Tyler, the Creator marches through 'Chromakopia' on Valentine's Day at the Crypto.com Arena
But the veteran rapper, who's earned his stamp as one of the most exciting live performers of this era, did anything but what would've been convenient on Friday night.
Read more: Doechii, Vince Staples, Tyler, the Creator and more light up Day 1 of Camp Flog Gnaw at Dodger Stadium
During the opening night of his hometown residency at the arena — which was illuminated in green lights to match the album's aesthetic — Tyler, the Creator bounced between two massive stages in the 20,000-capacity venue. His show cleverly took fans on a musical journey of his steady 15-year ascent, reminding them why he's "That Guy" (his freestyle over Kendrick Lamar's "Hey Now") without the aid of any special guests during his nearly two-hour performance. Paris Texas, the L.A.-based rap duo, and Lil Yatchy opened the show with high-energy sets.
As his mother's voice rang over the arena's sound system like a God from the heavens during the album's opening track, "St. Chroma," Tyler, the Creator (born Tyler Okonma) slowly appeared, marching to the militant-sounding beat on a stage filled with green storage boxes. With bright green lights shining on him, and fitted in a suit reminiscent of a bellhop's uniform, a mask with cutout holes for his eyes and mouth, and an Afro split into two mountain peaks, he looked like a menacing supervillain while he rapped his most vulnerable album yet, which explores themes of aging, fatherhood, masculinity, monogamy, fame and more.
When he reached the album's climax, "Sticky" (featuring GloRilla, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne), the 33-year-old rapper climbed onto an elevated catwalk and threw several $1 bills into the crowd below him, before slowing things down for the smooth "Take Your Mask Off," doing just that by the song's ending.
Read more: Tyler, the Creator: Hip-hop fashion and music entrepreneur
Continuing to walk down the elevated runway, he changed into a more casual look (a white T-shirt, green Golf le Fleur button-up, fitted "Petalers" cap and loafers), then entered a second stage, a faux living room. It was outfitted with a couch, coffee table, piano and record player. Nearby was a vinyl box filled with Tyler, the Creator's own records, with which he marked a turning point of the show.
As he flipped through the records, he revealed hints on what album he'd perform from next, igniting a thunderous roar from the crowd each time. (At one point, the crowd began chanting "Cherry Bomb," to which Tyler, the Creator hilariously reminded them that this was his show and he'd do what he wanted to do.)
He then dove into snippets from his catalog including "Igor" (with tracks like "Earfquake" and "I Think"), "Goblin" ("Yonkers" and "She"), "Wolf" ("Tamale" and "IFHY"), "Call Me If You Get Lost" ("I Thought You Wanted to Dance" and "Dogtooth"), "Cherry Bomb" ("Deathcamp") and "Flower Boy" ("Boredom" and "See You Again").
Back at the "Chromakopia" stage and still dressed in his casual fit, he performed the last four tracks on the album — as well as "New Magic Wand" from "Igor" — including a ferocious acapella of "Thought I Was Dead," similar but just as intense as during his Camp Flog Gnaw set. Newly minted Grammy winner and Top Dawg Entertainment darling Doechii appeared on a massive screen to rap her verse on "Balloon," then Tyler, the Creator ended the night with the gorgeously emotional "I Hope You Find Your Way Home."
At this point in his career, Tyler, the Creator is known for putting on an entertaining show, but this set in particular reaffirmed what L.A. fans have known since his Odd Future days, hanging out on Melrose Avenue: He's a fearless artist who is authentically himself, is constantly challenging himself creatively (no matter what others think), and will continue to push boundaries within the industry.
Get notified when the biggest stories in Hollywood, culture and entertainment go live. Sign up for L.A. Times entertainment alerts.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Wednesday' Season 2 Part 1 Ending Explained: Who Died? Who Was Unmasked as a Killer?
