Rest in peace to Ace, Wolf Haley, Chur Bum, Flower Boy, IGOR and Tyler Baudelaire who have all been found dead on March 29, 2023, allegedly at the hands of the cold-blooded murderer Tyler, The Creator.
The victims of the mass murder may be gone but will never be forgotten. One of Tyler’s first alter egos, Ace, was introduced alongside the psychiatrist Dr. TC, on the “BASTARD” mixtape in 2009. Unpacking childhood traumas and releasing frustrations in regards to society, both will be remembered as the entry into Tyler’s complex and unapologetic mind.
Another key persona was Wolf Haley, whose growth we saw span over several albums, notably on “Wolf” released in 2013. Wolf Haley saw Tyler move away from his hurt past self into a more confident, abrasive person. Recognisable by his blue flame shirt and mouth-wide-open face mask, Chur Bum was another who was not spared in the reckoning.
The bee-covered Flower Boy, who will always be known as Tyler’s entryway into a softer tone of music and IGOR, with his sharp red-and-pink suit and blonde bowl cut wig were also found at the crime scene. Lastly, Tyler Baudelaire, born out of the recent CMIYGL era, a man tied to his luxurious luggage and furry russian hat saw it snatched away from him by a sweat and blood-covered Tyler, the last identified victim. The whole ordeal was caught on tape and uploaded to Tyler, The Creator’s YouTube, titled SORRY NOT SORRY.
Just to be clear, no one is actually dead, but you already knew that. As part of Tyler’s “Estate Sale” B-side to “Call Me If You Get Lost” which is releasing tomorrow, the artist dropped the music video for SORRY NOT SORRY. Bringing together his past personas all in one room, or rather the same field, to apologise for past actions, we are also introduced to a new character, possibly hinting at what’s next for Tyler after his CMIYGL era.
The new Tyler, shirtless, starts off by apologising to his mother for not seeing her more and not being as close to her as both wish to be. The invisible mic is then passed onto Tyler Baudelaire who is sorry to past flames who he “led on” and “sped off” on. Tyler’s sexuality has always been a topic of speculation, from being accused of writing hom*ophobic lyrics to admitting he’s been “kissing white boy since 2004” on I Ain’t Got Time. On this new track, Flower Boy is left to the stage to acknowledge there were “guys [he] had to hide” from and “girls [he] had to lie to”.
Another theme explored within this song was that of money, specifically addressing the long-time fans who believe money has changed Tyler. He apologises to those fans as well as his ancestors for his obscene jewellery, but finally explaining that, even though some were bitter of his success, Tyler changing up his style was just a result of his own personal growth and maturing.
The only era we did not see getting killed off in the music video was one from his 2011 “Goblin” album, possibly hinting at a return to his horrorcore aesthetic, which is matched in the bloody nature of SORRY NOT SORRY’s music video. Though visually-speaking, the ‘new’ Tyler we see is a lot more plain in comparison to his other characters, appearing shirtless and wearing simple black straight trousers. Could Tyler, The Creator be entering his Tyler Okonma era, sticking to a stripped-down, authentic self rather than creating another personality? Maybe we’ll find out tomorrow with the release of “Estate Sale” or maybe we’ll have to wait for the next album.
More on CULTED
See: THE HISTORY OF TYLER, THE CREATOR’S ALTER-EGOS
See: CULTED 101: TYLER, THE CREATOR’SCULTURAL TAKEOVER WITH GOLF LE FLEUR*
