Tyler, the Creator: influences, peers and legacy

Every connection with its receipt

Tyler, the Creator built Odd Future out of a Ladera Heights bedroom, teaching himself production in FL Studio while worshipping Pharrell and shock-comedy TV. This mix traces the jazz-funk chords under IGOR, the LA scene that raised him, and the collective he seeded.

The Kynda mix for Tyler, the Creator

• Key Influence · In Search Of... by N.E.R.D (2001). Tyler has been open for years that Pharrell Williams is his north star: N.E.R.D's mix of rap cadence, rock drums and Neptunes chord voicings is the blueprint for everything from Bastard to IGOR. He later interviewed Pharrell on camera and got him on Cherry Bomb's 'Keep Da O's,' effectively closing the loop between fan and collaborator after a decade of citing this record.
• Influencia Obscura · Everybody Loves the Sunshine by Roy Ayers (1976). Beneath the shock-rap reputation, Tyler's harmonic world is 1970s jazz-funk: vibraphone haze, suspended chords, sunlit melancholy. Roy Ayers' vibe runs straight through Flower Boy's 'See You Again' and Call Me If You Get Lost's softer beds, and Ayers himself later turned up as a guest voice in Tyler's orbit — a lineage most listeners arriving via Odd Future never trace.
• Local Roots · Section.80 by Kendrick Lamar (2011). Two LA kids broke nationally the same year from opposite poles: Kendrick from Compton with Top Dawg, Tyler from Ladera Heights with Odd Future. They shared festival bills and blog cycles as the faces of a post-Snoop Los Angeles, and Tyler has praised Kendrick's writing repeatedly. Section.80 is the document of that 2011 LA moment before either was a stadium act.
• Beyond the Medium · Jackass: The Movie by Jeff Tremaine (2002). Odd Future's early identity — Loiter Squad, the skate videos, the stunts, the group-of-friends-with-a-camera aesthetic — is Jackass transposed to hip-hop. Tyler's Adult Swim series Loiter Squad was in fact produced with Jackass creators Jeff Tremaine and Dickhouse, making the debt literal rather than atmospheric, and shaping how a rap crew could operate as a comedy troupe.
• Peer · Cosmogramma by Flying Lotus (2010). Flying Lotus and Tyler emerged from overlapping Los Angeles beat circles at the turn of the 2010s; FlyLo later put Tyler on 'Your Potential / The Beyond' territory of collaboration with the Odd Future camp and remained a vocal supporter. Cosmogramma is the era's other LA argument that rap production could be free-jazz-adjacent, unquantized and album-length.
• From the Canon · IGOR by Tyler, the Creator (2019). The album where the shock rapper became a composer: Tyler wrote, produced and arranged a love-triangle song cycle around fuzzed synth bass and gospel chords, with Solange, Kanye West, Playboi Carti and Charlie Wilson used as textures rather than features. It won the Grammy for Best Rap Album in 2020, an award he publicly noted felt like a genre-box for a record that barely raps.
• Key Collaborator · Channel Orange by Frank Ocean (2012). Frank Ocean was Odd Future's quietest member and Tyler's most enduring foil: Tyler produced early Ocean material, Ocean sings on 'She' from Goblin and on 'Where This Flower Blooms' from Flower Boy. Channel Orange is the collective's other masterpiece, and Tyler has spoken about how Ocean's openness about a man he loved reshaped what he felt able to write.
• Legacy · Saturation III by BROCKHAMPTON (2017). Kevin Abstract assembled BROCKHAMPTON from a Kanye fan forum with the explicit model of Odd Future: a self-contained collective handling rap, production, video direction and design in-house, complete with matching visual identity. The group has repeatedly named Tyler's crew as the proof it could be done, and the Saturation run is that idea at full sprint.