The first part of Wednesday season 2 ended on a worrisome note following multiple deaths and a large threat unleashed at Nevermore. Warning: This story contains spoilers about season 2 of . Wednesday, which premiered in November 2022, is based on the character originally introduced in The Addams Family cartoons. In Netflix's version, Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) attempts to solve a murder mystery at her new school. The first half of the second season premiered on Wednesday, August 6, and heightened the stakes with Wednesday not determined to keep Enid (Emma Myers) safe after a deadly premonition. In the final moments of part 1, Wednesday had been seemingly knocked out of a Willow Hill window by her ex-boyfriend and deadly Hyde a.k.a Tyler (Hunter Doohan). Wednesday's fate was left up in the air as Tyler escaped into the woods, alongside handfuls of other mental institution patients. There's also this season's mystery murderer who killed two people in two days but had yet to be unmasked. Netflix's 'Wednesday' Cast Weighs In on the Show's Biggest Ships: From Weyler to Wenclair Luckily, Wednesday fans have even more to look forward to with the hit series already renewed for season 3. Showrunner Alfred Gough and Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria released a statement in July confirming that there is also a Wednesday spinoff in the works. 'It's something we're definitely noodling. There are other characters we can look at," Gough teased before Bajaria added, 'There's a lot to explore in the Addams Family.' Keep scrolling to find out where each character stands at the end of Wednesday season 2 part 1 now that the episodes are streaming on Netflix: Wednesday Addams By the end of part 1, Wednesday was trying to help the outcasts escape when she ran into Tyler in Hyde form. The audience didn't see what happened before Wednesday was thrown out of the building, which left her fate unknown. Enid Sinclair After finally unlocking her wolf side, Enid returned to Evermore a new version of herself. With that came doubts about her relationship with Ajax (Georgie Farmer), whom she avoided for most of part 1 until he got the hint. Instead, Enid grew closer to newbie Bruno and questioned her friendship with Wednesday, not knowing her friend was trying to keep her safe from a possible looming death. Tyler Galpin Most of part 1 had Tyler locked up in Willow Hill where Wednesday and later Laurel (Christina Ricci) visited him. Despite attempts to decrease Tyler and Laurel's bond, his strength as a Hyde was greater than ever. By the end of part 1, Tyler was able to escape from his confinement and his first act of business was attacking his master. Tyler — in Hyde form — then came face to face with Wednesday and the next thing viewers saw was her being thrown out a window and her ex running for the woods. Wednesday's Biggest Controversies: From Questionable Working Conditions to Sexual Assault Allegations Bianca Barclay Laurel Gates During the first part of season 2 Ricci's character was brought to Willow Hill as a prisoner after she was previously kept in a separate facility to keep her far away from Tyler. The first reunion didn't go as planned when Tyler transformed into the Hyde and nearly killed Laurel. She tried to win his favor over again once the outcasts broke out of Willow Hill. But Laurel's attempt to help him didn't work in her favor and the Hyde ultimately chased her down and appeared to kill her — seemingly for good this time. Morticia Addams and Gomez Addams Pugsley Addams After playing a smaller role in season 1, Wednesday's brother was not attending Nevermore too. He had a tough time adjusting to the school — especially when it came to making friends. Pugsley finding and adopting a zombie didn't exactly help his situation and part 1 wasn't even over before the monster escaped and ate quite a few brains along the way.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Tyler, The Creator Has Had Enough of Timothée Chalamet in Fiery ‘Marty Supreme' Trailer: Watch
Tyler, the Creator is set to make his feature film debut in A24's Marty Supreme, and the Josh Safdie-directed movie released its first trailer on Wednesday (Aug. 13). Starring Timothée Chalamet opposite Gwyneth Paltrow, the film follows Marty Mauser (Chalamet), an aspiring ping-pong player with dreams of stardom, even when nobody believes in him making it to the top of the sport. Set in the 1950s, Mauser will do just about anything to make his dream a reality. More from Billboard Kid Cudi Didn't Want to Testify in Diddy Trial, But 'I Knew I Was Helping Cassie' Charli xcx Explains Why People Are 'Envious' of Addison Rae Justin Bieber Takes His 'Chicken Legs' for a Night Swim in 'First Place' Music Video: Watch Tyler, the Creator makes a couple of brief cameos in the trailer, which finds him hyped up while driving Chalamet around, who appears to be counting money after a big win. A separate scene sees Tyler angrily shouting in Chalamet's face and he even pushes him in the head with his fingers in the shape of a gun. 'I have a purpose, and if you think that's some sort of blessing, it's not,' Chalamet says in the trailer. 'It means I have an obligation to see a very specific thing through, and with that obligation comes sacrifice.' The Oscar-nominated actor adds in a later scene of his belief in himself: 'I know it's hard to believe, but I'm telling you, this game, it fills stadiums overseas. And it's only a matter of time before I'm staring at you from the cover of a Wheaties box.' It's Josh Safdie's first time back in the director's chair since 2019's Uncut Gems. He assembled an eccentric cast that includes Tyler, the Creator, Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary, Fran Drescher, magician Penn Jillette, Abel Ferrara and Chalamet's love interest played by Odessa A'zion. According to Deadline, the movie's plot is 'draws lose inspiration' from the career of pro ping pong player Marty Reisman. Marty Supreme hits theaters nationwide on Christmas. Watch the trailer below. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart Solve the daily Crossword
