These 5 Tyler, the Creator Lyrics Make Us Wonder Why Anyone Was Confused About His Sexuality
While it initially seemed that Tyler, the Creator‘s sexuality was one of the biggest mysteries in hip-hop, of late he’s been pretty open about being into men (in addition to women). His latest example is on “Gelato,” Tyler’s new remix of Jacquee’s “No Validation.” In honor of that remix, we decided to take a look at five of our favorite Tyler, the Creator gay lyrics (and more broadly queer lyrics, too).
5 Tyler, the Creator gay lyrics that’ll leave no doubt he’s a queer hip-hop star
1. “Gelato”
Ayo, tell me whats the prolo, I just pop models
Boys or girls these days, shit, it don’t matter
We had to start our list of favorite Tyler, the creator gay lyrics with his newest. It’s clear that Call Me By Your Name left a big imprint on Tyler’s psyche; this song has one of many references to the film with the line “so who’s Oliv, who’s Elio?” But we thought we’d highlight this line instead, where he addresses his bisexuality by saying gender “don’t matter.”
2. “Garden Shed”
All my friends lost
They couldn’t read the signs
I didn’t wanna talk and tell ’em my location
And they ain’t wanna walk
Truth is, since a youth kid, thought it was a phase
Thought it’d be like the phrase; “poof,” gone
But it’s still goin’ on
Though Tyler, the Creator has been dropping hints about his sexuality for years, 2017’s Scum Fuck Flower Boy had a number of lyrics explicitly addressing it. We particularly love this bit from “Garden Shed,” his collaboration with Estelle, in which Tyler, the Creator jokes about the commonly held belief (mostly by disappointed parents) that homosexuality is “just a phase.” For Tyler, at least, that phase is “still goin’ on.”
Many people in the LGBTQ community who have heard that themselves can relate to Tyler’s dismissal of the trope.
Plus, this lyric slyly uses the word “poof,” British slang for a gay man.
3. “I Ain’t Got Time!”
Next line will have ’em like “Whoa”
I’ve been kissing white boys since 2004
Another track from Scum Fuck Flower Boy, “I Ain’t Got Time!” is pretty upfront not only about Tyler, the Creator’s orientation but his tastes. Similar to the shoutout to Timothée Chalamet on his 2018 single “Okra,” Tyler’s upfront here about being attracted to white twinks. That said, he’s never been particularly secretive about it, either. In a 2015 Rolling Stone interview he mentions having a crush on ’96 Leonardo DiCaprio and Riverdale‘s Cole Sprouse.
4. “Crust in Their Eyes”
Rainbow on the belt, gang shit yeah yeah
I hopped out that bitch
Had to make some room for my furs
There are a couple of references to his sexuality in “Crust in Their Eyes.” There’s also yet another reference to Tyler, the Creator’s love of white twinks. But we particularly like this, in his remix of Kanye West‘s “Kids See Ghosts,” the way Tyler’s singing about not only representing the community with a rainbow on his belt but also letting his femme self shine by referring to wearing expensive fur coats.
5. “Domo 23”
So I grabbed Lucas and filmed us kissing
Feelings getting caught, it’s off, I’m pissing
You think I give a fuck? I ain’t even stick my dick in yet
(No homo. Too soon.)
This is the earliest song on our list, from 2013’s Wolf, and one reason we’re a little surprised it took this long for people to realize Tyler wasn’t 100% straight. Back then, in fact, it was assumed Tyler was actually homophobic, due to some of his lyrics. Tyler addressed that in “Domo 23,” saying that to demonstrate he wasn’t racist or homophobic he grabbed Lucas, the white member of Odd Future, and kissed him.
But then Tyler describes that, though he kissed Lucas just to piss people off, he might be having feelings for him — and plays it off with the homophobic line of straight bros everywhere, “No homo.” He then subverts its usual meaning by adding “Too soon,” implying it’s too early for a gay relationship with Lucas, as they hadn’t even had sex yet.
