Tyler, the Creator
Rapper Tyler, The Creator debuted his music career with the release of his debut album, 1999’s “The College Dropout.” He went on to become one of the most influential rappers of the 21st century. In addition to being a rapper, he also dabbles in acting, directing, fashion design, photography, and graphic design.
He’s also very outspoken about issues such as racism, police brutality, sexism, homophobia, mental health, religion, and environmentalism.
He even had a cameo role in Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 film, “Inglourious Basterds.”
Early life and education
Tyler Gregory Okonma was raised in Columbus, Ohio, where he attended school at John Adams Elementary School. He later graduated from Westerville South High School in 2009. In 2010, he enrolled at Ohio State University. Okonma majored in electrical engineering and computer science. His father, Michael Okonma, played football at Ohio State.
Okonma became interested in video games early on, playing Super Mario Bros. 2 on his Nintendo Entertainment System while still young. As a child, he enjoyed playing video games such as Guitar Hero, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Halo 3, and World of Warcraft. He began playing competitively around age 12.
In 2007, Okonma founded the gaming team “Team Liquid.” They competed in the MLG Pro Circuit, winning $10,000 in 2008. In 2009, Team Liquid won the IGN Summer Invitational Tournament.
During college, Okonma worked part-time jobs to pay for tuition and living expenses. After graduating in 2012, he moved to San Francisco to work full-time. In 2013, he joined Riot Games as a software engineer.
While working at Riot Games, Okonma met fellow League of Legends player Matthew “Akaadian” Higginbotham and formed a duo called “Fantastic Five,” which competes in the North American Challenger Series.
Career
Odd Future formed in 2007, when rapper Tyler Okonma met fellow rappers Hodgy Beats and Left Brain while attending high school together in Los Angeles. After meeting up again at college, the three began recording songs together under the name “The OF Crew.” Later that same year, the group added producer Syd tha Kyd, whom they had known since middle school. In January 2010, Okonma announced he was quitting school to focus on making music full-time. He later revealed that the decision came about because he didn’t feel like he could make it academically.
In late 2010, Okonma released a free download entitled “The Odd Future Tape,” featuring guest appearances from J. Cole, Mac Miller, and others. The tape received positive reviews, and led to several collaborations with artists such as Kanye West, Schoolboy Q, and Earl Sweatshirt.
Okonma and the rest Of Odd Future eventually signed a record deal with Sony Records in April 2011. Their debut albumwas released on July 26, 2012.
