Tyler, The Creator wants podcast microphones gone for good. On Wednesday (Dec. 11), during his cover story with Billboard, the Grammy Award-winning musician spoke about CHROMAKOPIA, life in his 30s, and his apparent frustration with poorly articulated conversations.
“If I [were] president, the first thing I would do is take podcast mics away from n**gas,” Tyler told the publication. Given the rotating door of relationship debates, wild hypotheticals, and unhinged, it’s not difficult to see where the “EARFQUAKE” rapper is coming from.
It’s also a funny sentiment, considering Tyler himself has made his fair share of podcast appearances in recent years. Most notably, in August, the artist joined “Mavericks with Mav Carter,” where he talked about internet culture and called out a certain “white kid” — widely assumed to be ian — for “mocking” heavyweights like Future and Gucci Mane.
Regardless of opinions, podcasts have revitalized the voices of several Hip Hop icons, be it N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN’s “Drink Champs” or Joe Budden’s namesake show. Newer artists have also found success in the space, including Yung Miami’s “Caresha Please” or Lil Yachty’s now-axed “A Safe Place Podcast.”
Elsewhere in his Billboard interview, Tyler touched on the reception of CHROMAKOPA. The LP debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart with an impressive 299,500 album-equivalent units sold — a feat the Los Angeles native confessed he “didn’t expect.”
The 14-song offering housed previously loved tracks like “St. Chroma,” “Noid” and “Thought I Was Dead,” alongside contributions from GloRilla, ScHoolboy Q, Doechii, Sexyy Red and Teezo Touchdown, among others. Tyler is also set to hit the road for the “CHROMAKOPIA: THE WORLD TOUR” starting February 2025.
“I’m so blessed and fortunate. Thirteen years in and my latest s**t is my biggest. Sometimes it’s like, ‘What the f**k? This can’t be real.’ But then it’s also like, ‘I told y’all.’ It’s beautiful,” he explained.