Naturally, humans try to understand motive. If we can grasp the “why” of the world, it makes everything boundlessly more predictable. People expand that instinct to the world of artistic expression. We explain the world into a conflict of right and wrong values, often siding our view with what’s right. It’s that very black/white view of the world that generates the many perceptions of Kanye West. If you see rap as a genre packed with artistic value and potential, you can justify his antics and see him as a musical icon. If you find his persona to epitomize what’s wrong with rap, you can villainize his career into a hopeless goop of ignorance and mediocrity.
That same treatment, but on a much smaller scale, happens to Tyler, the Creator. Their vast musical expressions were simplified into modular attempts to exploit youth and fame. Their love for art has been simplified by the idea that language and braggadocio are somehow indications of lesser artists. For a while now, I’ve had a hot take. Tyler, the Creator and Kanye West are extremely similar artists, and Tyler is the closest thing we have had to Ye. With Tyler’s recent album release and critical acclaim, I thought that it would be in my best interest to hop on this opportunity to explain that take.
Music
One of Kanye West’s most embalming aspects is his pursuit of new sounds. He’s single-handedly pushed rap forward on multiple occasions through his love for creation. From College Dropout’s pitched up soul samples to Yeezus’ synth and drum heavy sound, Kanye’s expressive adventures have led him to places very few hip-hop artists had been before. His goal isn’t beating record sales. Instead, he wishes to create something that reflects his passion for music. It’s that engine of passion that finds itself feeding off multiple genres and influences extending past hip-hop. He frames that engine in an incredible self-belief system that provides the ability to express that passion into the public sphere. That redefinition of himself has both created criticism (“I want the old Kanye”) and acclaim. Tyler, the Creator shares that same passion, drive, and criticism.
To understand Tyler’s love for music I encourage you to watch his interview with Nardwuar.
As he’s presented with vinyls, his excitement about the art is evident. That energy is reflected in his consistent musical growth as if he’s accepting the aura from previous artists and filtering it through his own creative lens. If you had someone listen to “Goblin” and “Flowerboy,” both for the first time, one after another, people would genuinely be amazed by the musical growth. It’s not even just lyrically but compositionally as well. From the aggressive, off-putting instrumentals of “Yonkers” to the unique progression of chords found on “Garden Shed”. Even “IGOR,” released two weeks ago, can barely be pinned to hip-hop besides select features and small verses. This is a jump that’s only been done by one other rap artist this century, and his name rhymes with Yanlay Best.
Opinions
Public Opinion
Kanye’s entire music career has been painted with the most abrasive paint. Either you’ll find his challenging of the status quo as fashionable and refreshing, or you’ll find his antics as an attempt at attention. Either way, Kanye West hasn’t changed for anyone. When he said on national television that “George Bush doesn’t care about black people,” he was speaking his mind in an attempt to give the voiceless a voice and challenge what he felt was a political glass ceiling. His goal with the MAGA hat isn’t different, though it’s founded on a different side of the political aisle and has spurred some of his most controversial public statements. People criticize him for being exactly what’s wrong with rap. Tyler isn’t far off that same vein of criticism.
Now, Tyler hasn’t supported Trump or been as political, but his lyrics have been just as criticized. His lyrics were so “disturbing” early in his career that he was banned from the United Kingdom. The attempt at expression was labeled as being dangerous. His music was written off as a millennial’s destructive inner conscious birthed by the internet and video games. Tyler’s strong personality that has remained unwavered is what has garnered his fanbase but has also created his haters. He’s lived his life the way he wants to, which is something I think both artists try to do. Society won’t define either to be the enemy they want.
Fans’ Opinion
This should be rather short, as most artists share this trait. Old fans clammer for what made them fall in love with the artist while trying to deny new fans their fandom. Yet, Kanye and Tyler both have that reality to the extreme and recognize it’s existence. In a song titled “I Love Kanye,” Kanye seems to poke fun at the fans that constantly criticize him for not making the same music he made in the mid-2000s.
Tyler has the same gatekeeping “fans” that claim that their newer peers are lesser in their passion. He made fun of that fact on Twitter, making his bio “I miss Flowerboy Tyler – 2020,” “Flowerboy” being his 2017 album that attracted a lot of new attention and fans. His fans often made fun of “Flowerboy fans” to try and preserve the same community they fell in love with. The toxic existence of gatekeeping fans has been intensified for both of them due to their musical evolution and adaptation.
Endeavors Outside of Music
Clothes
While their approaches to clothes have been different, they both have risen as two of the largest rap mediators of personal clothing brands. Kanye tried to establish himself and be accepted by the clothing establishment, attempting to push into established cultures. Those attempts were met by resistance, causing Kanye to often complain about the boys club found at the top of premier brands like Louis Vuitton. Though, in some form, he helped change that with the recent hiring of Virgil Abloh as the Artistic Director of Louis. Virgil was hired by Kanye as creative director of his collaboration record with Jay Z, “Watch The Throne.”
Instead of pushing into the establishment, Tyler created his own brand that was synonymous with a new, hip style. That choice has probably been his greatest decision. His artistic expression and freedom are uncompromised, and he taps into the very culture his fans identify with. The two differing approaches of these two rap giants have landed them both in the same sphere of widespread identification. The 350 Yeezy is as attached to Kanye’s brand as a t-shirt with “GOLF” on it is Tyler’s. That synonymous nature is what permeates past a simple attempt at fashion by a musician. That truth is rare for a successful musician dipping into a new endeavor.
Brand Building
In my opinion, this is the one thing Tyler has done more successfully than Mr. West. Kanye has grown his brand through his music, persona, and clothing, but he doesn’t have quite the same distinct flavor that Tyler has created. Odd Future’s (Tyler’s old music group) creation and expansion has overgrown the music on a larger scale. The OF donut logo is more identifiable than the group’s music to the average consumer. The brand’s growth and image have accelerated past the art, which isn’t comparable to Kanye.
His brand is an expansion of his passion for music and the culmination of public opinion surrounding him. After the musical fall-out around Odd Future, Tyler has since created a brand that matches the size of his personal influence. It’s a brand that’s almost completely independent of the music and Tyler, himself, in some instances. Kanye has maintained an integral and interdependent part of his brand. That distinction is my personal perception of the brand, which may be different than someone else. But, isn’t the consumer’s perception of a brand what’s important?
Tyler, the Creator and Kanye West: Two Trailblazers
But Curtiss, you’re comparing the crazy Tyler, the Creator to one of the most influential artists of our generation? The man that gave us classics? They don’t call it a hot take for nothing, alright. This opinion is based on instinct and passion for both artists. They both continue to defy boundaries and labels put on them in an attempt to push forward their genre. The comparison of their art may be seen as demeaning to some extent, but both should be happy knowing they’re in the same conversation. Kanye West’s longevity is awe-inspiring, and the fact that his current musical vigor can be compared to someone as young as Tyler is amazing. It’s quite obvious why Tyler would be satisfied with this comparison (though he’d probably deny it). These are two trailblazers and icons that should continue to be themselves no matter what.