Cookies and Marni. That's the agenda today as Tyler, the Creator, and I ride around Paris and shoot the shit. Tyler can be incredibly specific in his tastes. Today he wants white-chocolate cookies from a particular bakery he went to the last time he was in Paris. And he's looking for a certain gray two-piece suit he saw a black guy with a high-top wear in an editorial. He knows what he wants. But he doesn't have any other information on the bakery. We literally typed “Paris Cookie” in Google. (And found it!) And just went by the nearest Marni, which unfortunately didn't have the suit. But, to be fair, it could have been from seasons ago. He's fixated on the suit, which is surprising for a guy who's famous for his fractured attention span. I'll give you an example:
Where did you get your love of jazz from?
I don't know. It's just what my ear gravitates to. My mom played some around the house. But it's just certain things, musically, that my ears just gravitated to since a young child. And that's why—HOPE YOU GUYS DON'T GET ATTACKED!
I'm not sure who Tyler was yelling at. Maybe our crew, who was packing up after the shoot. Maybe his friend Jasper or tour manager who followed behind us in a car. Maybe the random janitorial staff who was exiting the building in front of us. It was one of many, many outbursts that day from the boy genius. All topped off with his deep, comical villain laugh and cat-that-ate-the-canary grin.
The cotton-candy-spooled world Tyler's created is like nothing hip-hop has ever seen. It's a source of constant, unstepped-on stimulation. Equal parts sensitive and irreverent. Cartoons and gay-pride T-shirts and Converse that sell out and a massive yearly carnival/festival that everyone near Los Angeles turns up for. His musical catalog is full of complicated explorations of suicide, love, angst, and dick jokes. In his videos, one minute he's glossy faced while butterflies gracefully land on his neck, while the next, he's wearing a man's surgically removed face to escape the cops. His world is lawless, limitless, and lucrative. So you can't really blame him if he's bored with the one that the rest of us are stuck in. To someone like Tyler, the Creator, all that a place like Paris, France, can offer is cookies and Marni.
GQ Style: Were you always this encyclopedic about music?
Tyler, the Creator: Yeah. I didn't play with toys as a child. I just wanted CDs for my birthday and Christmas, and I would always just sit and read the credits. And to this day, I'll look at an album, listen to it once, just preview it, and know the track list and sometimes, depending on if I like it or not, who wrote it. Just little stupid facts about it. When the person died, maybe.
You have hard-core fans, and you're a pretty hard-core fan yourself.
One time a fan walked up to me and said, “Hey, Tyler, could you sign me?” I was grabbing pens, and he was like the fourth person. So when I went to grab it, it was a razor blade, and I was like, “What the fuck?” and I looked at his arm and he had cuts all over it. And my security was like, Nah. And threw him the fuck out of there.
Wow. How'd you get that scar on your left arm?
In 2010 my friend Travis bought a knife. We didn't know if it was sharp enough, so I got it and put it in my arm and carved it like that and was like, “Yeah, it's sharp enough.”
Seriously?
No lie. I have no reason to lie to you.
Why the fuck would you do that?
I don't know. I was wild when I was younger.
Do you have a vice?
Sugar, if that counts. Like, I gotta slow down on that so I don't get diabetes. I guess that's it, if that even counts.
I consider vices things that make you make bad decisions. You know?
I like thrills. You know, me driving fast in my car is a bad decision to someone, but I'm like, that's why I spent the money on it. My grandmother would say getting tattoos on my leg is a bad decision, but I kind of like it when I wear shorts. It's all relative. So I don't know, but I like sugar.
Where's the biggest frustration in your career at this very moment?
I think everything that has happened thus far was supposed to happen. And everything is a learning experience for me. I mean, I've been trying to get on the radio. I haven't been super successful with that, but that time will come. If it's not the next album, then it's the three after that.
You have millions of followers on social media. Your own damn carnival, man. Why is radio important to you in 2018?
