“It’s performative”: Tyler, the Creator blasts rap rankings

Tyler, the Creator doesn’t care about anyone’s “objective” list of the greatest rappers or rap albums of all time. In a clip from a new episode of the Rap Radar podcast with Elliott Wilson and Brian B.Dot Miller, the Odd Future founder expressed his frustration with the endless churn of rap rankings on Twitter and elsewhere.

“Bro, who gives a fuck?,” he asked, describing his reaction to the constant questions he fields about his “big three” MCs or “top five” LPs. “You got 17 year olds, like, ‘Dude, Ready to Die and Enter the Wu-Tang is my top 10 album ever.’ I’m like, ‘Bro, you just got hair on your dick. It’s performative.’

“You got YoungBoys and Babys out here, and that’s your favorite?,” he continued. “I don’t care about people’s ‘objective’ top nothing. Tell me what is your favorite shit, because you learn so much from people; you get context.

“‘I wanna know why you think Pookie Dookie’s second album is your favorite,’” he went on, assuming the persona of an inquisitive adult talking with a younger fan. “‘Oh! I have memories attached to it. My brother did this when I was younger… On track seven, he talks about this — found out I was going through it.’ I wanna hear that!”

He then shifted his focus to the tier systems fans use on social media to rank albums by their favorite artists. “That’s why I fucking hate rap Twitter — because everything’s performative,” he said. “Everyone’s making these lists just to have people engage. Who gives a fuck who the top three is? Jamiroquai’s my favorite band. I don’t know no one that talks about them, and I don’t give a fuck ’cause I enjoy it in my house and in my car. So why the fuck are we sitting here arguing about, ‘Oh, you don’t got Tupac in your top five?’”

After the clip circulated the Internet on Wednesday (June 7) and drew critique from Twitter users who objected to the idea that younger fans couldn’t authentically enjoy music made before their time, Tyler clarified some of his statements. “i think i either worded that specific point weird or you didnt understand what i was saying, some of my favorite stuff is before my time,” he wrote. “its when folks dont have a connection to an album but might feel obligated to include it on a list that i find so odd. but this is all me talking/pushing for more subjective topics and not whats ‘good’ or ‘right.’”

Tyler, the Creator’s full Rap Radar episode is available via this link and on all major digital streaming platforms.