Tyler, The Creator is Okonma's most commonly used alias, and the one that both of his first two albums are credited to, but he has used several others as well, including Wolf Haley, Ace (or Ace Creator), and Young N***a, the latter of which was part of a prank on OFWGKTA's official site. Many other characters or alter egos and names are featured in his music, such as Tron Cat, a therapist called Dr. TC, and most recently, Tyler Baudelaire, the character from the 2021 album CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST.
In 2009, Tyler self-released his debut mixtape B*stard as a free download off of the official OFWGKTA website. Two music videos were released for tracks off of B*stard, "VCR" and "French!," both of which were directed by Tyler (credited as Wolf Haley). The album is focused on dialogues between Tyler and Dr. TC, and it received generally positive reviews from critics and blogs alike.
After signing to XL Recordings in February 2011, he released "Yonkers," the lead single off his sophomoric album Goblin, which was released on May 10, 2011. The music video for "Yonkers" (directed by Tyler credited as Wolf Haley) won Tyler The 2011 MTV Video Music Award for "Best New Artist," as well as a nomination for Video of the Year (which lost to Katy Perry's "Firework").
Goblin, an album described as "dark," "monolithic," and "a natural sequel to B*stard," continues the sessions with Tyler's fictional therapist, with Tyler venting to Dr. TC about fame, message boards, critics, hype, expectations, media scrutiny, and the idea of being a role model. All of the production was handled by Tyler, save for "Transylvania," which was produced by fellow OFWGKTA member Left Brain.
Tyler's third studio album, known as Wolf, was released in 2013. Tyler alluded to several possible track names on his Formspring account, and he stated that the album would focus less on rapping and more on production. In an interview with DJ Semtex, he confirmed that he would handle all the production on the album, except for one song produced by Left Brain, the same approach that was used for Goblin. On February 14, 2013, OFWGKTA uploaded a video to their YouTube account, which included L-Boy skydiving and stating that on April 2, 2013. Tyler revealed three album covers via his Instagram. The first single from the album was released on February 14, 2013, titled " Domo 23" along with the music video which features cameos from Domo Genesis, Earl Sweatshirt, Jasper Dolphin and Taco Bennett. On February 26, 2013, Tyler performed the songs "Domo23" and "Treehome95" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
KEEP DA O'S
Tyler the Creator Lyrics
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Got the ice, got the clothes
Niggas know that keys open doors
Half price nigga keep the O's
Keep the O's, nigga keep the O's
Know they call me Mr. Treat Your Nose
Keep the O's, nigga keep the O's
Know they know me by treat your nose
Look, UFO, bow, land
Skrr landed on the ass and
Adidas leaf in the grassland
My finger got a yellow Pac-Man
Blow your purple, go in circles, so inertia
Go reverse it, no rehearsin', gold is perfect
Open curtain, flow inversion, golden person
Yeah I'm nerdy, yeah I'm swerving
Yeah you heard me
Got the whips, got the hoes
Got the ice, got the clothes
Niggas know that keys open doors
Half price nigga keep the O's
Keep the O's, nigga keep the O's
Know they call me Mr. Treat Your Nose
Keep the O's, nigga keep the O's
Know they know me by treat your nose
Got the whips, got the hoes
Got the ice, got the clothes
Niggas know that keys open doors
Half price nigga keep the O's
Keep the O's, nigga keep the O's
Know they call me Mr. Treat Your Nose
Keep the O's, nigga keep the O's
Know they know me by treat your nose
My garden's full from breaking these hoes
A hand full of green and a couple of stones
Your lawnmower foreign, you rented a home
But nigga, how much of that shit do you own?
See me, I don't compromise, I know my conscience
Fuck your compliments, bitch I got confidence
I don't need your approval, my nigga you suck
I do not have to adjust
So shut the fuck up
Evil Knievel
Hoping them niggas see it
Back to the garden
Niggas gon' do dirty
Killing your flowers
All you stupid niggas
Got the whips, got the hoes
Got the ice, got the clothes
Niggas know that keys open doors
Half price nigga keep the O's
Keep the O's, you gotta keep the O's
You gotta keep the O's
Cause you never know when it's over
You want the doors that go up
You want the girls with the big butts
You want the diamonds, you want the stones
You gotta stunt on these niggas
Stunt on these niggas one time
Find your wings
And fly
You'll find your wings
(You'll find your wings)
Learn how to fly
(Learn how to fly)
What I want you to do
(What I want you to do)
You'll find your wings
Learn how to fly
(Learn)
I'm rapping about diamonds, and cars, and money now
What the fuck has gotten into me, man
In the song KEEP DA O'S, Tyler the Creator raps about his possessions, including cars, clothes, and jewelry, boasting about his wealth and success. The lyrics capture his feeling of pride and confidence as he celebrates his success and accomplishments. Throughout the song, he emphasizes keeping "the O's" - referring to the ounces of drugs he sells or uses.
