Tyler, the Creator Makes It Clear Kanye Is ‘Someone I Dearly Love,’ Not the Target of “Stuntman” Bars

"I love that n***a, and that is not about him," Tyler said of his popular 'The Estate Sale' track, proceeding to break down the lines in question.

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Tyler, the Creator is setting the record straight.

During an appearance on Rap Radar, the 32-year-old artist made it clear he has nothing but love for Kanye West—contrary to what some might believe. Certain listeners were convinced Tyler had taken aim at his former collaborator on “Stuntman,” a fan-favorite track from 2023’s Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale deluxe album. 

“How you tell us that you’re real but you stay off the meds? (Lyin’)” he rapped on the track. Some believed Tyler was referencing Ye’s mental health struggles and his admitted refusal to take prescribed psychiatric medication. Tyler told hosts Elliott Wilson and Brian “B.Dot” Miller that the lyrics were misinterpreted because people “have terrible comprehension skills.”

Just after the 1:30:30 mark below, he explained, “I would never diss—like, no, I love that n***a, and that is not about him. It’s actually about the rest of the world when I say, ‘Wipe your feet on that doormat before you speak.’ Again, people just being hypocrites, and I said, ‘How you tell us that you’re real but you stay off the meds?’ By ‘stay off the meds,’ I mean people be out here on every drug in the world talkin’ about they a real n***a and they 100. And it’s like, that’s a lie. Your lens is—you're drugged up right now, you sound stupid.”

Tyler said he thought it was “so crazy” people automatically believed he was criticizing Ye, but felt it was necessary to clear up the confusion so he doesn't have to read another "article thinking that I’m saying some shit about someone who I dearly love.” He also shouted out Kanye for clearing the "Heaven to Me" sample on The Estate Sale.

Diving deeper into what he was rapping about, Tyler said “Stuntman” highlights the hypocrisy, double standards, and lack of priorities in society. He proved this by giving a bar-by-bar breakdown of the final verse. “‘How you got no house keys but you show off Patek?’” he recapped. “And in the background, I say, ‘priorities.’ I’m seeing a lot of folks just not really having a place to live or a means of transportation, but they iced out. And I’m like, man, these priorities are crazy.”

Tyler then pointed to the lyrics that tackled hypocrisy in religion, homophobia, and sexuality. “‘How you call that girl a ho but got 10 baby mamas?’” he recited. “I hate the double standard that people have on grown women having sex and being a fuckin’ adult. That shit is weird. And n***as be out here having kids that they don’t even take care of and fuckin’ everything, but have the nerve to call someone—n***as sound stupid.”

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Bringing it back to Kanye, T concluded, “It’s all so crazy to me, and people read [those lyrics] and thought I was talking about Ye? I’m like, are y’all fucking stupid? Look at everyone you’re listening to—that’s who I’m talking about.”

You can check out Tyler, the Creator’s full interview here. He also speaks on Odd Future critics, the futility of best rapper/album lists, and the ways he was crucially inspired by Q-Tip.

Twitter: @ElliottWilson

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