What influenced Tyler, the Creator

• Missy Elliott. Tyler named Missy Elliott as an influence. “Tyler thanked Q-Tip , André 3000 , Chad Hugo , Kanye West , Missy Elliott , Busta Rhymes , and Hype Williams as his influences.” (Wikipedia)
• Pharrell Williams. Pharrell Williams named as a major inspiration for Tyler. (also via IGOR) “Pharrell Williams has been one of the greatest inspirations and references for Tyler.” (Wikipedia)
• D'Angelo. Tyler, the Creator says D'Angelo's work shaped his music. “Tyler, the Creator said his "musical DNA" was shaped by D'Angelo's work.” (Wikipedia)
• Q-Tip. Tyler named Q-Tip as an influence. “During his acceptance of the Cultural Influence Award at the BET Awards , Tyler thanked Q-Tip , André 3000 , Chad Hugo , Kanye West , Missy Elliott , Busta Rhymes , and Hype Williams as his influences.” (Wikipedia)
• The Marshall Mathers LP by Eminem. The Marshall Mathers LP (Eminem) — titan for Tyler, The Creator “The horrorcore-based aesthetics and transgressive lyrical content of his debut and second albums Bastard and Goblin were influenced by Eminem, especially his album Relapse (2009), which according to Tyler, is one of his favorites.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Relapse by Eminem. Relapse specifically cited as an influence and favorite album of Tyler's. “were influenced by Eminem, especially his album Relapse (2009), which according to Tyler, is one of his favorites.” (Wikipedia)
• Kanye West. Tyler named Kanye West as an influence. “Tyler thanked Q-Tip , André 3000 , Chad Hugo , Kanye West , Missy Elliott , Busta Rhymes , and Hype Williams as his influences.” (Wikipedia)
• André 3000. Tyler named André 3000 as an influence. “Tyler thanked Q-Tip , André 3000 , Chad Hugo , Kanye West , Missy Elliott , Busta Rhymes , and Hype Williams as his influences.” (Wikipedia)
• Busta Rhymes by Busta Rhymes. Tyler named Busta Rhymes as an influence. “Tyler thanked Q-Tip , André 3000 , Chad Hugo , Kanye West , Missy Elliott , Busta Rhymes , and Hype Williams as his influences.” (Wikipedia)
• Hype Williams. Tyler named music-video director Hype Williams as an influence. “Tyler thanked Q-Tip , André 3000 , Chad Hugo , Kanye West , Missy Elliott , Busta Rhymes , and Hype Williams as his influences.” (Wikipedia)
• Chad Hugo. Tyler named Chad Hugo as an influence. “Tyler thanked Q-Tip , André 3000 , Chad Hugo , Kanye West , Missy Elliott , Busta Rhymes , and Hype Williams as his influences.” (Wikipedia)
• Jackass: The Movie by Jeff Tremaine (2002). Jackass: The Movie (Jeff Tremaine) — culture for Tyler, The Creator (wikidata.org)
• The Royal Tenenbaums by Wes Anderson (2001). The Royal Tenenbaums (Wes Anderson) — culture for Tyler, The Creator (wikidata.org)
• N.E.R.D. Tyler cited N.E.R.D as an inspiration. (also via In Search Of...)
• In Search Of... by N.E.R.D (2002). In Search Of... (N.E.R.D) — titan for Tyler, The Creator “When Tyler emerged on the music scene as a "strange figure" of the Internet and one of the leaders of the music collective Odd Future, his musical productions instinctively became noted for resembling those of Pharrell Williams and his w…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Everybody Loves the Sunshine by Roy Ayers (1976). Everybody Loves the Sunshine (Roy Ayers) — ghost for Tyler, The Creator
• The Neptunes. Tyler cited The Neptunes as an inspiration.
• Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants by Stevie Wonder (1979). Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants (Stevie Wonder) — ghost for Tyler, The Creator

