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TYLER THE CREATOR: Because I never played with a band.
I always wanted to be in a band.
But I never knew any actual musicians.
ELLIOTT WILSON: You seem like when you was behind the piano,
you was so locked in and happy.
TYLER THE CREATOR: And I was so nervous
playing the *** piano.
And I was trying to emulate Ray Charles, too.
ELLIOTT WILSON: [LAUGHS]
Wait, do that again.
Do that again.
Do the Ray Charles.
TYLER THE CREATOR: Ray Charles, too.
If you go and watch the Jimmy Fallon performance tonight,
it's this one shot where I'm at the piano, and I turn dead
at the camera.
I look so retarded, my mouth is like this or whatever.
ELLIOTT WILSON: [LAUGHS]
TYLER THE CREATOR: And it's because I was so nervous, but
I was trying to be Ray Charles.
But that was the sickest moment, because it's like, I
was finally doing what influenced me
the most and ***.
ELLIOTT WILSON: And feeling comfortable doing it, right?
TYLER THE CREATOR: Then *** thought that was
it, until I turned that *** around, and I *** dropped
that "Domo 23" and jumped around on you *** ***.
[CROWD CHEERS]
ELLIOTT WILSON: The Fallon show's been good
to you, that situation.
TYLER THE CREATOR: Dude, Jimmy Fallon's sick, because he was
the first one to, again, just like Mountain Dew, he was one
of the first.
He looked past everything and just seen some kids just
having fun, that were talented, and he was just
like, yeah, come on.
And he let us do whatever.
And that Jimmy Fallon performance changed
everything.
ELLIOTT WILSON: Yeah.
Because I mean, that's my introduction to you.
And then I went back and I downloaded everything.
And I was like--
TYLER THE CREATOR: Are you filming this?
ELLIOTT WILSON: Yeah.
We definitely are.
TYLER THE CREATOR: Where's the camera?
ELLIOTT WILSON: It's everywhere.
TYLER THE CREATOR: OK.
ELLIOTT WILSON: [LAUGHS]
No, but I think that it's like you said, how sometimes--
AUDIENCE: [LAUGHS]
ELLIOTT WILSON: Yeah, look sexy into the camera.
No, but the whole imaging, that's what people would say
about you guys.
You guys are horror core, 666.
Watch the "Earl" video.
And someone's vomiting, and all that.
But then what I got connected to was you was this young kid
building this movement.
And you felt like the blogs of that era weren't recognizing
you or giving you a chance.
And you kind of rebelled against it.
And you just wanted to be heard, like the energy that in
the beginning.
TYLER THE CREATOR: I was just salty because it was dudes
around LA that was *** making music and stuff.
And I was like, yo, this *** butt.
This *** weak.
Like, why do they get posts?
And we're over here doing so much.
And they're just not *** with it.
And I've always been defiant, too.
So I was just like, suck my ***.
*** y'all.
I'll figure this *** out on my own.
And that just slowly caught on.
And when people just started catching
on, it was just crazy.
Like, oh, people actually like us.
Because then again, we was just doing it for fun.
We were just doing it because we were bored.
And it was a hobby.
And we just liked doing it.
So the fact to this day that people still like the ***
that we do for fun is *** awesome.
ELLIOTT WILSON: What's it like to be the leader?
You're the leader of this movement.
That's a rapper cliche, too.
I'm starting a movement.
I'm building a movement.
My ***'s a movement.
But you really did build a whole situation.
TYLER THE CREATOR: I guess I'm the mastermind or whatever.
I mean, to be honest, I need those dudes.
Whether it's the skaters or the photographers or the
*** musicians or the rappers, I need them more than
they need me, because they inspire me
to *** be better.
And they let me know--
like, them having my back--
OK, this OF *** is real.
Those dudes help me out.
A lot of this *** wouldn't have been possible if it
wasn't for some of these dudes inspiring me to just go ahead
and do what I like to do.
