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I’m an optimistic guy. I’m one of those big dreamers. I’m one of those kids with that annoying imagination. – Tyler the Creator
Tyler Gregory Okonma aka Tyler the Creator is one of the biggest names in hip hop and a sought-after producer to the biggest stars in the game.
The rapper has a net worth of $18 million, amassing his fortune through his music, production skills, fashion label, and endorsement deals.
Tyler the Creator was a founding member of the hip hop collective Odd Future. He also created all the artwork for the album covers, earning him his nickname, ‘The Creator.’ The rapper was also in charge of designing the group’s merchandise.
Tyler the Creator: The Facts
| Net Worth: | $18 Million |
|---|---|
| 📆 DOB: | March 6, 1991 |
| 🌎 Country of Origin: | United States of America |
| 💲 Source of Wealth: | Rapper |
| ✅ Updated: | 2023 |
Tyler the Creator his a successful career as a music artist, and he earned a reputation as a music video director and fashion designer. The artist started his clothing company’ Golf Wang’ in 2011, producing a line of exclusive athletic wear with a street edge.
He has some successful solo mixtapes and collaborated with some of the biggest names in hip hop, including Drake, Jay-Z, Chance the Rapper, and Post Malone. He’s a sought-after producer, and everything he produces goes t the top of the charts.
Tyler the Creator – The Early Years
Born in Ladera Heights, California, on March 6, 1991, Tyler Gregory Okonma is the son of Bonita Smith, and the rapper never met his Nigerian-born father. He spent his youth growing up in Hawthorne before moving to Ladera Heights when he was 17.
The artist grew up with his sister, Lynda, and he remembers creating album covers for his favorite bands as early as seven years old. He would purchase the albums at the record store and create his unique designs to replace the album artwork. His imposter album covers would feature the track titles and length of the songs.
Tyler attended several schools while growing up, with the artist remembering he attended a new school every year at one stage. All the educational facilities were around the areas of Los Angeles and Sacramento. The artist says he developed his passion for making music at 14.
He taught himself to play the piano by ear and was a keen skateboarder during his formative years. He received no training in classical piano and had no one to teach him how to skateboard. The artist attributes his abilities to his natural creative flair.
Tyler had a relatively uneventful youth, free of controversy. The rapper didn’t hang out with gangs or take the wrong path in life. Before launching his career in music, Tyler held part-time jobs at Starbucks and FedEx.
Tyler, the Creator – Career
Tyler founded the hip-hop collective ‘Odd Future’ in 2007 with fellow members Hodgy Beats, Casey Veggies, and Left Brain. The group released its first mixtape in 2008. Tyler self-published his solo mixtape ‘Bastard’ in late 2009, reaching number 32 on the ‘Pitchfork Media’ Top Albums of 2010.’
He released the music video for his track ‘Yonkers’ in early 2011. The video was an instant success, gaining massive media attention. The interest from the media caused Tyler to release an extended version of the video.
‘Yonkers’ won Tyler an MTV Video Music Award in 2011 for ‘Best New Artist.’ The industry started to notice Tyler’s work around this time, with notable artists like Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Jimmy Iovine, and Steve Rifkind. Odd Future signed a deal with Sony Music in 2011.
He released his debut studio album ‘Goblin’ in May of that year, with Tyler appearing on ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,’ where he performed the track ‘Sandwitches’ on the show. This occasion marked the artist’s first TV appearance.
Tyler’s TV show, ‘Loiter Squad,’ premiered on the cable TV channel Adult Swim in March 2012. The show was produced by the same company responsible for releasing the ‘Jackass’ series on MTV. Loiter Squad was a 15-minute show featuring music, man on the street segments, pranks, and comedy sketches, running for three seasons before being canceled.
Tyler released the single ‘Domo23’ from his second studio album, ‘Wolf,’ debuting on Valentine’s Day in 2013. The same day, the artist returned to ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’ to promote the album and perform two songs.
The artist went on an American and European tour in 2013, with ‘Wolf’ released in April 2013. The single ‘Fuc*ing Young’ was a hit, with Tyler producing the music video for the track. The video debuted on the Odd Future YouTube channel
Tyler produced his third studio album, ‘Cherry Bomb’ in 2015. He also performed at Coachella that year, embarking on a world tour after the performance. The tour passed through America, Europe, and Asia, with the artist staying on the road until September that year.
During the summer of 2017, Tyler released his fourth studio album, ‘Flower Boy.’ The album featured the singles ‘I Ain’t Got No Time!’ and ‘Boredom’ and received a nomination for a Grammy Award. The rapper followed this success with his fifth studio album, ‘Igor’ in 2019, debuting at the top of the Billboard 200 album chart.
The album was Tyler’s biggest commercial success and his number-one album. The work received a nomination for the ‘Best Rap Album’ at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2020. The artist also produces and hosts the annual ‘Camp Flog Gnaw Festival’ at Dodger Stadium in LA.
The rapper took to the stage to perform and was part of a lineup including some of the biggest stars in hip-hop, including names like Mac Miller, Lil Wayne, Pharrell Williams, Snoop Dogg, Rick Ross, Willow Smith, Chance the Rapper, Drake, Post Malone, Billie Eilish, and Juice WRLD.
Tyler appeared at the ‘Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco in 2021. The same year, the rapper launched his clothing brand, ‘Golf Wang,’ a play on the saying ‘Wolf Gang,’ a popular catchphrase used with Odd Future earlier in his music career.
The brand is highly successful, featuring clothing, shoes, accessories, and even skateboards, all in loud, vibrant colors. Tyler designs the products in the brand’s lineup, and his friends assist with modeling. Golf Wang focuses on catering to the streetwear, skating, and hip hop market.
