Tyler The Creator’s ‘Chromakopia’, his 7th studio album has arrived after very little time for fans to wait. With features from rappers such as ScHoolboy Q, GloRilla, Lil Wayne and many other artists consisting from Teezo Touchdown, Daniel Caesar, and Childish Gambino, this album ranges from uplifting and light instrumentals amongst dark and critical writing varying from the hard hitting production and fast-paced flows throughout. Running a length of fifty-three minutes with fourteen tracks, Chromakopia explores a side of Tyler’s writing that focuses on the modern-day setting of hip-hop, conflict in relationships, influencing being true to who you are and ultimately adding color back into what is widely considered as lackluster.
Chromakopia’s rollout has been nothing short of exceptional. With the cover of the album being Tyler wearing a dark mask reaching out into the distance, it paints the overarching theme and sound to be explored through this project. The album intro track, St Chroma was first teased on October 16th, immediately sparking conversation in the music community. Many fans were surprised due to the recent trend of an album releasing every two years, whereas Chromakopia would be released only a year after his ‘CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: The Estate Sale’ deluxe album in 2023. In the St Chroma trailer, the video is in a garish monochrome filter where Tyler is dressed in a military-style suit where he is seen marching a line of masked people into a shipping container that is labeled ‘Chromakopia’. The masked people, although unnamed, can be assumed to be what he considers as current uninspired artists taking up room in the current space of the rap genre. Shortly after, the video pans out to him pressing a button, detonating the container and restoring color into the screen. Tyler uses this symbolism throughout the album as a way to break out of the basic and normalized sound and to bring light and color back into mainstream hip-hop.
The lead single titled ‘Noid’ samples Ngozi Family, a Zambian band; and their song titled ‘Nizakupanga Ngzo’, one of many of the standout samples found throughout this project. From light and moody beats to blasting marching band instrumentation, Chromakopia explores the light and dark colors of Tyler, The Creator’s mind and his ever-growing maturity through music and adulthood.
To listen to Chromakopia, you can stream the album on Spotify, Apple Music or any supportive streaming platforms, or you can purchase the album from Tyler The Creator’s website at www.chromakopia.com