Because people forget it's not just rappers.
It's a group of skateboarders who were very talented, and
photographers and artists who draw, and musicians and
rappers, and just a whole collective of stuff that I'm
into naturally.
And those dudes helped me say, *** it.
I'm going to build something that's everything
that I like in one.
ELLIOTT WILSON: What do you think made you
the leader of that?
Like, it seems like even with that crew, like,
they defer to you.
They look to your leadership.
TYLER THE CREATOR: I mean, it was my idea.
Because it started as a magazine when I was 15.
And I was going to have everything.
I like taking pictures and directing.
I was going to have photo essays in there.
I still have a collection of magazines.
I wanted to interview *** heads and *** sex addicts
and *** up ***.
ELLIOTT WILSON: [LAUGHS]
TYLER THE CREATOR: And I love music.
But I hated music reviews that used big ***
words for no reason.
I wanted my music reviews to be like, yo, this
*** weak as ***.
Don't buy it.
ELLIOTT WILSON: [LAUGHS]
Zero mics.
TYLER THE CREATOR: Which, I hate music reviews.
But I thought that would have been funny.
And then I love skateboarding.
That's what I grew up with.
So instead of putting ads from Baker, or *** Deluxe, I
wanted to shoot ads of my friends doing tricks at the
skate park instead of using other people and put it in
there and ***, and have all my photo photographer friends
shoot this ***.
And my friends who's good at designing, they do
clothes, *** it.
Get the photographer dude to shoot the *** clothes.
And then we'll put your own ads in there, so you don't
have to *** go to *** "Vibe" or some other weak ***
to *** put your ads in there.
And that's what I was going to do.
But the magazine didn't happen.
ELLIOTT WILSON: I'm glad you didn't say "XXL," because I
was there at the time.
TYLER THE CREATOR: Hey, I used to *** with "XXL" until last
*** March.
ELLIOTT WILSON: Uh oh.
We'll get back to that.
TYLER THE CREATOR: I ain't going to--
ELLIOTT WILSON: They gave you a Noz interview.
Come on, man.
Go ahead, I'm sorry.
TYLER THE CREATOR: Hey, that Noz interview was awesome.
ELLIOTT WILSON: We're going to talk about that.
TYLER THE CREATOR: But yeah, I didn't do the magazine.
It just turned into a group of friends who were into ***.
I was like the web And I just had a group of friends that
were into random things.
And then it just turned into this collective.
And the *** music is what brought it out to the world.
ELLIOTT WILSON: And then it's time to eat a roach.
TYLER THE CREATOR: Yeah.
***, that little ***.
AUDIENCE: Was it real?
TYLER THE CREATOR: Yeah.
Little Nissan was real.
ELLIOTT WILSON: DId you get sick after?
TYLER THE CREATOR: I threw up, ***.
It's in the video.
ELLIOTT WILSON: So that's real?
TYLER THE CREATOR: ***, that *** ain't fake.
I threw up on spot.
Don't ask me to do it right now, either.
ELLIOTT WILSON: I know you fart on cue.
I didn't know if you actually vomit on cue.
TYLER THE CREATOR: No, I be throwing up for no reason.
It's crazy.
It's a "Vinny Show" on MTV.
I think they showed a commercial.
I throw up on there on cue.
It's sick.
ELLIOTT WILSON: [LAUGHS]
I don't want to see that.
Don't put that in a "Loiter Squad" or anything like that.
TYLER THE CREATOR: Not yet.
ELLIOTT WILSON: No, but back to "Wolf,"
what do I rap about?
It seems, though, you come back to common themes, though.
You rap about your father not being around.
TYLER THE CREATOR: Well, yeah, because that affected me.
A lot of my friends had dads.
So it pissed me off.
On Father's Day, when I want to hang out with these
***-- oh, I've got to take my daddy to dinner.
And I'm stuck at home.
I go, hey, Mom.
Here's a card for Happy Father's Day, whatever.
