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Tyler, the Creator recently stirred up some controversy during a performance in Boston, addressing the backlash from Taylor Swift’s fans, or Swifties, over his old lyrics. The Grammy-winning rapper, whose real name is Tyler Okonma, became the target of criticism due to the resurfacing of violent, misogynistic, and homophobic lyrics from his past work, particularly his 2011 song Tron Cat.
In his onstage rant, Tyler called out the Swifties, telling them, “I got Swifties all mad at me with their racist as—bringing up old lyrics, btch, go listen to Tron Cat, I don’t give a f*ck, b**ch.” The controversy around the lyrics, including a particularly disturbing line about sexual violence, reignited when Swift’s fans began to criticize him, especially after his recent success with his latest album CHROMAKOPIA.
Released on October 28, 2024, CHROMAKOPIA quickly topped global streaming charts, even briefly surpassing Taylor Swift on Spotify’s charts before falling back to second place. The album features numerous guest artists, including Daniel Caesar, Lil Wayne, and Childish Gambino. However, this success appears to have reignited old tensions, with some Swifties using the moment to bring up Tyler’s controversial past. One fan account on X (formerly Twitter) posted a particularly damning lyric from Tron Cat, which received significant attention and nearly 270,000 likes.
Tyler responded to the criticism by acknowledging that his past lyrics might have upset people but seemed unapologetic about it. He also addressed the accusations that he had not truly grown or apologized for his past behavior, suggesting that some fans are quick to judge him based on outdated material.
Despite the controversy, Tyler’s CHROMAKOPIA is poised for a strong debut on the Billboard 200, with the album potentially becoming his most-streamed and highest-charting project to date.
