This is the Quintessential Tyler, The Creator Track Starter Pack

In case you've been living under a rock, larger-than-life rapper, producer, and fashion behemoth Tyler, The Creator is coming to Manila on September 20 and 21 for a two-day show on the heels of dropping his latest full-length LP Don’t Tap the Glass in July.

The album was met with overall critical praise for its no-nonsense old-school dancefloor vibes, which is more than impressive after dropping the conceptually layered Chromakopia in October last year.

So get your Golf Wang, Golf Le Fleur, loafers, and tiny watches ready for Tyler's famed eccentricity and a truly generational talent for hip-hop, R&B and soul genre blending extravaganza. When you think of a big three of the modern mainstream hip-hop/rap game, Tyler, The Creator would be a shoo-in on any discerning listener’s list.

With nine studio albums under his belt and ever-catchy singles and bars, we're stoked to witness his unrelenting creatvity and evolution as one of the most compelling artists of the generation live in concert.

Whether you're an OG fan since his tenure at the Odd Future rap collective or you discovered him when he put out Cherry Bomb and its accompanying provocative art, we advise listeners to continue exploring and revisiting his catalogue that would lead to a deeper appreciation and respect for his eccentric songwriting and production.

                              Tyler, The Creator's show poster

These are our picks for the most essential Tyler, The Creator tracks. 

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Certified Tyler, The Creator Essentials

1| Running Out of Time (Igor)

Spawning from one the greatest breakup albums of all time, "Running of Time" is Tyler wearing his yearning lover boy hat from one of his most vulnerable records and a certified pop masterpiece. The Lo-Fi production with the buzzing basslines and jangly keys keeps things simple sonically but he also uses that for melodic recall. This is one of his most relatable tracks with the perennial theme of running out of time to fall in love with a desired person. The midway point of the track features a funky bass drop with a sample of a speeding racecar passing by and arpeggiated keyboard lines.

"Stop lyin' to yourself/ I know the real you/ Halloween ain't for a minute, lose the costume," Tyler says.

2| Don’t You Worry Baby & I’ll Take Care of You (Don’t Tap The Glass)

Tyler's latest creative venture, which was a pause on his intensive introspection from his previous records, resulted in a wildly danceable rap record and carefree demeanor throughout the project. We picked both of these tracks, "Don't You Worry Baby" and "I'll Take Care of You," since they almost seamlessly flow into each other and hold interrelated themes of reassurance. Both tracks have that '80s and '90s hip-hop sheen via the lo-fi production, with both conventional piano parts and even an 8-bit charm with the classic drum machine.

3| Fucking Young/ Perfect (Cherry Bomb)

This double feature track from Cherry Bomb is a groovy sing-song Tyler track that is one of the shining points of that LP, which wasn’t really one of the rapper’s favorite projects. Another nostalgic R&B style track that laid the groundwork for his groovy pivot in succeeding albums like Flower Boy, the song explores themes of having feelings for a girl who is far too young for Tyler and even has some racial overtones.

"A six-year difference is a ten-year sentence/ and with the pigment on my skin, I don't want to be another statistic." These controversial bars were run-of-the-mill for the rapper's reputation at the time of the album's release as one of hip-hop's most eccentric performers. Sonically, he said he was gunning for a Stevie Wonder-like '70s track. The rapper was weirded out by the whole prospect of liking someone about years younger than him, which led him to put this banger of a lead single in 2015.

4| She (Goblin)

An early Tyler tune with the uncanny magical chemistry he had with Frank Ocean, which is an intriguing collaboration to revisit considering their recent squabble. The bars on this one is one of Tyler's darkest tackling themes of necrophelia, obsession, and stalking.

"The blinds' wide open so he can see you in the dark when you're sleepin'," Frank Ocean croons on the track's hook. "Naked body, fresh out the shower/ You touch yourself after hours." Compared to the rest of the cuts on Goblin (2011), "She" is ironically a more easy-going slow jam against the backdrop of the Tyler' morbid songwriting, which drew controversy at the time of its release. The song also tackles voyeurism with the recurring reference to Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 masterpiece "Rear Window."

5| Peach Fuzz (Single)

Arguably one of Tyler’s most underrated cuts from his discography, “Peach Fuzz” is a bass-heavy, whirly, and colorful old-school hip-hop R&B track. He even explores the constant themes of him hinting at his sexuality and still has that fearless introspection Tyler has knack for. The groovy track has production credits from Tyler himself, MNDSGN, and Prophet.

6| Awkward (Wolf)

The pitched-down beauty that is "Awkward" is just a hypnotizing love song in a rap song. Sweet piano twinkles and the lo-fi hi-hats and swelling synth pads is mix-tape spitting at its peak, even if it was on one of his most beloved records Wolf (2013). The bars on this still have the overarching theme of a nostalgic love explored through another Frank Ocean feature for a smooth love song.

7| Hot Wind Blows (Call Me If You Get Lost)

Woodwind instruments and tickling piano instrumentation accompanying Tyler's confident spitting and constant stunting in consonance with Lil Wayne's classic Weezy delivery is all you need to know about this track.

"We boated here. It's Tunechi and Tyler, but call me Baudelaire," a reference to Tyler's love for French poet Charles Baudelaire.

8| Take Your Mask Off (Chromakopia)

Daniel Caesar takes over from Frank Ocean's R&B/ soulful one-two punch with Tyler in the critically acclaimed Chromakopia (2024). Here Tyler exposes his struggles with grappling with hiding behind a mask or keeping up an image. The poignant self-awareness is at the record's core and why people are so mesmerized by one of Tyler's emotionally vulnerable projects. The production lays on another vintage 70s style Motown Stevie Wonder inspired sonic choices.

9| 911/ Mr. Lonely (Flower Boy)

This is a jam-packed/superstar double feature collaboration with Frank Ocean and Steve Lacy, who have shown to be fixtures of the R&B/pop space, although Ocean has yet to release another album after Blonde (2019). The rapper gives us a grounded reflection on loneliness over sweet synth tabs, groovy basslines, and fluttering hi-hats.

10| See You Again feat. Kali Uchis (Flower Boy)

“Can I get a kiss? And can you make it last forever?” One of the rapper’s biggest hits is a testament to his evolution from taking a gravelly, aggressive vocal approach to his work to a smoother R&B/pop direction with the mega talented Kali Uchis.

How to nab tickets to the show

Tyler, The Creator's Chromakopia: The World Tour Manila is happening at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sept. 20 and 21 You can get tickets to Tyler's show at Ticketnet Online with seats starting at P3,000 for General Admission, P4,000 for Upper Box B, P5,000 for Upper Box A, Lower Box B is at P6,000, Lower Box A at P7,000, Floor Standing P,8000, Patron seats at P10,000, Premium and Seated at P11,000.

Special VIP packages such is Mask VIP Package (P17,000) includes one floor standing ticket early venue entry, deidcated VIP check-in, fast lane shipping, a merch package, and a commemorative laminate and lanyard.

Darlin VIP (P25,000) and Sticky VIP (P21,000) are similar but with respective premium seated and patron standing seats.