Tyler, The Creator’s Best Videos

Though music videos are an important creative outlet for hip-hop artists, few videos are actually made by the artists they feature. Tyler, The Creator is not only an exception to this rule, but proof that the rule need not be followed. While earlier this year we highlighted Tyler’s antics in front of the camera, today we’d like to focus on his work behind it. Check out our list below.

8. “WHOA” – Earl Sweatshirt (Directed by: Wolf Haley)

Just like the song it visualizes, this video really embodies the “traditional” Odd Future aesthetic. There’s skateboarding, pranks, cameos from several members of the Odd Future crew and all-around weirdness. The beauty of the video is that these familiar, chaotic elements are presented in perfect harmony. That isn’t an easy task.

7. “NY (Ned Flander)” – Hodgy Beats & Tyler, The Creator (Directed by: Wolf Haley)

The visuals for “NY (Ned Flander)” are the sequel to the “Rella” video. In this one, Hodgy is bald, mustachioed, overweight, and taking pills while watching large women strip on TV. This dysfunctional atmosphere is amplified by the fact that Tyler is his baby and grandpa is a predator. What’s interesting about the video is that despite its clear elements of hyperbole and camp, somehow it’s still incredibly serious.

6. ‘Trouble On My Mind’ – Pusha T ft. Tyler, The Creator (Directed by: Decon’s Jason Goldwatch )

“Trouble on My Mind” is a cross-generational collab between Pusha T and Tyler that connects them through their shared respect for The Neptunes, who actually produced the song. This is the only video on the list that was not directed by Tyler, but it belongs here nonetheless because Tyler‘s visual flair is sublimated throughout, especially when Pusha-T comically dresses up as Tyler, crutches and all. In other words, though Pusha and Tyler are neck-and-neck on the actual song, Tyler owns this video.

5. “IFHY” – Tyler, The Creator (Directed by: Wolf Haley)

The Pharrell-assisted “IFHY/Jamba” is Tyler’s twisted version of a love song (the title stands for “I Fucking Hate You.”) The video has Tyler costumed as a life-sized doll living with his supposed true love, who is also a doll. The video centers around how they fail to live blissfully despite residing in the proverbial dollhouse. Their romance is so deformed, in fact, that even their faces, which should be perfect, are also deformed. This may all sound cynical, but Tyler seems to be speaking from an actual experience of love, so it’s actually very insightful. And the transition between “IFHY” and “Jamba” is so seamless that without the beat change, it might be unnoticeable.

4. “VCR” – Tyler, The Creator (Directed by: Wolf Haley)

“VCR” is a dark video that craftily uses suggestive imagery to represent the song’s dark content. It’s actually quite a surprise to see this video after hearing the song. Whereas the song is pure shock, horror after horror, the video is perverse, not showing anything, but hinting at everything. Tyler probably has a nice internal knowledge of horror movies and thrillers.