Who Dat Boy (feat. A$AP Rocky)

"Who Dat Boy" is a confrontational and multi-layered track that explores themes of identity, outsider status, and success in the face of scrutiny. The central, recurring question, "Who dat boy? Who him is?", serves as the song's anchor, representing both an external query from a public trying to define Tyler and an internal grappling with his own evolving persona. On one level, the lyrics are a boastful assertion of individuality and artistic integrity. Tyler positions himself as a unique creator who rejects mainstream consumerism ("I don't shop at the mall") in favor of his own brand (GOLF), declaring himself a "goddamn artist."

The song also functions as a defiant response to jealousy and hate. The chorus directly questions the negativity directed at him and A$AP Rocky, asking, "Why you niggas feel like that? / Mad 'cause a nigga neck chill like that?". It's a classic hip-hop trope of flaunting success to antagonize detractors, with A$AP Rocky's verse amplifying this through litanies of designer brands and wealth. However, beneath the bravado, there's a layer of paranoia and aggression. The track's hard-hitting, horror-influenced beat and Tyler's aggressive delivery create a tense, unsettling atmosphere that suggests the identity being questioned is a dangerous and volatile one. The music video further deepens the meaning, introducing themes of transformation and escape, with some interpretations suggesting it's a metaphor for Tyler trying to change his identity to be more accepted, possibly in relation to his sexuality.

The song begins with a sense of urgency and mystery, repeatedly asking, "Who dat boy? Who him is?". This isn't just a casual question; it's a challenge, a demand to identify an enigmatic figure who stands out from the crowd. This person doesn't conform to mainstream trends, rejecting mall shopping for a self-curated, artistic style branded with his own "GOLF" line. He presents himself as a true artist, someone who can create from scratch, and his fashion sense is described as "fresh to death," as if he's dressed in a coffin—a morbid yet stylish image. There are dark undertones to his confidence, with references to being a problem that won't stop until the police are involved and a grim image of being found with his face blown off.

The chorus amplifies this confrontation, questioning why others harbor negative feelings towards him. It's a direct address to the haters, asking why they're mad about his success, his flashy jewelry ("neck chill like that"), and his expensive cars ("push wheel like that"). The repetition of "Why you puttin' bad vibes in the air like that?" suggests a frustration with unwarranted jealousy and negativity from onlookers.

A$AP Rocky's verse continues this theme of confident individuality but shifts the tone to one of luxurious bravado. He echoes the opening question, "Who dem boys?", before launching into a series of rhetorical questions that highlight his own status, wealth, and appeal. He boasts about his unique style, his large... presence, his flashy wristwear, and his high-fashion choices, name-dropping brands like Guess and Number (N)ine. He reminisces about his come-up, from his "fresh freshmen" days to his current status as a "senior citizen" in the rap game who still commands respect. His verse is a whirlwind of designer labels, financial success, and sexual prowess, all delivered with a smooth, effortless flow that contrasts with Tyler's more aggressive delivery. He concludes by playfully remarking on a woman's ability to make his "dick disappear," a blunt and boastful end to his litany of achievements.

The song's core identity crisis returns with the final repetition of the hook. The incessant questioning of "Who dat boy?" leaves the listener in a state of suspense. Is he a dangerous outcast, a misunderstood artist, a flamboyant success, or all of the above? The track doesn't provide a clear answer, instead reveling in the ambiguity and the power that comes from being an undefinable, unapologetic individual who forces the world to ask who he is.

"Who Dat Boy" was released on June 30, 2017, as a dual single alongside "911 / Mr. Lonely," serving as the lead singles for Tyler, The Creator's fifth studio album, Flower Boy. The song was written and produced entirely by Tyler himself, with A$AP Rocky (Rakim Mayers) credited as a co-writer for his verse.

An interesting part of the song's history is that the beat was not originally intended for Tyler's own use. He revealed that he created the beat in late 2015 specifically for ScHoolboy Q, who ultimately turned it down. After ScHoolboy Q passed on it, Tyler kept the aggressive, synth-heavy production for himself. The collaboration with A$AP Rocky was a natural fit, as the two were good friends who had toured together in 2015 and previously collaborated on the A$AP Mob track "Telephone Calls."

The suspenseful, cinematic intro of the song was inspired by a 2005 photograph titled "Sukhumi beach" by Norwegian photographer Jonas Bendiksen. Tyler explained that the image, depicting a woman looking back with a sense of foreboding, sparked the eerie and unsettling feeling he wanted to create in the track's opening moments. The song's music video, directed by Tyler under his pseudonym Wolf Haley, was released simultaneously and played a significant role in its launch and interpretation.

The song and its accompanying music video are rich with symbolism and metaphors, primarily centered on identity, transformation, and societal pressure.

