Insomnia: Chromakopia (Review)
Little snippet of culture to stay awake in the best shape
Chromakopia was released on October 28th, 2024, written, produced, and arranged by Tyler the Creator. It’s his 8th studio album and follows up Call Me If You Get Lost, released in 2021 with the same setting. It’s an album whose genre is difficult to define, as is the case with Tyler’s latest projects (we’ll get to that later), but it’s, according to Rate Your Music, in the genre of West Coast Hip-Hop and Neo-Soul.
For the album promotion, Noid was released as a single, and St. Chroma and Thought I Was Dead were presented as promotional singles. Noid is a perfect representation of this album, and, as it’s possible to verify with everything that Tyler has been releasing in the last few years, it’s with purpose. This might seem like I’m dressing my Captain Obvious cape and stating, well, the obvious, yet while singles are usually what an artist intends to promote, it could be the track that, simply, is the most liked, without any substance, only flavour. Adding music labels to the recipe will just emphasise this need for streams, reach, and the same old.
Tyler has been presenting characters for his albums, and two albums ago we could find Igor for Igor (released in 2019), while in the previously mentioned Call Me If You Get Lost, Tyler Baudelaire was the present character. Both individuals are delving into the theme of love and identity while being in love, yet it’s with Chromakopia that we get to understand the person Tyler Okonma without the mask.
Separating the colours of the palette
Now, it’s better to stop dispersing the colours and simply present the black and white that we see from Chromakopia. While making this analysis, I’ll also make the exercise of talking about the album and its direction while approaching Tyler’s official performance of the album at Camp Flog Naw, his own festival that has been going on for 10 years. Considering he shared the performance free on YouTube, I’ll consider this the best live representation of his vision for the album.
1. St. Chroma — presented live
Within St. Chroma, Tyler’s mom tells him to trust his light and his creativity. We hear the sound of marching bands, and this is something common throughout the album. The whispering act is continuous, and it transmits the idea of something that shouldn’t be said, yet is felt. The message Can you feel the light inside is powered with the choir arranged by Tyler. The transition that is noticed in this track is very reminiscent of the sound from Igor. It should be emphasised that Daniel Caesar’s voice is angelic.
2. Ra Tah Tah — presented live
There is a big feeling of self-value and self-empowerment when Tyler raps Bitch I’m really him. The electronic sound never goes away, and Tyler values the materialism in his life as something that he achieved. Tyler claims he’s the biggest of Los Angeles after Kendrick Lamar, something that is a prize in its own right. Right after this we transition perfectly into the track Noid where Tyler talks abo-
3. Noid — presented live
-ut being paranoid. This track uses some Zambian lyrics from the track “Nizakupanga Ngozi” from the 1977’s 45000 volts album by the Zambian band Ngozi Family:
Pobwela panyumba panga, uyenela ku nkala ndi ulemu (Noid)
Chifukwa, ine sinifuna vokamba, kamba (Noid)
Vokamba kamba vileta pa mulomo
(Wotangozi, wotangozi)
which translates roughly to, “When you come at my house, please be respectful. Because I don’t like talking too much. Talking too much breeds gossip.”
This track starts to represent Tyler’s issue with himself, dealing with social etiquette, how to trust others, and how to deal with the fame, even before he was 19 years old and part of Odd Future, where he started to gain fame.
This is also the reason why he raps Never trust a bitch they could trap you — this is going to be a recurring theme, directly or indirectly, through this musical production. It’s relevant to emphasise Willow’s and Thundercat’s performance, as well as the choir, in this track because it brings a lot of emotion to it.
Noid has such a perfect presentation in the live version in Camp Flog Naw. The artist shows the paranoid aspect, tackles physically the sentiment of being looked at, and the lightshow really encapsulates this state of mind.
4. Darling, I featuring Teezo Touchdown — presented live
Tyler keeps falling in love, and it plays into his paranoid aspect. As he raps, Monogamy is not for me. I’m thinking new crib, two kids until I fall for a new love. The only thing stable in his life is music and the Grammys he has won. There is some beatboxing in the back, and the electronic arrangement, as well as Teezo helping with the vocals, fits very well. Tyler acknowledges that he’s also at fault by claiming It’s not fair to just be stuck with me.
Transparency is key, be honest. is a message relayed by Tyler’s mom that is crucial for the next song, but we’ll get into that right away.
After the performance in the live show mentioned above, Tyler addresses that the album has been, for three weeks, at the number one spot (the video was released on November 21st, 2024, and the live show was on November 17th, 2024), and he’s thankful that people still support him and even support the festival.
5. Hey Jane
Tyler’s mom warns him to use a condom, and it jumps straight into him understanding that he’s going to have a kid. There is a transition from Tyler being excited and happy for the situation but then getting stressed out, feeling like it might be better to not have a child, especially because he’s dead inside, adding that We ain’t make it to love yet. There are always two sides of Tyler fighting within himself. He supports any decision that Jane makes.