And then I'm, like, bored.
So of course.
But I don't know.
The thing with "Wolf," a lot of the songs have
concepts and ***.
"48" is actually based off of that Noz interview.
ELLIOTT WILSON: What you did with your voice style, yeah.
TYLER THE CREATOR: That "Colossus" song, I was really
at Six Flags with 50 kids actually
chasing me, no pun intended.
It was like a mob of children chasing me.
And it was kids standing out.
And then "Party Isn't Over," that song's actually about me
losing my virginity when I was 17.
ELLIOTT WILSON: Whoa.
TYLER THE CREATOR: Yeah.
And then, "Campfire"--
ELLIOTT WILSON: How was that for you?
TYLER THE CREATOR: It was wild.
ELLIOTT WILSON: [LAUGHS]
Tell us about it.
TYLER THE CREATOR: It was in my grandmother's bed.
But I want to talk about it.
AUDIENCE: [LAUGHS]
ELLIOTT WILSON: Wow.
Yo, you fornicated on your grandma's bed?
TYLER THE CREATOR: And then "Campfire" is about making
s'mores and ***.
And then I made the song "Pigs," because *** Dylan
and Eric, the kids who shot up Columbine, I *** always
wanted to know what the *** were they thinking.
Why did they do that?
What the ***?
What was their background?
I'm not saying what they did was right.
But I actually just always wanted to kind of tap into
their brains?
Were they bullied?
Were they abused by a *** step-dad or some ***?
I don't know.
So I wrote that song from their point of view.
And they probably were nice kids.
So on that third verse, he's like, I didn't mean
to do any of this.
I just wanted to someone to *** say, oh, that shirt is
cool, or just something.
And just *** like that.
And then "Rusty," I'm just rapping about everyone that
anything negative to say about me.
I sum it up in that verse.
And then "Trashwang" is sick, because--
ELLIOTT WILSON: You love those.
That's rapping with your buddies.
I *** love my friends, dude. "Trashwang," every
person on "Trashwang"--
ELLIOTT WILSON: No new friends for Tyler.
TYLER THE CREATOR: Everyone on "Trashwang" aren't wrappers.
Like, Lucas isn't a rapper.
ELLIOTT WILSON: No, really?
TYLER THE CREATOR: Jasper's not a rapper.
But no, people--
aw, they're ***--
ELLIOTT WILSON: They're getting better, though.
TYLER THE CREATOR: *** "Trashwang."
Those dudes can't rap.
Duh.
ELLIOTT WILSON: [LAUGHS]
TYLER THE CREATOR: That was the *** point.
Nakel is a skateboarder.
He's in TransWorld and "Thrasher" magazine right now.
And Nakel killed it.
It was so sick watching my friends who don't do that ***
come to my world.
That *** was tight.
ELLIOTT WILSON: No, they're getting better as rappers.
Speaking of your friends, and you mentioned "Rusty," it's a
very frank song.
Speaking of the word duh, somebody asked you--
I think it was on Formspring or something-- if "look at the
mom who thinks I'm evil, hold that grudge against me," are
you talking to Earl's mom?
TYLER THE CREATOR: I'm for sure, 136% talking about
Earl's mother.
AUDIENCE: [LAUGHS]
TYLER THE CREATOR: Because for some reason, she thinks I'm a
bad influence on her kid.
But he's doing pretty good right now.
I mean, I'm not the type to just take credit or anything.
But she does not like me for some reason.
I've tried plenty of times to literally just have a normal
conversation with her and say, why don't you like me?
What did Tyler do wrong?
And she just holds this grudge against me.
ELLIOTT WILSON: How do I rectify, whatever it is.
TYLER THE CREATOR: And I totally do not understand it.
I don't understand it.
ELLIOTT WILSON: So that existed before he
went back some more?
TYLER THE CREATOR: Yeah.
Around the time he got sent away, she just
started to hate me.
And I don't know what it is.
