Tyler, The Creator sat down with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 for an in-depth conversation about his latest album, DON’T TAP THE GLASS. The wide-ranging discussion touched on the evolution of his sound, his desire to return to a playful spirit, the fine line between inspiration and plagiarism, making urgent, upbeat music, working with Clipse, and his thoughts on fatherhood.
After the personal and introspective tone of his previous project CHROMAKOPIA, Tyler explained that DON’T TAP THE GLASS was a conscious return to silliness and fun. “I just want to be fun and say outrageous shit… inside jokes that me and my friends laugh at, and just talk big fly shit,” he said, noting that the project avoided intros, outros, and beat switches in favor of direct, energetic tracks.
Tyler also discussed his eclectic interpretation of dance music on the album, drawing from influences like Jam and Lewis, New Orleans Bounce, Atlanta bass, Miami bass, UK jungle, and West Coast two-step. “That’s all my interpretation of dance music or music you could dance to,” he said, while also sharing his view that true originality requires filtering inspiration through one’s own creative lens.
On working with Clipse—an act he has admired since 2002—Tyler recounted recording his verse for “P.O.V.” during a tour stop in Dublin, admitting it took him 77 attempts to perfect. “I’d rather not send no bullshit just for the headline… and I nailed it,” he shared, calling the collaboration both surreal and deeply fulfilling.
Tyler praised Clipse’s new album Let God Sort Em Out, calling it a gospel record in spirit for how it reflects the morals, beliefs, and convictions of its contributors. “When you do that with music… that’s just gospel,” he explained.
In a lighter moment, the conversation also touched on fatherhood, with Tyler admitting he’s torn between being “the rich uncle” and envisioning a more hands-on role. “That’d be kind of sick… share music with some little fucker and dress up as a fireman on random Thursdays,” he said with a laugh, dismissing the idea of having children purely for legacy.
