Tyler, The Creator on Fun, Freedom and Finding His Groove – Zane Lowe’s Best Interview Yet

It has been years since Zane Lowe last sat down with Tyler, The Creator – the last conversation was back in 2017 or 2018 at Zane’s house – but their Apple Music interview proves the wait was worth it. Tyler turned up in a crisp white tee, red Golf le Fleur cap, a huge gold chain and a moustache, channelling his new Don’t Tap The Glass styling. As ever, he looked effortlessly cool.

The first thing Tyler talked about was his commitment to rest. If he isn’t busy, he’s home and in bed by 8.45pm – “I’m making out with that pillow” – and that discipline seems to fuel his creativity. When the topic shifted to his live shows, Tyler revealed something that stuck with me. He wants cameras on him – close-ups and medium close-ups – because, as he put it, “this is not about the crowd. This is about me.” It’s a bold artistic choice, but it fits perfectly with his aesthetic. Those split-screen shots during his latest tour amplify the performance’s intimacy and personality.

Tyler doesn’t rely on backup dancers – just his self-described “crack head energy” to fill the stage. Don’t Tap The Glass was created entirely by him, alone in hotel rooms, feeding off what he calls his “only child energy”. That loner mentality translated into one of the best albums we’ve heard in years – a record that feels fun, outrageous and free from the pressure to innovate for innovation’s sake. After the maturity and reflection of Chromokopia, Tyler wanted to be silly again – “I just wanna be fun and say outrageous shit and talk big fly shit. That was the goal.” The result is a party album with urgent, upbeat energy (120bpm is his sweet spot), yet still produced with precision and artistry.

The conversation got personal when Zane asked if Chromokopia taught him anything about himself. Tyler began it in 2020 and said it helped him understand what home means – and how important his mother is to his life story, hence her role as narrator. His live sets mirror the album’s themes of ageing, memory and self-reflection. Tyler agreed with Zane that albums timestamp a person’s life and believes that if you put something out, it should be 100% where you’re at. For him, perfectionism is a trap – “If you spend too much time trying to perfect it you might not put an album out for 15 years.” Right now, he wants to move with the freedom of his 17-year-old self.

When the discussion turned to Odd Future, Tyler admitted he misses the freedom of “just skating around or biking around LA… just being alive with the boys.” These days, life comes with a security detail – not something he complains about, just a reality of the success he wanted. Because so much of what he says gets taken out of context, he often defaults to humour in interviews. As he pointed out, context is everything, and it’s part of the reason so many top artists avoid interviews altogether.

One of my favourite moments was when Tyler spoke about Clipse. He’s been a fan since 2002, but their song So Far Ahead hit differently, especially the lyric: “They don’t know what it is when I’m on it, but once they figure it out, I don’t want it.” That sentiment – moving on once the world catches up – is something he deeply relates to. It’s also why he considers certain albums his “gospels” and looks for that same quality in other records.

Zane asked which of his own songs felt like they came from somewhere else. Tyler mentioned Sucker Free, a love letter to the LA house party scene of his youth, and I Take Care of You, which he described as bright and romantic – “that shit is super special” – created almost accidentally, with minimal thought, yet ending up perfect.

Tyler is always evolving – musically, visually, personally. From experimenting with facial hair to shifting textures in fashion and sound, he embraces change without hesitation. He’s funny, cool, and laid-back, even while constantly working. Zane Lowe clearly puts him at ease, letting him spill his chaotic, eclectic thoughts without restraint.

They touched on fatherhood – Tyler wonders if he’d rather be the rich uncle or share music with a little version of himself – and discussed plagiarism, inspiration and even AI. On the latter, Tyler’s stance is clear: “It’s ok to sometimes suck at shit.” He’ll never use AI to fake his voice, preferring to keep trying through love and effort.

The excitement in his voice was unmissable when he spoke about contributing to the new Clipse album – a verse for Pusha T that he recorded 77 times to get just right. As he put it, “Music is like the sun. I can’t live without it. I could sit and talk about it all day.” Right now, he’s also listening to artists like Liim and Little Simz.

This interview reminded me why Tyler, The Creator is one of the most compelling voices in music – unfiltered, endlessly creative, and always in motion. And it reminded me why Zane Lowe is one of the few interviewers who can capture that energy in full.

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