Flower Boy Tyler, The Creator

Field Notes

After witnessing Tyler, The Creator eat a cockroach and then vomit in the minimalist music video for “Yonkers,” I was captivated. When he released Flower Boy in 2017, I was delighted by its unconventional chord structures, a refreshing departure from what is typically found in modern hip-hop. In this album, Tyler opens himself up emotionally and musically, challenging his contemporaries to rethink traditional rap forms. As a musician, I couldn’t help but draw connections to the likes of Charles Mingus, The Beatles, and the Wu-Tang Clan. In my opinion, Flower Boy stands as the most prolific record of the 2010s.