He also raps about being aware of his enemies and knowing that half-priced drugs can open new doors for him. He repeatedly addresses himself as "Mr. Treat Your Nose," a reference to his cocaine use. He notes that people know him by that nickname and suggests it is a part of his identity.
The song also touches on the idea of finding oneself and breaking free from societal norms. Tyler encourages the listener to find their own wings, learn how to fly and not to compromise their beliefs and values for the sake of compliments or others' approval.
Overall, the lyrics are a representation of Tyler the Creator's self-confidence and success as well as his ideas of individualism and self-discovery.
Line by Line Meaning
Got the whips, got the hoes
I have fast cars and attractive women in my life
Got the ice, got the clothes
I have expensive jewelry and clothing
Niggas know that keys open doors
I am wealthy and have access to the finer things in life
Half price nigga keep the O's
I buy drugs at a discounted price and keep the stash
Keep the O's, nigga keep the O's
I emphasize the importance of preserving my stash of drugs
Know they call me Mr. Treat Your Nose
I am known for my drug use
Look, UFO, bow, land
I am describing a trippy flying experience
Skrr landed on the ass and
I did a sharp turn and landed on a girl's buttocks
Adidas leaf in the grassland
I left a shoe imprint in the grass while tripping
My finger got a yellow Pac-Man
My finger is tingling and I am hallucinating a yellow Pac-Man
Blow your purple, go in circles, so inertia
I smoke weed and experience a sensation of spinning around
Go reverse it, no rehearsin', gold is perfect
I am playing with words and wordplay
Open curtain, flow inversion, golden person
I am proud of my musical talent
Yeah I'm nerdy, yeah I'm swerving
I am both educated and intoxicated
Yeah you heard me
I am confident in what I am saying
My garden's full from breaking these hoes
I have been promiscuous and have a large number of sexual partners
A hand full of green and a couple of stones
I have money and drugs
Your lawnmower foreign, you rented a home
You may have a nice car, but you are not wealthy enough to own a home
But nigga, how much of that shit do you own?
I question your true wealth and ownership
See me, I don't compromise, I know my conscience
I stand firm in what I believe and don't compromise my values
Fuck your compliments, bitch I got confidence
I don't need you to tell me I'm good at what I do, I already know
I don't need your approval, my nigga you suck
I don't care what you think
I do not have to adjust
I don't need to change who I am
So shut the fuck up
Stop talking
Evil Knievel
I am a daredevil like Evil Knievel
Hoping them niggas see it
I am hoping people notice my daring feats
Niggas gon' do dirty
Some people will try to harm me
Killing your flowers
Those people will fail and suffer consequences
All you stupid niggas
I am addressing those who oppose me/aren't on my level
Keep the O's, you gotta keep the O's
I reiterate the importance of keeping my drug stash
You gotta keep the O's
My drug stash is vital to my lifestyle
Cause you never know when it's over
I may die or get caught, it's important to enjoy my vices while I can
You want the doors that go up
You want luxury cars with upward opening doors
You want the girls with the big butts
You want attractive women with large buttocks
You want the diamonds, you want the stones
You desire expensive jewelry
You gotta stunt on these niggas
You need to show off your wealth and success
Stunt on these niggas one time
Show off once to make a statement
Find your wings
Discover your talents and abilities
And fly
Achieve your goals
Learn how to fly
Acquire skills to achieve your goals
What I want you to do
This is what I suggest you do
You'll find your wings
Once you discover your talents, you will be able to achieve your goals
I'm rapping about diamonds, and cars, and money now
I'm emphasizing my wealth and status in this song
What the fuck has gotten into me, man
I am questioning how I became so materialistic
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AL DUBIN, HARRY WARREN, TYLER GREGORY OKONMA, PHARRELL WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind