Music Video Sunday: Tyler the Creator—“Tamale”

Perennial question: what is Tyler, the Creator? It’s easy to say who he is: the 22-year-old head of Cali-based hip-hop collective Odd Future (OFWGKTA in full), but his actual influence extends far beyond that. From an active Twitter account that constantly spits out controversial comments to the twisted nature of his music videos, Tyler has created a whole boundary-pushing lifestyle. And his most recent music video, “Tamale,” is quintessential Tyler. The vid starts with a declaration that it is “A visual interpretation of Tylers mind” (the missing apostrophe is his own twist). Cue floating limbs, golf course chaos, and Tyler riding a giant cat while terrorizing smaller Tylers. The best part of the show, though, is when nothing happens. The screen, all pixelated, is covered with this text: “Due to the ‘graphic’ nature of this film I was forced to blur because people aren’t ready to have intelligent conversations before they judge. Welcome to America.” Well played, Tyler, well played.