I don't know what it Is It can't because she thinks
drinking and doing drugs or anything.
Because I've never had--
ELLIOTT WILSON: Straight edge?
TYLER THE CREATOR: I've never had a sip of
alcohol in my life.
And I don't smoke or do anything.
So you can't blame me for that.
Your kid's *** up in school.
What *** 15-year-old boy isn't going
to *** up in school?
I was *** up in school my senior year.
It's people in college *** up.
What you talking about?
ELLIOTT WILSON: That's the age to *** up.
Those are the ages to *** up.
TYLER THE CREATOR: So I don't understand why she
doesn't like me.
And I just wanted to address that in that song.
Because it was just eating me up that I
just never said anything.
ELLIOTT WILSON: And he's on the song, which
makes it cool also.
TYLER THE CREATOR: Yeah, it makes it 20 times more awkward
for her, because I know she listened to her son's verse.
And I went before him, so she for sure heard that line.
ELLIOTT WILSON: But how did that whole thing start, the
whole when Earl went away, and the whole "Free Earl" thing
and making the sweatshirts?
You obviously knew where he was.
Did you feel like you just missed him and you wanted to
promote that he should come back?
What was your mentality back then?
TYLER THE CREATOR: I mean, that's my *** friend.
So it wasn't even trying to promote let's make this "Free
Earl" thing into a campaign and *** cake off of it.
The funny thing is, he made "Free Earl" up.
He *** was grounded.
And he made this "Free Earl" thing on Facebook when
we were using it.
He got sent away permanently or whatever.
And then we just started saying "Free Earl" because
that was our friend.
When hood ***' homies get stabbed or shot--
ELLIOTT WILSON: [LAUGHS]
TYLER THE CREATOR: Rest in peace, Ray Ray.
AUDIENCE: [LAUGHS]
TYLER THE CREATOR: They're not doing it to promote, ***.
They friend died.
RIP John John, yeah.
They just doing it because that's their friend and ***.
And then I guess that just turned into everything.
ELLIOTT WILSON: Free everybody.
Were you angry when "Complex" kind of revealed the
information?
TYLER THE CREATOR: Yeah. "Complex" is--
*** "Complex." *** all their employees.
I think everyone at "Complex" are *** faggots.
"Complex" is the *** death.
Like, they make *** lists.
What your favorite rapper's wearing?
And *** the top 20 dicks that Nick Cannon sucked.
ELLIOTT WILSON: Was it awkward when Earl came back, the
interaction, to get back to the rhythm of
your friend's back?
TYLER THE CREATOR: The first time--
the first time me and Taco saw Thebe--
we call him Thebe, by the way.
I'm just calling him Earl because you
*** are here.
But *** it.
ELLIOTT WILSON: That's how you know him.
TYLER THE CREATOR: Travis is Taco, by the way.
I don't call him Taco.
I was just saying that so y'all could know who I'm
talking about.
But the first time me and Travis saw Thebe when he came
back, we was at Clancy's house.
And he walked in.
We looked like three-year-old little girls, just jumping
around and just hugging.
And then after that, I backed up and realized he was in the
same sweater he had on when he left.
[LAUGHTER]
ELLIOTT WILSON: Did he stink?
He didn't stink, though.
TYLER THE CREATOR: No, it was just the dustiest ***.
And then two minutes after that, we were on YouTube
looking at stupid videos like we used to
of just stupid ***.
And it was sick just to see him again.
He got taller.
I got taller.
It was like two years.
So it was just sick.
And I know it was kind of weird for him, because he was
locked away or whatever.
And he comes back.
And his friends are *** rich and famous, and can't
even go to the movies anymore without security and ***.
I know he was like, what the ***?
But everything's perfect now.
It's sick.
I'm actually stoked that happened, because it just came
full circle.
So I guess that was just fate.
ELLIOTT WILSON: I remember when I interviewed you for
"Respect," we was talking a little about you and Frank
Ocean's relationship.
