In the music industry, there are artists that are put into a metaphorical box. They don’t take any risks. But then there are those who change the dynamic of the industry.
Tyler Okonma, also known as Tyler, the Creator, is one of those artists.
With the release of his eighth studio record, CHROMAKOPIA, it’s clear that he is changing the game of Hip Hop with his striking bars and catchy melodies. Okonma is breaking his usual every two-year release pattern after releasing in 2023 and saying he wouldn’t be releasing in 2024.
Okomna is also breaking the music industry norms by releasing the album on a Monday morning instead of the usual “new music Friday” releases. With each album that Okonma releases, he tells us a story.
Let’s dive into the risks this album takes, song by song, to discover the new story that Okonma is bringing us.
Track 1: “St. Chroma”
This opening track introduces the album’s cover character, Saint Chroma. This character represents Okonmas’ unfiltered side mentally and artistically. Okonma released a clip on his social media on October 16th, teasing the album and the beginning track itself. Hearing that before the release gave us the reassurance that this album was going to be worth the listen, and even after the drop, it still stands in our top five. Though not listed in the song title, Daniel Caesar is featured in background vocals. We can both agree that Caesars angelic pitch brought this track to another level. The “St. Chroma” music video starts in what seems like a monochromatic, black and white world, but as we approach the end of the song, Chromas’ true colors start to shine through-literally and figuratively.
Track 2: “Rah Tah Tah”
The first listen through the album, this second track set the precedent that the album was going to be chaotic. Sort of like his sixth record, IGOR. The beginning of “Rah Tah Tah” shows Okonma’s confidence in himself. He talks about how people that he’s met before usually say they’ve never met anyone like him. Towards the end of the track, the mood turns to Tyler reflecting on his past experiences in public and meeting fans. He talks about how he has become paranoid, transitioning into the next track.
Track 3: “Noid”
The paranoid feeling from the previous track, “Rah Tah Tah”, carries through, giving this song a solid meaning. Okonma describes the struggles of publicity from Saint Chromas perspective. “Loop around the block, eyes glued to the rearview” is one of the many lines explaining the paranoia of being watched and followed. All of this is in Chroma’s imagination and isn’t actually happening. “Noid” was the first and only complete single published prior to the album’s release, setting expectations and questions as to what was to come from the record. Though this song started off on repeat, we can both agree it is no longer a part of our top five-but still adds such a unique piece to the album.
Track 4: “Darling, I”
For Okonma, falling in love comes with lots of frustration. This track portrays just that. A big contrast from his previous album, CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, which told the story about a girl he met and how he was happy falling in love with her. In Darling, I, Okonma raps about his frustration with himself and how he doesn’t feel security in any relationships he is in. He keeps falling in and out of love too fast. This song features rapper Teezo Touchdown on background vocals, which adds a very melodic tone to the track. His vocals during the bridge were heavenly. This is hands down one of Okonma’s best songs production-wise. The instrumentals bring joy, which reminds us of Pharrell Williams style production. This track has very quickly become a favorite.
Track 5: “Hey Jane”
This track discusses more of a controversial topic and brings the record down to a serious note. This is one of the songs more on the story-telling side of things. Okonma raps about an unexpected pregnancy between him and his partner and shows both perspectives on the issue. Mentioned are considerations of abortion as neither side of the couple are ready to raise a child. Okonma’s side of the issue shows support and shock as Jane’s side shows the stress of what it could do to her and the contemplation of what decision should be made. We feel like this adds reality to the character, Saint Chroma and “humanizes” him in a sense.
Track 6: “I Killed You”
The hard-hitting synths and horns on “I Killed You” gives the song a chaotic feel, but this song has a deeper meaning than what can be heard on the surface. The chaotic, yet masterfully crafted production reflects the song’s core themes of confronting societal pressures and personal struggles. The lyric “I killed you” refers to Tyler overcoming outside forces that have brought him down. Specifically referring to his Black identity and cultural assimilation. To further portray this, Tyler uses the metaphor of hair in the lyric, “But I guess the coils and kinks became an issue.” Hair is a symbol that deeply resonates with African Americans. He uses this to show his anger toward the societal pressures to conform to Western beauty standards. By repeating the phrase, “I killed you,” it shows how Tyler has not let any of the hate coming toward him get to his head.
