>Tyler took the "I'll be the weird black kid that
>white suburban kids love" route. And it got him very
>far. But it's not transcendent. It has a peak, and he's
>reached it. You can't alienate members of your own
>culture by trying too hard to be "the different negro."

He didn't "take that route", that's just who he is.

And who is he really alienating?
Dudes of varying age who think moisturizing their skin is an abomination of European origin? Boyce Watkins?

Certainly not other BLACK rappers or respected BLACK peers in the industry.

This dude got Kanye and Lil Wayne to be on the same song as him, rapping. The latter actually sounding like he didn't drink a bottle full of NyQuil mixed with vodka and crushed up pills while doing so.

Dam Funk, Alice Smith, Roy Ayers, Pharrell (his musical idol), Toro y Moi, Leon Ware, Wanya Morris, Erykah Badu, Schoolboy Q, and Charlie Wilson all have made music with this weirdo. On some of his weirdest tracks. Not even for bandwagoning, either.

Even when he was out there making songs about mostly bullshit, the ones who were the most offended weren't the black folks. It was mostly whites. I honestly don't think Tyler registered THAT much with mainstream America.

I don't get what's so different about his rap persona versus dudes who pretend to be drug dealers, but talk about the same kind of shit (more or less). Besides his whole "dressing like a skater" thing. White people ate it up (and Tyler made fun of it repeatedly), but they also ate up The Chronic.