It transitions to Jane presenting her side and answering Tyler’s points about wanting to keep it a secret, being excited, and deciding to have the child because she’s getting older. She says that she can raise the child alone, and, as she explains No matter the decision, I want us to be cool. Funny enough, this will be a message that is very similar further in the album. The drums play a perfect separation in the messages shared by both.
6. I Killed You featuring Childish Gambino
The trumpets play amazingly in the electronic sound. The breathing throughout the album is such an organic sound, and it just works. Childish closes the track with a supporting message to stay beautiful and to trust his heritage.
7. Judge Judy
Play on words with the Judge Judy TV show and not Judge Judy. The song is about how Tyler never judges Judy and the moments that they spend together, as well as her history, sexual fantasies, and everything that could make her feel judged. She stopped communicating with him and sent a letter. In this, she communicated that she has passed away and that was the reason she stopped messaging him. The track closes with piano, bass, and orgasm sounds to represent the sexual love they had.
8. Sticky featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne — presented live
A song about being bold and standing up to anyone. GloRilla, Sexyy Red, and Lil Wayne talk exactly about having scraps, about the streets, about the value that they achieved throughout their careers, and how others look up to them. It’s getting sticky means that the situation is becoming more complicated.
There is a big energy brought by the marching band music being very present throughout the track.
9. Take Your Mask Off featuring Daniel Caesar — presented live
Tyler starts all out in attack by rapping Those face tats make people ignore that you’re sad. Works well as a follow-up to the braggadocious act shown in the last track. Tyler relays this message with the hope that this character he’s rapping to finds itself. The synth in the back growing up to the chorus is a great addition.
Tyler talks from very different perspectives, yet the feeling is always the same of keeping a facade while happiness and self-realisation aren’t present. Tyler talks to the thugs, talks to preachers, talks to moms that raise the kids without believing they have a purpose, and closes the track talking to himself. He’s not confident about his raps, not confident about his designed clothes, not confident about his stage presence, but he still wears that mask. Therefore, he hopes that he’ll find himself, as he hopes that others find themselves. Track plays amazingly after the experience we’ve had until now.
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In the live show Tyler does take the mask off, right before starting to talk to himself.
10. Tomorrow
Some guitar to start the track and his mom asking for a child. We go back to the theme in Hey Jane. Tyler is recognising he’s getting older, as tomorrow is always coming, and he prefers that nobody waits on him. He’s recognising that he still hasn’t decided if he’s going to settle down or continue the lifestyle with expensive cars and clothes.
11. Thought I Was Dead featuring ScHoolboy Q — presented live
An exhibition to everyone else, as trumpets play up to the braggadocious theme. He’s calling everyone out in the hip-hop and rap scene while putting himself above everybody else. ScHoolboy Q also brings that feeling of being from the hood but moving away from it.
For the live show, ScHoolboy Q’s energy is ideal. Tyler goes on a speech at the end of the song about how they tried to take everything from him because they thought he was dead, but they never had what was needed, and he still overcomes everybody else. It’s pretty funny how Q stays there to the side just waiting for it to be over, even if he seems to support the message.
12. Like Him — presented live
Starts with a speech from Tyler’s mom and some piano, where Bonita Smith tells him that he looks a lot like the dad that left Tyler. The insecurity appears again. Will Tyler be like his father and leave his son, as he rapped about in Hey Jane?
Lola Young brings such a passion to this track, which actually didn’t need it (even if it’s a welcome voice), considering the theme, the sound, and everything surrounding it. The track closes with Tyler’s mom telling him that it was actually her decision for the father to not be around, and she asks Tyler for forgiveness.
In my opinion, this is the best track of the album. It encapsulates the feeling of the album. The guitar is stellar and the synth is astounding.
I’ve never even appreciated Tyler’s singing voice in this track until the live show. He sounds so emotional, so powerful, so introspective. It isn’t anything like his rap, and it makes sense why it was needed here. It conveys vulnerability, as well as no braggadocious attitude.
13. Balloon featuring Doechii — presented live
Don’t stop is a message that echoes throughout the song. Tyler raps about not liking superficiality, working hard, and loving himself. Doechii has an amazing verse that goes in this direction, and she fits very well with the beat chosen for this track.
Balloon comes exactly after a complete darkness where we hear Tyler’s message to him about his dad. It makes the order of the album even more interesting because it does seem like he has taken the decision to stop thinking about something so serious and just enjoy life.
According to Tyler, Daniel Caesar was a big influence on this album, and it fits with the appearances that we check throughout the album. Caesar has an amazing voice, and he brought a very fundamental emotional depth to everything.
14. I Hope You Find Your Way Home
I Hope You Find Your Way Home puts the bow tie in the album’s message. Tyler is talking to himself about travelling his own path, finding himself, and what he wants to do. At the end of it all, Tyler’s mom tells him that she’s proud of him, and he’s satisfied with that. The doubts will still remain, and he’s still working on finding the path for himself. The synth is astounding as a closing sound. Yet, Tyler, being Tyler, prepares the album to be heard in a loop, and the Chromakopia message appears at the end of the track, acting as a perfect transition to the beginning of the album.