Track 7: “Judge Judy”
In relation to track four, Darling, I, this song discusses a relationship on a more intimate and personal level. Okonma talks about his aspirations to understand and accept ‘Judy’ for who she is and the choices she makes. The song is allegedly linked with Okonmas’ ex-girlfriend, Reign Judge, hence the name “Judge Judy.” The track ends with a letter which seems to be ending their relationship as challenges have come up. The letter explains how she felt a connection, but feels that they’d be better off due to personal issues that had an impact on their relationship. The letter is referring to “no pressure” in track five, “Hey Jane” after they learned about the unexpected pregnancy. Though we love the songs that you can jam out to, it’s always nice to have a change, especially when it tells a story. Okonma provides variation and a unique flow to the album itself-unlike anything you’ll see with any other artist.
Track 8: “Sticky”
When Okonma announced the release of CHROMAKOPIA, fans started speculating about potential artists that the album would feature. Fans, including us, had hope that maybe artists like Frank Ocean, or A$AP Rocky would be featuring. But, some hope was lost when two days before the album dropped Okonma announced that there would be no features at all. This announcement left people with lower expectations for the album, but with Okonma’s trolling reputation, people were still making their feature predictions. With our first listen through the album on Monday morning, our jaws dropped when GloRilla came in for the second verse. But that’s not all, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne coming in for their verses also left us speechless. It’s safe to say that this was one of the most memorable songs, holding a strong spot in our top five.
Track 9: “Take Your Mask Off”
This track talks about life growing up in a city around people with different origins and cultures. Okonma expresses what it was like living in the shadow of these people and putting on a “mask” to fit in. The mask is a set personality used to obtain validation from others. This song is referring to the mask Saint Chroma wears, signifying him hiding his true self out of fear or recognition. “Take Your Mask Off” is not just a song, but an appeal to action, encouraging listeners to live deliberately.
Track 10: “Tomorrow”
Since Okonma’s 2015 release, Cherry Bomb, for every tenth track on the album Okonma has made it’s been a double-song. One of his most popular being “SWEET/I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE” on his seventh album CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST. For the first time since 2015, he did not make this track a double-song. With the first listen through, the synths and the vocals reminded us of the tenth track on IGOR, “GONE GONE/THANK YOU”. This track focuses on all the pressures of life. With the lyric, “My brodie had another baby, that’s like number two (Number two) My homegirl, her knot tied, she like thirty-two (Thirty-two) They sharin’ pictures of these moments,” he shows the societal pressures and feeling behind, a very relatable topic that resonated with us.
Track 11: “Thought I Was Dead”
Another one in our top five. This song has such a Goblin feel to it. This track contains syncopated rhythms, adding tension and build-up to the bass drop of the song. These lyrics bring up past controversies and expectations, helping address them in Okonmas’ rebellious yet joking manner. After the records release, the limited edition green pressing of CHROMAKOPIA was released, featuring Playboi Carti-this version was stated to only be on the vinyl. Thought I Was Dead was the third song teased prior to the albums’ release, following “St. Chroma” and “Noid.” Each release continued to give us a sneak peek into the album containing Okonma’s unique style, setting him apart from other hip-hop artists.
Track 12: “Like Him”
The intro to “Like Him” sets the emotional tone for the song. It’s a recording of Okonma’s mom speaking of having pride in his accomplishments, but also sadness that his father was not there to see him grow up. The first verse is Okonma explaining how his mom says that Okonma and his father are very similar, talking about having similar mannerisms and expressions. The chorus of the song, “Mama, I’m chasin’ a ghost I don’t know who he is,” refers to Okonma’s dad, or the “ghost,” symbolizing the absence of Okonma’s father. This song seems like a callback to the song “Answer” off of Okonma’s 2013 album Wolf, which spoke more in depth about Okonma’s anger with his father for being absent.
Track 13: “Balloon”
This track represents Okonmas’ perspective on life revolving around his beliefs, success and ambitions. “Why I work so hard? My soul profit” reflects on his hard work and determination in the music industry. This is yet another song in CHROMAKOPIA about self-reflection. Okonma finds unique and creative ways within this and many other tracks to really dig deep into his feelings and put the listener into his shoes. Definitely the last addition to the top five from this album.
Track 14: “I Hope You Find Your Way Home”
The closing track to the album. This song is Okonma reflecting on his past self and how he has evolved and how he has found his true self. The title of the song, “I Hope You Find Your Way Home,” is Okonma talking to the listener, wishing them well in their journey to finding themselves. The song’s slower tempo and light background vocals make it sound like the closing credits to a movie giving it a great vibe to end the album.
CHROMAKOPIA is definitely Okonma’s most successful album debut yet, surpassing artists like Taylor Swift on the global spotify charts. He takes risks by stepping out of the metaphorical Hip Hop box. He is not a traditional Hip Hop artist. The lyrics have fans deep-diving into the meaning of the story Okonma is telling. With his production and lyricism, this album is definitely going to be a classic on our rotations.
