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.
Tell Me How
Tyler the Creator Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sip, sip, sip, sip
Sip, sip, sip
Ah
Good, good, good
Good, good, good
Good, good, good
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Good, good, good
Good, good, good
Good, good, good
Tell me how it taste, yeah, the good, good, good
I'm a little down with the good, good, good
Tell me how it taste, yeah the good, good, good
Take a sip of the coco
My eyes can see that you go
Good, good, good
Good, good, good
Good, good, good
Hmm
Tell me how it taste
You can tell me how it taste
Can you tell me how it taste?
Can you tell me how it taste?
Can you tell me how it taste?
Can you tell me how it taste?
You can tell me how it taste
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Good
One, two, three, now watch me move
Move, move, move, move (one, two, three, yeah)
Move, move, move, move (one, two, three, yeah)
Move, move, move, move (one, two, three, yeah)
Move, move, move, move (one, two, three, yeah)
Woo
The opening lines of Tyler the Creator's song "Tell Me How" are repetitive, with the sound of sipping and the word "good" being repeated over and over. The sipping sound gives an aural representation of someone drinking and perhaps enjoying something. The repetition of "good" adds to this sense of enjoyment and satisfaction. The song's chorus is a request for someone to describe how something tastes, the "good, good, good" that they are enjoying. Tyler seems to be yearning for this enjoyment, asking for people to describe it to him, as he may be feeling down.
The song's bridge, the lines "Take a sip of the coco/My eyes can see that you go," play with the idea of perception. Tyler may be urging the listener to take a sip of whatever is giving them pleasure, so that he can see the effects of whatever that is on their faces, and perhaps he can perceive some of that enjoyment for himself. He is, in a sense, trying to tap into the sensorial experiences of those around him, asking them to describe those experiences to him, and then trying to feel them vicariously.
Overall, "Tell Me How" seems to be a song about yearning for pleasure and connection, through the enjoyment of something sensory. Tyler seems to be using language to try and connect with others, to get them to share their experiences of pleasure and satisfaction, and to perhaps bridge the gap between their experience and his own. This song showcases Tyler's poetic style of songwriting, where he uses repetition, sensory language, and vivid imagery to create a sense of yearning and pleasure.
Line by Line Meaning
Sip, sip, sip, sip
Drinking something repeatedly, enjoying the taste
Sip, sip, sip, sip
Continuing to take small drinks to savor what's being consumed
Sip, sip, sip
Taking slow, measured drinks of something one enjoys
Ah
Experiencing satisfaction, pleasure
Good, good, good
Expressing pleasure about what's being enjoyed
Good, good, good
Confirming and reiterating that what's being consumed is highly enjoyable
Good, good, good
Emphasizing how much the person likes what they're drinking
Hey, hey, hey, hey
An interjection used to get someone's attention or create excitement
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Audibly expressing a happy, energetic mood
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Creating a sense of lively, enjoyable vibes
Tell me how it taste, yeah, the good, good, good
Asking for confirmation about how good a drink tastes and expressing enthusiasm about it
I'm a little down with the good, good, good
Feeling slightly addicted to the drink due to the pleasure it provides
Tell me how it taste, yeah the good, good, good
Asking again how good the drink tastes, continuing to express enjoyment
Take a sip of the coco
Asking someone to try a coconut drink
My eyes can see that you go
Noticing that someone who tried the drink is leaving
Tell me how it taste
Repeating previous request for someone to describe the taste of a drink
You can tell me how it taste
Encouraging someone to describe the taste of the drink
Can you tell me how it taste?
Politely asking someone to describe the taste of the drink
Can you tell me how it taste?
Politely asking someone again for a description of the drink's taste
Can you tell me how it taste?
Politely requesting a third time for someone to describe the taste of the drink
Can you tell me how it taste?
Asking once again for someone to describe the taste of the drink
You can tell me how it taste
Encouraging someone once more to describe the taste of the drink
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Reiterating the mood of liveliness and enjoyment
Move, move, move, move (one, two, three, yeah)
Instructing someone to dance or at least move in a lively way
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Tyler Gregory Okonma
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind