Tyler, The Creator Breaks Down His Inspirations & Talks New Album (Video)

After releasing his new album, Cherry Bomb earlier this week, Tyler, The Creator stopped by the Tavis Smiley show to chop it up.

Before even beginning the interview, Tyler tells Tavis about the first time he watched the show, which had R. Kelly and Pharrell Williams talking about N*E*R*D’s In Search Of album. Tyler says he went on to purchase that album after watching the show and it changed his life. This leads to Tavis asking Tyler about another inspiration of his, Roy Ayers, who makes a guest appearance on Cherry Bomb.

Tavis gets Tyler to talk about how he perceives himself, and how the world perceives him, which gets him talking about curiosity, creativity and open-mindedness (2:30). Tyler talks about not liking school, but wanting to learn (3:40), and also how he interacted with other students when he was in high school, reflecting on being shunned by black kids for listening to rock music yet being accepted for his ability to rap (4:20).

Tyler is then asked about his brand, and he talks about wanting to promote free-thinking and open-mindedness, tying back to films like Pleasantville and Dead Poets Society (6:00). He also breaks down how his writing process has changed from when he was 18 to now, talking about how he’s become comfortable writing about his own life (8:40).

The interview wraps up on a humorous note, as Tyler talks about his future plans to “do everything”, including making a tie for Tavis Smiley to wear. Check out the whole interview below:

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