Tyler, the Creator

Tyler Gregory Okonma, known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, and fashion designer born on March 6, 1991. He is recognized for his experimental music, lyrical style, and frequent use of alter egos across his projects. During the 2010s and 2020s, he emerged as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop.

Okonma was born in Hawthorne, California, later moving to Ladera Heights at age 17. At seven years old, he began creating imaginary album covers and tracklists, produced his first beat at age 12, and taught himself piano at 14. Over 12 years of schooling, he attended 12 different schools across the Los Angeles and Sacramento areas. Before pursuing music full-time, he worked at FedEx for under two weeks and at Starbucks for over two years. He derived his stage name from a Myspace page he used to share creative work.

In 2007, Okonma co-founded the alternative hip-hop collective Odd Future, self-releasing his debut solo album, Bastard, in 2009. His second studio album, Goblin (2011), brought him mainstream attention through the single "Yonkers" and its music video, which earned him Best New Artist at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. During this era, his work drew attention for its controversial, horrorcore-influenced sound, although he rejected the horrorcore label. Odd Future signed a deal with Red Distribution and Sony in 2011, and the group starred in the sketch comedy series Loiter Squad on Adult Swim from 2012 to 2014.

Moving away from horrorcore, Okonma released his third studio album, Wolf, in 2013, incorporating elements of jazz, soul, and R&B; it debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. He followed with Cherry Bomb in 2015, featuring guest appearances by Kanye West and Lil Wayne. His fifth album, Flower Boy (2017), achieved widespread critical acclaim and commercial success, earning a nomination for Best Rap Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. During this period, he also expanded into television, creating and hosting series such as Nuts + Bolts and The Jellies! in 2017.

In 2019, Okonma released Igor, which became his first album to debut at number one on the US Billboard 200 and won Best Rap Album at the 62nd Grammy Awards. His next album, Call Me If You Get Lost (2021), also debuted atop the Billboard 200 and won the Grammy for Best Rap Album at the 64th ceremony. His later releases, Chromakopia (2024) and Don't Tap the Glass (2025), both debuted at number one in the United States, with Chromakopia recording the highest first-week sales of his career.

Beyond music, Okonma founded the clothing brands Golf Wang and Le Fleur and has collaborated with Lacoste, Converse, and Louis Vuitton. In 2012, he established the annual music festival Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival. Directing his music and promotional videos under the pseudonym Wolf Haley, he also made his feature film debut as Wally in Josh Safdie's Marty Supreme (2025). Over his career, he has earned three Grammy Awards, three BET Hip Hop Awards, a Brit Award, and an MTV Video Music Award, and was named Music Innovator of the Year by The Wall Street Journal in 2019.