I grew up listening to it. Although it's not the most important thing, there's still a percentage of me that wants to listen to the radio one day and say, “Oh, that's my song!” A lot of my favorite artists I heard for the first time because of the radio. I first heard ”Maureen” by Sade on the radio. Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite, his first album, co-written by Leon Ware. I first heard that on the radio. I first heard “Tape You” by N.E.R.D., my favorite band in the world, one of my favorite songs ever, on the radio. And that's how I got introduced to that, and that shaped everything for me, so. It's still a piece of me that not only wants to be on the radio, but it's probably some 11-year-old in the middle of fucking nowhere who might hear a song, look me up, get introduced to a whole world—and that could change everything he's into for the rest of his life.
I'd like to talk about the theory that you have about your voice on the radio. Is that why you think you haven't been on the radio yet?
I hate my voice and I think—it's not a full thought or theory yet—but I think there are certain voices that can make it into a mainstream world because of the tone that they're in. People like Jay, 'Ye, Drake, you know, Kenny. It's a world that their voice lives in. It's not too high and squeaky, and it's not too low and bassy, it's not too abrasive and raspy. It sits in this space that's easy listening for humans. And I'm still trying to figure out the science behind it. When I do, I'll let you know, but I definitely don't have that voice. And I fucking wish that I did. Stevie Wonder has it, too. It's a tone that I'm tryna pinpoint. Like, Lloyd Banks was the hardest rapper from G-Unit to me. And you know, he probably didn't have the same charisma and blah, blah, blah.
And wasn't shot nine times.
Yeah, and there was something about 50's voice that was like, I want to hear that more.
Do you consider yourself an ambitious person?
You know I'm an ambitious person. You're talking to me.
But I think most people's perception of you is that you're more like Thelonious Monk. An artist with no agenda. But talking with you, it sounds like you're more like Miles Davis. Obsessive. Hard-core. Miles wasn't, like, chill or fun to be around, ya know?
I think I'm fun to be around. I think I have an energy that allows people to take off whatever mask they have and be comfortable to be themselves. Because although I do judge, I don't discriminate.
That's a good way to live.
Like, ew, nigga, you wearin' those? All right, come on in. Be you. Don't change. Stupid-ass kids have said that I'm a hypocrite because I make fun of what people are wearing but also tell people to be themselves. Do you know how stupid you sound? Yes, I make fun of what you're wearing, and I also want you to continue to wear what you're wearing no matter what the fuck I tell you I think about it. You know what I'm saying?
Have you ever cheated on someone?
No.
Have you ever been cheated on?
No.
Longest relationship?
Like, four months.
Do you go hard in relationships?
Yes. Overly. It's kind of sad. All attention devoted to.
Like, obsessive?
Uh, I wouldn't say obsessive. But I give a fuck. When I like something, you know, I like something. I can't even eat a good cookie without just smiling. I'm a bad liar with shit like that, and I get obsessive over shit I like at the moment. And then when I'm over it, you'll never see it again. That's why I wear outfits for, like, three months in a row. Like, nigga, you've worn the same shit… And then you'll never see it again.
I feel like with Flower Boy and Cherry Bomb, you've found your voice. And it's beautiful—in the classical sense.
Yeah. I just stopped yelling and stopped saying crazy stuff, honestly. Like, niggas act like “Analog” wasn't on Goblin. Or I wasn't wearing tie-dye. Or like the “Yonkers” video, I didn't have a bunch of chains on, wearing cutoff shorts with this hot-pink button-up tie-dye shirt. And, like, I do think that I've progressed in just making perfectly crafted stuff. But a lot of this stuff isn't too out of character if you really study a artist. Like, I'll use as an example: Kanye produced a song by Trina and Ludacris called “B R Right.” And in the middle of that song, there's, like, a bridge. There's no rap verse, no vocals from Ludacris or Trina, but it's just a string section and this girl doing an opera-type singing for 16 bars or so. And that's basically the blueprint for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. But some people don't look at things like that, so they're like, “Oh, my God, this came out of nowhere.” Nah, he's been trying to perfect that for years, and he finally perfected it with Twisted Fantasy. Eminem: number 14…2002. It was supposed to originally come out in June, I think it came out May 26 because it leaked. The Eminem Show, number 14, “Hailie's Song.” He's singing on it. And, like, the hook is And sometimes, it feels like the world… Bro, that song is just the blueprint for the Recovery album.