The artist owns a Golf Wang store located at 350 N. Fairfax Boulevard in LA. However, the store was damaged and looted by protestors in the 2020 riots following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police.
Tyler the Creator – Awards
Tyler the Creator is one of the most successful names in hip hop. The artist was well-known in the industry by 2011. He won three awards at the ‘MTV2 Sucker Free Awards,’ including ‘Best New Artist,’ ‘Rookie of the Year,’ and ‘Must Follow Artist.’
Tyler the Creator received a nomination for a Grammy Award for ‘Album of the Year as a featured artist in 2013, but he didn’t win. He was nominated for ‘Best Art Direction at the ‘MTV Video Music Awards the following year in 2014.
In 2015, he received a nomination for ‘Best Visual Effects at the ‘MTV Video Music Awards for his work in the hit singles ‘Death Camp’ and ‘Fu*king Young.’
Tyler the Creator – Personal Life
There is plenty of controversy and speculation surrounding the rapper’s sexuality. Tyler has published lyrics where his tracks talk about homosexual tendencies held by the rapper. He’s also mentioned his bi-sexual tendencies in interviews with the media.
However, despite these claims, the rapper was in a gay relationship with Jaden Smith in 2018. The rapper also claims he’s an atheist and despises Christianity for its hindrance to the freedom of the human spirit. Plenty of the artist’s lyrics are anti-religion, and people close to him claim he’s agnostic.
The rapper also enjoys collecting skateboards and BMX bikes. In a spate of controversy, the rapper was banned from entering the UK for five years, starting in August 2015. The ban has since been lifted, but the rapper has yet to return to the UK.
The 2015 suspension meant the rapper had to cancel several shows in the UK on his ‘Cherry Bomb’ tour. The cause of the rapper’s suspension came from his 2009 release of the ‘Bastard’ mixtape. UK Prime Minister Theresa May took offense to the rapper’s lyrics, creating the platform for the ban.
Despite his relationship with Jaden Smith, the rapper was seen cozying up to Kendall Jenner in 2016. However, the two dispelled rumors of them being a couple. Later that November, Tyler and Jaden publicly announced their intimate relationship. Jaden took to social media to promote it, with Tyler replying to the post, calling Jaden a ‘crazy man.’
Tyler the Creator – Cars, Real Estate, Jewelry
The Grammy-winning rapper and artist Tyler the Creator is well-known for his unique and bold artistic style. His Golf Wang range of products all feature loud colors with creative designs that complement the artist’s creativity.
He enjoys spending his wealth on cars, jewelry, and real estate. His car collection includes some impressive rides. Some models in his garage include a 1988 Pink Fiat 131 Abarth Rally car, a Lancia Delta HF Integrale, a BMW E30 M3, a 675LT McLaren, and a Rolls-Royce Cullinan.
The rapper has an impressive real estate portfolio, owning a home valued at $7.9 million in Bel-Air, Los Angeles. The home resides in a quiet cul-de-sac in the upper-end of the Bel-Air neighborhood, in the hills above Sunset Boulevard, with magnificent views of the city.
The single-story house was built in 1965 and underwent several renovations throughout the years. The home boasts 6,000 square feet of space, with the rapper reportedly spending millions of dollars on custom renovations to suit his design tastes.
Tyler the Creator also admits to having a love for expensive jewelry. The rapper states his personal jewelry collection is in the millions of dollars. In his music video’ Juggernaut, ‘ the rapper unveiled his latest creation, a diamond-encrusted pendant, and chain.’
The rapper wore the piece to the BET Awards in 2021, showing it off on the red carpet, where he carried his luggage, mimicking the bauble. According to an interview with TMZ, the piece was worth over $500,000.
The diamond-encrusted chain and pendant feature 23,515 handset precious stones, 60 carats in sapphires, and 186 carats in diamonds. However, it’s not the first time the rapper displayed a high-end jewelry piece.
In 2019, he hired celebrity jeweler, Ben Baller, to design and construct a pendant of his alter ego, Igor, with the iced-out pendant featuring a diamond-encrusted finish in several colors. According to interviews, the piece is valued at over $275,000.
Tyler the Creator Quotes
I just want everyone to be awesome. That’s all it is. I want everyone to be cool in their own way.
Being in love is cool as hell, like having feelings and sh*t, it’s tight.
If the world was ending, I think I would grab some Cinnamon Toast Crunch, a bunch of water, and I’d probably just… I’d probably go crazy.
I never had a drink in my life. I don’t smoke or anything.
I was sitting like, there’s nothing I want to buy. I was fully okay with life. It was nothing I was stressed about. I wasn’t sore nowhere. I’m financially good. Everyone around me is healthy. No grudges. The weather was great.
Honestly, I’m a weak bitch. My punches are not good. I can run fast, but if I had to hold somebody from falling off a cliff, they’re going to die.
I’m f**king stoked. My life is sick. I get to still skate around like I did three years ago. I might have to take a couple of pictures, but whatever. I have money to go do stupid sh*t. I couldn’t ask for nothing else.
Do what the f**k makes you happy. Because in the end, who’s there? You.
Do something productive, stay the f**k off of Snapchat.
It’s actually beautiful that we’re aware of this superpower that we have where we’re just us, no matter what. We don’t get nervous in front of people. We look in the mirror and we’re okay with it.
Stay Ahead of the Market with Benzinga Pro!
Want to trade like a pro? Benzinga Pro gives you the edge you need in today's fast-paced markets. Get real-time news, exclusive insights, and powerful tools trusted by professional traders:- Breaking market-moving stories before they hit mainstream media
- Live audio squawk for hands-free market updates
- Advanced stock scanner to spot promising trades
- Expert trade ideas and on-demand support
