art by Krystal Nava

Arguably one of the most eclectic artists of this decade, Tyler the Creator has become known among Generation Z and Millennials alike for his versatility. Back in the days of Vine, circa 2012, Tyler the Creator, whose real name is Tyler Gregory Okonma, created hilarious short videos of which are still referenced frequently today. His “birthday present” vine is popular in many iconic vine compilations frequently referenced by young people. He really began to gain notoriety, however, with the release of his album “Flower Boy.” “Flower Boy” is an open and honest journey of self discovery. The very first song in the album “Foreword” begins with rhetorical questions about cars, drive and road, such as “How many cars can I buy until I run out of drive?” and “How much drive can I have, until I run out of road?” which compare them to different aspects in life: essentially asking how far can he make it. Throughout the album, the driving metaphor is used, which compares life to a long trip; there are potholes along the way, as suggested in the song “Pothole.” His most recent album, IGOR, plays with the feeling of falling in love with someone but that love not being reciprocated. Eventually, you move on, but initially, it does hurt. The song “EARFQUAKE” is about falling in love with someone who ends up leaving you. You feel incomplete without them.

However, as the album progresses, the last two songs “I DONT LOVE YOU ANYMORE” and “ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?” represent moving on from the love and eventually stopping talking to that person altogether. These two albums resonate loudly with young people, especially teenagers, because of the coming-of-age themes that many listeners can relate to. IGOR recently won a Grammy Award for best rap album. What has become incredibly popular in recent years, however, is Tyler’s brand of clothing, Golf Wang. Golf Wang was founded in 2007 in conjunction with the Odd Future collective designed by other creators including Earl Sweatshirt and Frank Ocean. The brand carries primarily logo items but also a variety of pop culture trend items, including shirts that say Save the Bees as well as ones that have the popular Goat motif. Tyler the Creator transformed from an everyday vine star into an A-List, Grammy-winning celebrity. It’s doubtful that he’ll stop there; expect more eclectic and inspiring content from him in the future.