How Tyler, the Creator’s Contrasting Relationship with His Parents Catapulted Him Into Stardom

The Breakdown: Tyler, the Creator has had a stellar career since the release of his first studio album, Bastard. He’s gone from being banned in Europe to being requested at globally renowned festivals. His parents have had a large part to do with his outlook on life and his success.

Tyler, the Creator’s career has been an interesting one. He skyrocketed in popularity after going viral for eating a live cockroach in his music video for “Yonkers.” With a niché and loyal fanbase, a collective of artists who believed in his vision, an annual carnival, and a manager named Clancy, he’s worked his way from horrorcore allegations to being the featured artist of a Dr. Seuss film.

Even after the disbanding of Odd Future, Tyler has continued to prove that he deserves a spot in Big 3 conversations alongside Kendrick, J. Cole, and Drake. He’s received incredible critical acclaim for his last four albums, and he’s still somehow getting better with each drop. A large part of his success is credited to his mother and her support for her son, as well as his father’s absence.

Tyler, the Creator, born Tyler Okonma, was born to a Nigerian man of Igbo descent and a Black European-Canadian mother named Bonita Smith. His father’s name is unknown, but the rapper has addressed or mentioned him on multiple occasions.

In his music, he’s had lines like “Sorry, I called you the wrong name, see, my brain's splitting; Dad isn't your name, see f****t's a little more fitting," on his 2013 track "Answer ". He also stated, “My father died the day I came out of my mother's hole; And left a burden on my soul, until I was old enough; To understand that the f**kin' f****t didn't like me much; He loved my moms enough to bust a nut and then he (Shake Junt),” on the outro track of his debut album, “Inglorious”.

Tyler had some animosity towards his father in his earlier projects, but he seems to be over it now. As early as a 2014 Larry King interview, we’ve seen the Odd Future ringleader grow to be okay with the estranged relationship. When asked if he was upset about his father deserting the family, he replied, "Nah dude, I'm stoked! I think if I had a dad, I would have [gone] the normal college route like a lot of other people."

In Tyler’s later projects like IGOR and Flower Boy, he’s reflected deeper on his personal needs and desires rather than any issues of not having a father. Tyler made Bastard when he was about 18 years old. The earlier iterations of his art feel like he allowed fans to see him work through some issues with his father in real time through the music.

However, we’ve heard and seen his mother a lot more. He’s rapped and spoken about being raised by Bonita Smith since Bastard as well. The contrast of his relationship with his mother versus the nonexistence of one with his father has always been a dichotomous theme within his music.

In a twisted turn of events, fans learned a new perspective of the story between the “Take Your Mask Off” rapper’s parents. On his 2024 album CHROMAKOPIA, his mother narrates the intros and outros of multiple tracks. On the track “Like Him”, Tyler reflects on the ways he still embodies traits of his father even without having a relationship with him.

His mother has an intro and outro to this track, and each one adds even more weight to the song. In the intro, she states, “...Every time I look at you, I swear to G*d…you got that n***a feet; You got that n***a body; You got that n***a long arms, fingers and s**t.” The outro serves as a more serious closing to Tyler’s issues with fatherhood, with Bonita admitting that she kept his father away, and he wanted to be in Tyler’s life more.

While not much is known, Tyler does have one sibling whose existence is at least known. In early tracks, there are references to a little sister. With most artists, this kind of information wouldn't need to be verified. Although it must be done with Tyler, as past statements throughout his career have confused fans.

While it isn’t definitive proof, Tyler mentions a little sister multiple times between 2011-2013 on his official Twitter account and a few times in songs. Her name has never been released, and he does a great job of continuing to keep her identity from the public for her safety and privacy.

In the days of Odd Future before The OF Tape Vol. 2, Tyler frequently refers to Earl Sweatshirt as his little brother. Some fans assumed that this title was one of chosen kinship, but many others took it as one of blood kinship.

There was another instance where fans mistook Tyler’s humor for fact as he said his manager’s daughter, Chloe, was his daughter named Esmerelda in videos of the collective during the blog era. Chloe looks nothing like Tyler, but fans hopped on the “Esmerelda” train quickly.