Tyler, the Creator said it best on \u201cYonkers,\u201d his 2011 breakthrough single: He is a \u201cfucking walking paradox.\u201d<\/p>\n
From the outside, it certainly looks like the L.A.-born emcee \u2014 who plays the Alliant Energy Center\u2019s Exhibition Hall on Thursday<\/a> \u2014 is nothing more than a hollow sideshow act. His earliest lyrics dealt in vile, cartoonish fantasies of violence, often delivered with a wink that seemed to slip past many critics. They\u2019ve even led to him being banned from both the U.K.<\/a> and Australia<\/a>.<\/p>\n But like anyone, the 26-year-old Odd Future leader has grown up over the years. His anarchic rap collective deals less in shock tactics than in smart business decisions, and Tyler has garnered critical acclaim not just for his work as an emcee but as a director, producer and fashion designer as well.<\/p>\n That\u2019s not to say his work on the mic has suffered, as his 2017 album Flower Boy<\/em> earned him his second Grammy nomination and proved to be a surprisingly deft and nuanced exploration of self-identity.<\/p>\n But if you\u2019re reading this, chances are you already know about Tyler, the Creator, the Rapper. So here\u2019s a refresher course on Tyler, the Doer of Other Things.<\/span>\n Since Odd Future\u2019s (or for those of you with the extra character space, Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All) inception in 2007, Tyler, the Creator has been the group\u2019s most prominent member thanks to his dark, idiosyncratic music and the fact that he\u2019s also behind the all of the group\u2019s visual artwork, from album covers to music videos. And the doughnut-featuring cover of the group\u2019s lone studio album, 2012\u2019s The OF Tape Vol. 2<\/em>, proved something of a harbinger for their future branding endeavors.<\/span>\n Walk into a Zumiez anywhere in America and Tyler\u2019s influence on fashion won\u2019t be hard to spot. In addition to the current moment that dad hats, tie-dye and classic Vans are enjoying, all of which Tyler has been rocking for years, you\u2019ll also notice Odd Future itself has become a successful streetwear brand. Their pink doughnut logo<\/a> stands out amongst the earth tones normally associated with skate culture, their product is relatively affordable (T-shirts, for example, average around $25) and it\u2019s all designed with Tyler\u2019s sign-off.<\/span>\nTyler, the Artiste<\/h2>\n
Tyler, the Fashionista<\/h2>\n