Yeah, but did you like Recovery?
No. I don't think it's bad—it's just not for me. But that's just the blueprint for it.
Does Eminem have more good albums or bad albums?
As of now, it's like equal. The thing with Eminem is he's the reason I started rapping, still one of my favorite rappers.
Still?
Yeah. I just want to hang out with him and we go to Target for a few days. And go feed some ducks and then, like, listen to some weird fucking German dub-prog-rock-industrial music and then see what we come up with, no strings attached. We don't have to be rappity-rappity or we don't have to try to sound like this. Let's just make. Because, man—I just wanted to rap like Eminem my first two albums.
There's that question that they ask in High Fidelity: How responsible is an iconic artist for their bad albums? What do you think?
When you're a really creative person, not every idea is going to be fire. You know? There are people I'm a ridiculous fan of, will try to stab someone if you disrespect them. And I know that they have bad songs. Like, I know, Nah that wasn't good. But it's okay, because you provide us with such great shit and you are really creative and have so many ideas…
Has your fan base grown out of some of the stuff you've grown out of as an artist?
A lot of people think I'm still the 19-year-old that they see on the crazy compilation videos on YouTube. I was 19, 20, 21, during a lot of those videos. They think I'm still like that, and I'm not. Don't get me wrong: When I'm with my friends, I say crazy shit, but I'm not super wild and crazy like I was. People will run up and say, “You look like my mom!” What? Nah, dude. I'm chill. Just leave me alone. Yeah, it's annoying. It sucks. I hope I can continue to make that not be the case.
Are you worried that your fans are never gonna catch up?
Oh, yeah. I mean, nostalgia is the worst thing of all time. We get attached to things. Like, again, some people can't grasp the concept of change. Which is crazy. If you ask someone, “Hey, what was your favorite food when you were 5? What was your favorite thing to do? Okay, you're 13 now, why don't you do it anymore?” and they're like, “What do you mean? I was 5.” They can't grasp that same concept from when I was 19, and this was all new, to when I'm 27. The other day, I was at home. And I love to draw. I've been drawing since forever. That's how all the clothes and everything started—from me doing collages and art. But I've never painted. The other morning, I painted. I decided to paint. Right before I recorded some stuff, I painted. And I'm in my new house, and there was a hummingbird on my window, just knocking on the glass. The sun wasn't up yet, and I was like, This is crazy. So I just decided to tweet, “I'm painting right now, waiting for the sun to peek over. It's a hummingbird outside of my window.”
And everybody spazzed on you?
And people are like: You've changed!
Do you think we've gotten too sensitive?
Oh yeah, dude. This Twitter culture is fucking trash. They're out their goddamn mind. That's because they're bored and they be having two extra hours not to do shit. Don't get me wrong, it be some people that be wilding out, but like niggas be reaching for anything. “You wore a blue hat? Well, what about the yellow hat? How dare you!” and then somebody else: “Yeah! How dare you?”
“Mr. Lonely” was one of the fan favorites from the album. Are you lonely?
People think I don't have friends. I just don't have no one to take as a date to the next award show. Someone's like, “Oh, Tyler. I relate to that song. I'm lonely, too. I have no friends.” I'm like, No, I have all the friends in the world. I'm having a ball. I don't want to take any of my friends as a date to the fucking Met Gala. Or, Jasper's not coming to the Met Gala. Or, ol' girl over there is not coming to the Grammys.
Is it tough to find someone because you're famous? Or is it because you're picky?
One, I'm picky. I hate people with trash music taste. Two, uh, yeah, it's hard because you don't know people's intent.
It's crazy when you think about the fact that you and Frank Ocean, two generational talents, were just organically friends before either of you were known.