The complex colours of being a human being
This is an album whose genre is complicated to define, and let’s start by addressing that point by going back in time. In 2019, Tyler won the rap album Grammy award for Igor, and he believed that the album doesn’t really fit in the rap category and thought that putting it into that genre sucked because whenever we — and I mean guys that look like me — do anything that’s genre-bending or that’s anything, they always put it in a rap or urban category, which is — I don’t like that ‘urban’ word. That’s just a politically correct way to say the n-word to me.
Tyler has been breaking real ground with the style that he brings to his music. It’s an astonishing feat that he produces, writes, and arranges his own music. It shows that he’s experimenting, but most importantly he’s expressing himself. It’s also one of the reasons why it’s complicated, as well as somewhat wrong to give it a label since it ends up being a mixture of a lot of different genres that he decides to incorporate in his creation.
Now, with that settled (or not, because I ended up not defining the genre), it’s time to look at the album and its themes. The message that Tyler shares with this album is one that is very close to the human experience. There’s the insecurity of dealing with ourselves, our own decisions, our own achievements, and the people around us. It’s also very understandable to want to show the world that this insecurity actually doesn’t exist and we’re just ready to blaze forward, guns firing, ready to break everybody and everything that seems like a block in the path.
For this last mindset, we can look at the tracks Rah Tah Tah, Sticky, Thought I Was Dead, as well as some sprinkles in part of the other songs. It’s a completely justified energy for someone that is on his 8th full album, has a luxury brand (Golf Le Fleur), his own festival (that has been going for 10 years), as well as two Grammys (one for Igor and another for Call Me If You Get Lost). With the opportunity to work with artists that he looked up to, like Pharrell, Okonma has achieved incredible milestones.
Despite all this, the insecurity is still another colour of Chromakopia. It’s a concept fully realised with Noid, Hey Jane, Take Your Mask Off, Tomorrow and Like Him. Even if all the achievements can be recognised, there’s still some emptiness in Tyler’s life. The luxury, the cars, and the lifestyle might be all things that bring happiness, but it seems like he’s looking for fulfilment. Part of these doubts is well expressed by his own mother, telling him that she wants a grandchild, yet warns him at the same time to not be caught in a trap.
The paranoid aspect of Tyler will stop him from really loving someone, and he can’t deal with the concept of having a baby with someone that he doesn’t love. It goes deeper into his psyche of realising that the issues he’s going through need to be fixed because their time is still going on, and, as he recognises that superficiality isn’t his interest, something has to change, either internally or externally.
Our genetic chromatic heritage
And here we go into the complexity of it all with the track Like Him. For Tyler, his own personality can be a continuation of what he carries from his father. It could be that he actually achieved all of the success he has achieved despite his dad. Yet, it can also be that he never feels fulfilled because of his dad.
The album takes this wonderful trip where we realise that Tyler is suppressing his insecurity while also recognising that he is in a great point of his life. Having his mother as a narrator for the album is an emotional key to unlocking some big messages from this production.
After all of this, it’s relevant to dissect the St. Chroma character himself. St. Chroma is the mask that personifies the Tyler that we hear in this album, which, according to one fan theory, could be a character inspired by Chroma the Great from the book The Phantom Tollbooth. Chroma the Great is someone whose job is to conduct the orchestra that colours every day. Removing Chroma and his instruments would mean that the world would have no colour at all. This phenomenon is what is noticeable in the St. Chroma official video.
It’s only when St. Chroma loses the mask that we really can look into Tyler Okonma. The struggles are visible to everyone around; the insecurity is palpable, and yet, Tyler accepts this because his mother believes in him and explains to him that, actually, being like his father might not be the worst thing. After all, he wanted to be around, but it was Bonita’s pride that kicked him away. Maybe, just like Jane, Bonita believed she could bring Tyler to life by herself, if only to continue having a good relationship with Tyler’s dad.
After all, we all have our masks, and we attempt to cover some masks with new disguises and then new scenarios, and so on. The theatre that we play at is a massive one without a script, and we’re simply trying to get by, maybe through some superficiality and some introspectiveness in the 50/50 balance.
Tyler’s album is one that is an incredible listen. The synths, the piano, the marching band sound, the breathing, the lyrics, and everything that is purposefully arranged by him for this record is very deliberate and works as an extension of the artistic mind that lives behind all the struggle and the self-confidence. It’s an experience to find the colours in our life and understand that, sometimes we find a rainbow and other times we’ll find a black and white painting. Both are beautiful; how much we like it is just dependent on our chroma mood.
Closing it with Tyler’s message, I Hope You Find Your Way Home.
Until the next insomnia,
Pedro Barreiro