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Even in death, Aurora's beloved Christmas lady reflected a Hallmark life
Karen Bozarth was all about spreading goodwill toward men – and women and children. And not just at Christmas, her favorite holiday season, but throughout the entire year. Her last Facebook post, on July 25, in fact, was a happy reminder that Christmas was only five months away, part of her monthly countdown that was but a small indication of how much Aurora's 'Christmas Lady' loved that magical time of year. Karen, who had been battling heart issues, died in her Aurora home on Aug. 7 at age 61. But those who loved her – and there are many – take comfort in knowing she passed away enjoying one of her favorite activities: watching a Hallmark movie. While that last romantic storyline she was watching centered around Valentine's Day, Karen's favorites from this cable channel were its Christmas movies. Which makes sense as she and her husband of 31 years, Jim Bozarth, became well-known for their magnificent Christmas House, which WGN-TV featured last December. I first met Karen when I wrote a column about their holiday home in Orchard Valley subdivision, where every room was turned into a magical wonderland with 35 trees, 300 snowmen and hundreds of wreaths, figurines and yuletide mementoes. Then there was the basement, which contained 13 tables filled with a spectacular Department 56 Snow Village collection that included more than 400 buildings and over 1,000 accessories, with hundreds of moving parts, as well as a train circling the 56 separate villages. The Bozarths held an annual open house that allowed thousands of people over the years to enjoy this holiday wonderland. That's how I first met Karen, when someone told me about the display and I went to see it for myself. I certainly did not know Karen well. But it didn't matter. She was one of those people you can't forget because she exuded the kind of warmth and happiness that makes you feel as if you've known her for years. 'One of a kind' sounds so cliche, yet those words, which have been used frequently to describe Karen as the Facebook tributes began flowing, really do sum up who she was inside and out. 'There are some people who have sun inside them,' one Facebook post said. 'It's hard to explain. Their presence just brightens. It's not about their beautiful smiles. They have an internal being that sheds light and feels like sun. It's a calm energy, inner peace. But most importantly, it's not wanting anything in return. It's sun.' Other posts also talked about how special Karen was as a person. 'There will never be another like her.' 'If you knew her you loved her.' 'This woman was the light in everyone's life; the most lovely person you could ever meet.' 'She was one of God's angels put on this Earth to remind us there is still love and kindness in this world …' Karen had been battling serious health issues for a while, her husband told me, but it was a broken femur from a fall in June that forced her to take time off from a long career with Scholastic Inc. in St. Charles. She was not feeling well on Thursday but declined Jim's offer to make a trip to the emergency room, opting instead to watch a movie from her vast Hallmark channel DVD collection, where Christmas-themed narratives are the superstars. Sitting near his wife using his tablet, Jim noticed Karen had fallen asleep, only to discover a short time later she was unresponsive. As one Facebook post read: 'Heaven gained the most beautiful angel on Thursday night.' No one knows that more than 27-year-old Jordan Davis, who moved from Florida to Chicago in 2019 for job reasons and was introduced to Karen, a West Aurora High School classmate of her mom Amy who had reconnected via Facebook. 'When I first met her, I thought, is this fake? No one can be this nice. But the more I visited, the more time I spent with them, I knew it was all genuine,' she said, who now considers Karen her 'Illinois mom.' 'Over the years she has been a constant light in my life, an amazing resource,' Davis told me, adding that, unlike 'so many people you come across, there was no agenda, no hidden motive.' Christmas this year, of course, will be different for those who loved Karen. As will Davis' upcoming wedding, where she will walk down the aisle with a locket specially made for her by the woman who 'took me in' and 'loved you like you are her own.' The locket arrived on Thursday, Jim told me, but not before Karen got a chance to see how special it was. Says Davis, who received it over the weekend, 'It is even more meaningful now.' Karen Bozarth – whose funeral Mass is at 10 a.m. Aug. 13 at Holy Angels Catholic Church in Aurora – leaves behind a legion of friends and family with similar feelings and stories to share that paint a Hallmark portrait of a woman who would not only give a stranger the shirt off her back but was a whole lot of fun to hang around. Karen also leaves behind that magnificent snow village collection, which never was dismantled after she and Jim announced last December that, due to health issues, it was the display's final year. I am so glad I got the chance to view it. Even more, I'm grateful for the opportunity to have met Karen Bozarth. Just as her holiday home had to be seen to be believed, so also did this beautiful Christmas lady whose bright light brought so much joy to the world.