And he had certain things that you didn't have yet.
TYLER THE CREATOR: Yeah.
ELLIOTT WILSON: Because he's older than you.
And that was the dynamic.
You would talk on the phone, and they would turn into long
phone conversations.
TYLER THE CREATOR: Frank's older than me.
He had a nice car, nice house.
He had cool ***.
And I would just always be like, ***, that's tight.
And he would just always say, dude, you're
going to get it soon.
Don't worry about it.
He would just always put that in my head.
Don't worry about it.
You'll get that ***.
And he was always the most positive dude.
And out of his *** mind, 100%, that guy is crazy.
But he always had my back, Taco's back.
Because we was broke.
And this *** would take--
like, yo, we're hungry.
What y'all trying to eat?
*** McDonald's.
No, what the *** is McDonald's?
And he'll take us to some *** restaurants and ***
that we didn't even know existed and ***.
ELLIOTT WILSON: He had that Def Jam
money in the beginning.
TYLER THE CREATOR: And I met a bunch of famous people.
He took me to studios I've never been to and ***.
Because I was recording at Sid's, and I've never been to
big studios.
And he was just showing us a bunch of ***.
So I thank him for that.
ELLIOTT WILSON: Let's talk about your famous friends.
Some people say you shouldn't meet your idols, because it's
disappointing.
But it seems like it's worked well for you, like Pharrell,
Erykah Badu.
You even have them on the album.
Talk about meeting people that inspired you, and developing a
rapport with them.
TYLER THE CREATOR: Meeting Pharrell was crazy, because
I've been a *** die hard--
it's almost weird--
*** obsessive fan since I was like 11.
Seeing this dude who I always would just watch on TV, and
every magazine I could possibly get.
And I know every lyric.
He hit up Kelly, and was like--
ELLIOTT WILSON: Kelly Clancy.
TYLER THE CREATOR: Yeah, Kelly Clancy.
What up, Kelly.
And he was like, yeah, I'm shooting this Maybelline
*** commercial.
ELLIOTT WILSON: [LAUGHS]
TYLER THE CREATOR: Maybelline?
I was like, what the ***?
You're suss, but all right.
And I walk in, and it was just *** like he's real.
Not even trying to be suss.
I don't give a ***.
Like, I'm a fan of this ***.
So seeing this *** in real life was the craziest ***.
And he put his hand out to shake it, and I
was like, oh ***.
This isn't a piece of paper or a television.
I could touch this ***, son.
And we're just kicking it in there.
And he's just telling me he likes my stuff and stuff.
I don't give a ***.
I'm in there fanning out, like, I see *** be trying
to be cool, like, oh yeah, you cool.
No.
*** that, ***.
I went down the *** list of all this ***.
I told him what was my favorite ***.
I told him what sucked.
I told him this and that.
And he was appreciative of it.
He was stoked that it was someone who really ***
admired his art.
And it was cool.
And we're friends and stuff.
He called me not too long ago, because before "Wolf" came
out, I was like--
because believe it or not, if I didn't rap, I
would want to sing.
But my voice is too deep to sing in the tone
that I want to hit.
So I got get like Pharell and Frank and *** to do parts
that I want to do.
And I'm stressing to this ***.
It's like, melodies I come up with.
But I'm sick of *** coming up with melodies and having
another people sing it.
And he was like why the *** you ain't doing it?
I'm like, my voice is too deep.
***, you ain't never heard of Barry White?
And I'm like, oh.
Well, oh.
He was like, ***, Isaac Hayes?
I was like, um, um.
He was like, shut the *** up.
Go listen to them and figure it out.
And then that's when I was like, *** it.
So on "Treehome," you hear me behind Coco like, *** it.
I did that.
And I get so much advice from him on just little ***.
ELLIOTT WILSON: How did you get him on IFHY?
What was that process of actually getting him on one of
your records?
TYLER THE CREATOR: "I *** Hate You"
was finished already.