Peers and kindred spirits

• Frank Ocean. Ocean said he was working with Tyler on his second studio album. (also via Flower Boy, Channel Orange) “He revealed that he was working with Tyler, the Creator , Pharrell Williams , and Danger Mouse on the record.” (Wikipedia)
• Kali Uchis (1994). Tyler, the Creator produced on Por Vida. (also via Flower Boy) “The project featured production from various musicians, including Diplo , Tyler, the Creator , Kaytranada and BadBadNotGood” (Wikipedia)
• Section.80 by Kendrick Lamar (2011). Section.80 (Kendrick Lamar) — geography for Tyler, The Creator “He is also the founder of the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival, an annual music festival launched in 2012 that has featured performers including Kanye West, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Lana Del Rey, and Billie Eilish.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Summertime '06 by Vince Staples (2015). Summertime '06 (Vince Staples) — geography for Tyler, The Creator “In March 2023, he was featured on Tyler, The Creator's Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale on the track "Stuntman." On February 15, 2024, Staples released The Vince Staples Show, a Netflix limited series that James Poniewozik of The…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Long.Live.A$AP by A$AP Rocky (2013). Long.Live.A$AP (A$AP Rocky) — peer for Tyler, The Creator “On March 25, 2022, Tyler appeared on two tracks off Nigo's album I Know Nigo!, the opening track "Lost and Found Freestyle 2019" with A$AP Rocky, and the closer, "Come On, Let's Go", the latter of which was released along with a music vi…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Apollo XXI by Steve Lacy (2019). Apollo XXI (Steve Lacy) — collaborator for Tyler, The Creator “Lonely" featuring Steve Lacy, Frank Ocean, and Anna of the North.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Josh Safdie. Tyler collaborated with director Josh Safdie on Marty Supreme. “In 2025, he made his feature film debut as Wally in Josh Safdie 's Marty Supreme , under his birth name.” (Wikipedia)
• Doris by Earl Sweatshirt (2013). Doris (Earl Sweatshirt) — collaborator for Tyler, The Creator “The first single from the album was released on February 14, 2013, titled "Domo23" along with the music video which features cameos from Domo Genesis, Earl Sweatshirt, Jasper Dolphin and Taco Bennett.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Louis Vuitton Men's Fall-Winter 2022 fashion show. Tyler scored the Louis Vuitton show, with Arthur Verocai arranging. “This show was scored by Tyler, the Creator. His score was arranged by Arthur Verocai and it was Gustavo Dudamel who conducted the live performance by the Chineke! Orchestra .” (Wikipedia)
• Odd Future. Tyler co-founded Odd Future with other members. “Tyler co-founded the alternative hip-hop collective Odd Future in 2007, alongside Hodgy , Left Brain, and Casey Veggies .” (Wikipedia)
• Channel Orange by Frank Ocean (2012). Channel Orange (Frank Ocean) — collaborator for Tyler, The Creator “It featured guest appearances by Frank Ocean, Mike G, Domo Genesis, Earl Sweatshirt, Left Brain, Hodgy Beats, Pharrell, Casey Veggies and Erykah Badu.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Cosmogramma by Flying Lotus (2010). Cosmogramma (Flying Lotus) — peer for Tyler, The Creator (musicbrainz.org)

Who Tyler, the Creator influenced

• Eminem. Eminem publicly attacked Tyler in his song Fall, part of documented feud. (also via Tyler, the Creator: Goblin, The Marshall Mathers LP, Relapse) “Eminem , in his 2018 single " Fall ", referred to Okonma as a " faggot " and implied that he explored sexuality in his music for attention.” (Wikipedia)
• Doechii (1998). Doechii names Tyler, the Creator among her major musical influences. (also via Balloon) “she has cited Kanye West , Tyler, the Creator , Kendrick Lamar , and SZA as her major musical influences” (Wikipedia)
• What Could Possibly Go Wrong by Dominic Fike (2020). What Could Possibly Go Wrong (Dominic Fike) — legacy for Tyler, The Creator (musicbrainz.org)
• Saturation III by BROCKHAMPTON (2017). Saturation III (BROCKHAMPTON) — legacy for Tyler, The Creator (musicbrainz.org)