But if he was never an active member of that community, does he earn his past? Is it acceptable if someone hasn't publicly identified as queer but uses queer language? That's a harder question to parse, but Tyler is all about presenting alter egos and mischief and there's still the possibility that all of this is a clever façade to sell albums. What does it mean if Tyler is actually coming out on Flower Boy? Does it absolve his past sins if he's been queer the entire time? It would stand to reason that those instances could be explained as reclaiming his own community's language. But the concept of a straight rapper, with young male fans reinforcing that usage of the word "faggot" was okay and cool has always rubbed me the wrong way. I don't want anyone to think I'm homophobic." He's often compared it to black colloquial usage of the n-word, which is fair, if you're gay. I don't know, we don't think about it, we're just kids. I just think 'faggot' hits and hurts people. In an interview with NME he said: "I'm not homophobic. Whatever Tyler's intent, the album has the word "fag" or "faggot" on it nine times, and his stance on the word has forever been bullshit. Sometimes I make concessions, particularly with previous-era rap, but in regards to Tyler, the last time I'd bothered listening to one of his records was 2011's Goblin: an unambiguously homophobic record. As a gay black man and a hip-hop fan, I've had to draw the line at what I will and won't listen to.
Who among us hasn't asked for forgiveness? The last album I ever expected to write about with any sort of sentimentality was one by Tyler, the Creator.