Yeah. When I made Odd Future, I was onto something. Just the energy that it brought in and the people that came around. We have our Internets now, we have our Earls, we have our Franks, we have our me's, and I just think that's really cool. I was just thinking about that the other day. I was listening to some old stuff and I was like: That's cool.
And the music has aged well.
Some of it has aged well. Some of it.
Some of it?
I think Goblin is horrible. I think Bastard is cool. The only songs I would keep from Goblin are “Yonkers,” “She,” “Nightmare,” “Tron Cat,” “Fish,” “Analog,” and “Au79.”
What's your biggest fear?
Maggots. And going deaf.
Which one are you more afraid of?
Going deaf. I'd commit suicide.
And why maggots?
When I was 9 years old… I've always loved pastries, by the way, like cookies, doughnuts, shit like that. Little Debbie Swiss Rolls was one of my favorites. When I was 9, I usually was the type to open it up and eat the cream out.
That's weird.
Yeah, fucking weird. One day, opened it and saw some shit moving, it was two maggots in there. Opened another one, it was two maggots in there. Fucking scared the shit out of me. I think that spawned me being terrified of them. I can't. I walked by a trash can, and there were some just falling out, and I just ran away. I couldn't take it.
Is it true that Kanye's new album made you cry?
Yeah, when I heard “Violent Crimes.” Those chords, like, fucking—I can't explain what they do to me. I always talk about chords and probably sound like a fucking dork, but since I was fucking 4 years old, I would always say it was a slant or it went up, 'cause I didn't know what chords were, but it was a thing that music did that I just felt in my fucking body. And that was the most recent song that did it to me. Like, 1 out of 10, that shit did it a 12, and I just—my eyes just started watering. I couldn't explain it. I hope when I die it gets explained to me.
What do you think happens when people die?
I don't know, but I hope we go to a room where it's our dream world and, uh, yeah.
Tyler, the Creator, unfortunately passes away. He goes to this room. Describe the room to me.
It's always golden hour. Just chords playing in the air. The only cars are, like, F40s and fucking Enzos and fucking 675s and E30s, and it's bike jumps everywhere. Every time you eat something, it tastes like the first time you ever ate it. I don't know. All types of shit. That's in fucking Tony Hawk's Underground 2, this part. I remember that.
Would you ever design something that isn't your own line?
Oh yeah, definitely. If Céline was like, “Hey! You want to do something small?” Fuck yeah.
If you had to describe the way you dress to a blind person, how would you describe it?
Warm blueberry pie. I dress like the smell of that.
You're allergic to dogs and cat saliva. Have you never had a pet?
Oh no, I've legit never had a pet.
If you had to have a pet what would you have?
A lizard. A bearded dragon.
What would you name it?
I don't know. Probably Concrete or Tony or something regular.
What's your ideal date?
I would wake up, definitely make breakfast, go on a fucking long-ass bike ride, and it either ends going to a show from a band or going to see a movie. And somewhere swimming in between that.
It's unique that you make it during the daytime.
I don't like nighttime. Never did.
Why don't you like nighttime?
I don't know. It's ugly. Daytime—the sun's out. I don't know. I just never liked nighttime.
What's one thing you will be making at 50 that you aren't making at 27?
I don't know what I'll be into next year. So I couldn't even tell you. Probably some stupid shit. “Aw, I'm Tyler, I get really deep into detail when I like stuff. I'm overexcited all the time.” It's borderline annoying, but you see the passion, so you let it pass. [laughs]
But you like that you're like that!
Oh, I like me. I fuck with me. I love me. I would date the fuck out of me. Tyler is fire. He's sick. It's always something new—What's up, Papa? Yeah, it's definitely tight.
Mark Anthony Green is GQ's Style Editor.
Styled by Mobolaji Dawodu / Grooming by Marianne Agb / Hair by Ronnie Mccoy III / Produced by Production Paris / Shot on location at Hôtel Molitor Paris, Paris Jean Bouin Tennis, and Sorbonne Université, Campus Pierre & Marie Curie.
