Tyler, The Creator really has his eyes set on making the best music he possibly can. An all round artist regardless of medium, he proved this with Chromakopia beyond doubt, only to follow it up with his latest album, Don’t Tap The Glass. But recently, the rapper opened up less cryptically in conversation with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1.
In the interview, Tyler touches on a range of topics fans wonder about. From the ways in which he embraced his playful side with the recent album, to working with Clipse (and knowing at 11 that he would do it one day) and even the idea of fatherhood. Here’s an excerpt from the interview, where Tyler speaks on how he feels about children.
Tyler, The Creator: It was being silly, just fun again. Because CHROMAKOPIA was so like, for me… That I’m not saying it’s the most mature, deep shit. Everyone has different lives. But for me, whether it’s me talking about my relationship with my hair and how that’s affected me, or me almost being a father last year, or the relationship that I have with my father now, just so many things that I decided to dive deep into. After the weight of that got off, I just wanted to be silly again.
Zane Lowe: I’ve known you a long time, and I hope you take this question within the spirit that it’s meant, because I am one. Just today, you mentioned fatherhood a few times in this conversation. You mentioned it on the record.
Does it scare you? Does it excite you? As someone who has experienced one side of it, as a child, that experience you went through, and then who you are today and wanting to do it differently and be different, what does it mean to you, the idea of fatherhood?
Tyler, The Creator: I don’t know. It’s kind of sick. A piece of me is like, “N***a, I think I’m going to be the rich uncle,” but another half of me is like, “Well, you kind of sick. Some n***as just want to be the rich uncle, cool, love the nephew.”
Zane Lowe: Nothing wrong with that.
Tyler, The Creator: “I’m going home.”
Zane Lowe: There’s nothing wrong with that.
Tyler, The Creator: “I see you n***as in two weeks.” Like, I give them the cool gifts, like boom.
Zane Lowe: Yeah, yeah, you get all the good stuff, some of the good stuff.
Tyler, The Creator: But then, and another piece of me is like, “I don’t know. That’d be kind of sick, I guess, just share music with some little fucker and dress up as a fireman on random Thursdays and go to amusement parks and bike ride and make clothes for them. That’s ill. That’s cool.” And it ain’t on no legacy shit. I think when n***as be like, “Oh, I want to have a kid for my legacy,” it’s corny.
Zane Lowe: No, no, no, because every parent goes through ego death …
Tyler, The Creator: Like corny. You’re going to die. What are we talking about?
Zane Lowe: And every parent goes through ego death. Every single parent. They think they don’t, but they totally fucking do. You’re like, “Ah, man, look at you.” This like, “I get to impart all this wisdom.” Bullshit. They’re going to reject you.
Tyler, The Creator: No, that kid is going to turn out different.
Zane Lowe: They all reject you.
Tyler, The Creator: Well, like-
Zane Lowe: Every single time, they will go-
Tyler, The Creator: That n***a is going to turn 14-
Zane Lowe: “Bye. Fuck you. I don’t need you.”
Tyler, The Creator: … and get a face tattoo.
Zane Lowe: 100%.
Tyler, The Creator: Like, “Fuck you.”
Zane Lowe: 100%. 100%.
Tyler, The Creator: But yeah. A piece of me is like, “Damn, that’ll be fly.”