It was a three-minute song.
And I'm a big fan of bridges.
Like, all the music I listen to have bridges and stuff.
And I'm listening to it.
I'm like, oh, this is good.
But it's not there.
So I'm literally on the couch.
We're in the living room.
My mom's here and I'm right here with a keyboard and a
*** laptop.
And I'm just *** around with some chords and ***.
And I come up with this progression.
And I'm like, whoa this is sick.
This is sick.
Damn, I need to put this somewhere.
So I open up the "I *** Hate You" beat session.
And I just lay the keys down.
And then I'm like, oh ***.
But I used the organ for this.
So I lay an organ over it.
And I lay the other synths and everything else, and then the
*** drums.
And I'm like, whoa, this is *** sick.
I love this.
And then a melody just came to my head.
And the lyrics just slowly start coming with the ***
melody between the chords.
But I can't sing.
So I'm like, ***.
*** Pharell would sound so tight over this.
***.
That's just in the back of my head.
So I *** export the *** beat, put
it in Garage Band.
And I just record a rough of the melody just so I don't
forget that ***.
Later that night, I hit up Pharell.
I'm like, yo, you in Los Angeles?
He's like yeah, yeah, I'm here.
I'm here for some stupid ***.
But I leave tomorrow.
I'm like, ***, yo, I've got this--
and this is right before album is due.
And this is when he's in interviews saying, yo, Tyler's
album is sick.
Tyler's album is sick.
Which I'm mad at, because I want everyone
to think it's whack.
But whatever.
ELLIOTT WILSON: [LAUGHS]
Expectations.
TYLER THE CREATOR: So I'm like, yo, I know you love the
*** album.
It would not be right without you being on it, which
influenced a lot of the sounds on it.
And he was like, I'll try to make it.
But it'll be late tonight.
I'm like, all right, whatever.
I go to the studio.
And then he hits me.
And he's like, I'm going to come through.
And he comes through.
And he was like, all right.
What the *** do you want me to do?
And this is when it got weird, because it's Pharell.
And he has the voice of an angel.
No ***.
[LAUGHTER]
ELLIOTT WILSON: Wait, say that again.
TYLER THE CREATOR: This *** Pharell got
the voice of an angel.
No ***.
So it's weird.
All right, Tyler.
What do you want me to do?
And I'm sitting here.
It's like a couple people in the room.
And I can't sing.
But I know what I want.
So I have to sit here and sing.
ELLIOTT WILSON: Sing to Pharell, son.
Sing to Pharell.
TYLER THE CREATOR: I got to sit here and sing to this
grown-*** *** what I want him to do.
And it was awkward, but like, I did it.
And then he went in there and did it.
It was, I think, for sure the best moment of my life,
watching this *** sing my melody and my
lyrics over my beat.
And I've been wanting that since I was *** 11, before
I had hair on my ***.
AUDIENCE: [LAUGHS]
TYLER THE CREATOR: Real talk.
And it was so sick.
ELLIOTT WILSON: You have hair on your ***?
TYLER THE CREATOR: I didn't have it at 11.
ELLIOTT WILSON: No, no, please.
TYLER THE CREATOR: No, we're good.
We're good.
But no, it was sick finally working with this ***.
I went to Photo Booth.
And I just pressed record.
And I'm going to release the video when I'm like 50.
But I'm like--
ELLIOTT WILSON: [LAUGHS]
That's *** Pharell in the back, singing.
TYLER THE CREATOR: Like, I'm *** bugging out, dude.
And I'm in there fanning out.
And then the music stops here and there.
He's like, yo, Tyler, is that it?
Then I've got to get into serious producer *** mode.
I'm like, no.
It was supposed to be like [HUMS].
And he's like, like this?
[HUMS]
I'm like, no.
You've got to go like this.
Not too many people can say they was *** vocal
producing Pharell.
That is *** tight.
[CROWD CHEERS]