Tyler Gregory Okonma, known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, and fashion designer. He has been cited as one of the most influential figures of pop culture of his generation, due to his unique, eclectic and colorful music and fashion styles, popularizing rap music as an "Internet phenomenon" that included a new wave of alternative hip hop and R&B artists during the 2010s.
Okonma became well known in the late 2000s, when he emerged on the internet as the leader and co-founder of the music collective Odd Future. Within the group, Okonma participated as a rapper, producer, director and actor, releasing studio albums that he produced for its respective members. Okonma also performed on his sketch comedy show Loiter Squad (2012–2014).
Along with his collaborations with the group, Okonma developed his solo career with his self-released debut mixtape Bastard (2009). The release earned him recognition in the online music press as an emerging artist from the indie music scene. His debut studio album Goblin (2011), which brought him mainstream media exposure, aided by the popularity of the single "Yonkers" and its accompanying music video. During this period, Okonma faced controversy in the media for his horrorcore-influenced sound and his violent, transgressive lyrical content.
After the release of his second studio album, Wolf (2013), Okonma began to separate himself from his horrorcore productions, turning to more accessible sounds including fusions of jazz, soul and R&B. In 2017, Okonma released Flower Boy, the first of a successful trilogy that would be followed by Igor (2019) and Call Me If You Get Lost (2021), all of which earned him widespread critical acclaim and commercial success, with the latter two debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 and each winning Best Rap Album at the 2020 and 2022 Grammy Awards, respectively.
Aside from his musical productions, Okonma became a significant figure in fashion with his clothing ventures Golf Wang and Le Fleur, and for his collaborations with major brands such as Lacoste, Converse and Louis Vuitton. Okonma is also the founder of the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival music festival, which has been held annually since 2012, and which featured appearances by Kanye West, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Lana Del Rey, Billie Eilish, among others. He has also directed all of the music and promotional videos of his career, under the pseudonym Wolf Haley. Okonma has won two Grammy Awards, three BET Hip Hop Awards, a BRIT Award, and a MTV Video Music Award. In 2019, he was named "Music Innovator of the Year" by The Wall Street Journal. In 2024, the Los Angeles Times featured Okonma in its "L.A. Influential" series as a "creator who is leaving their mark" in Los Angeles.