• The Face Transplant: The most potent symbol comes from the music video, where an explosion scars Tyler's face, leading him to get a white man's face surgically grafted on by Dr. A$AP Rocky. This act is widely interpreted as a metaphor for assimilation and the desire to escape the scrutiny and dangers faced by a Black man in America. By adopting a new, white face, he can seemingly evade the police who are chasing him, symbolizing the concept of white privilege and a desperate attempt to change one's identity to survive.
• "Who Dat Boy?": The titular phrase is a symbolic representation of an identity crisis. It's a question posed by outsiders, but also one Tyler asks of himself. He is a "walking paradox," an artist who has evolved from the shock-value horrorcore of his early career to the more introspective and vulnerable themes of Flower Boy. The question reflects this state of flux and the public's inability to categorize him.
• Suburban Setting & Horror Tropes: The video is set in a stereotypical American suburb, a location typically associated with white, middle-class life. By injecting horror movie conventions—like references to films such as Eyes Without a Face and Get Out—into this setting, Tyler subverts its idyllic image, turning it into a place of paranoia, danger, and identity horror. This symbolizes the underlying anxieties and threats that exist even in seemingly peaceful environments for someone who is perceived as an outsider.

The predominant emotional atmosphere of "Who Dat Boy" is one of aggression, tension, and paranoia. This intense emotional landscape is meticulously crafted through a convergence of musical and lyrical elements. The song's production is key; it's built on a foundation of jarring, dissonant synths and a hard-hitting, trap-influenced beat that immediately establishes a sense of unease and confrontation. The cinematic, horror-film-esque string intro builds suspense, preparing the listener for an unsettling experience rather than a conventional rap track.

Tyler's vocal performance is raw and forceful, delivered with a breathless urgency that conveys panic and defiance. He sounds like he is on the run, both physically and metaphorically, which aligns with the narrative of the music video. This creates a feeling of being cornered and lashing out. In stark contrast, A$AP Rocky's verse introduces a feeling of cool, arrogant confidence. His smoother, more relaxed delivery provides a brief respite from Tyler's chaotic energy, shifting the emotional tone to one of defiant bravado before the track returns to its tense hook. The song oscillates between these poles of panicked aggression and confident swagger, ultimately creating a mixed but overwhelmingly intense and confrontational emotional experience.

"Who Dat Boy" made a significant cultural splash upon its release, largely driven by its provocative, self-directed music video and its role in heralding a new, more nuanced era for Tyler, The Creator. The song debuted at number 87 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking an important chart appearance for Tyler as a lead artist.

The music video, directed by Tyler's alter-ego Wolf Haley, was a major talking point. Its gory imagery, cinematic quality, and allusions to films like Get Out and Eyes Without a Face garnered widespread discussion and analysis. The video's surreal and shocking narrative—featuring a face transplant performed by A$AP Rocky—was praised for its creativity and subversion of typical hip-hop video tropes, such as its notable absence of women. This visual component was crucial to the song's impact, making it a viral event and a piece of performance art that transcended the music itself.

Critically, the song was seen as a powerful return for Tyler, showcasing his growth as a producer and lyricist while retaining the aggressive edge of his earlier work. It served as a perfect introduction to the sonic and thematic landscape of Flower Boy, an album that would earn him a Grammy nomination and cement his transition from an underground provocateur to a critically acclaimed artist. The track remains a fan favorite and a staple of his live performances, often performed with A$AP Rocky to massive crowd reactions.

The rhyme and rhythm of "Who Dat Boy" are central to its aggressive and propulsive feel. Tyler, The Creator constructs a rhythmic landscape that is both complex and relentlessly driving.

Rhyme Scheme: The song largely employs a free verse structure but is dense with various types of rhymes that create a complex internal architecture. Tyler utilizes a combination of perfect rhymes ("swear"/"chair"), slant rhymes ("artist"/"coffin"), and frequent internal rhymes ("fresh to death like he got dressed"). This intricate rhyming adds to the verbal dexterity and the feeling of controlled chaos in his verse. A$AP Rocky's verse is similarly complex, weaving multi-syllabic rhymes that emphasize his smooth, technical flow (e.g., "Number (N)ine"/"never mind"/"another time").

Rhythm and Flow: The song's tempo is set at a driving 115 BPM. A key rhythmic feature is the contrast between the straight-eighth note feel of the main beat and a triplet-based, swung hi-hat pattern. This rhythmic friction creates an off-kilter, unsettling groove that keeps the listener on edge. Tyler's lyrical delivery is aggressive and percussive, often feeling like he's rushing ahead of the beat, which enhances the song's sense of urgency and panic. A$AP Rocky's flow is more relaxed and in the pocket, providing a stylistic counterpoint. His mid-verse flow switch adds a satisfying moment of rhythmic variation. This interplay between the hard-hitting beat and the distinct vocal rhythms of the two artists defines the track's dynamic energy.

"Who Dat Boy" showcases a blend of Tyler's signature literary and musical techniques, creating a track that is both aggressive and intricately constructed.

Musical Techniques:

• Dissonant Production: Tyler, as the producer, crafts a beat built on tension. It features a jarring, heavy synth line and incorporates dissonant musical intervals (notes a semitone apart played simultaneously) to create a tense, horror-movie-like atmosphere. This unsettling soundscape is a hallmark of his horrorcore influences.
• Juxtaposed Vocal Delivery: The song's structure hinges on the contrast between Tyler's and A$AP Rocky's vocal styles. Tyler's delivery is raw, aggressive, and almost breathless, conveying a sense of panic and defiance. In contrast, A$AP Rocky's flow is smoother, more laid-back, and swaggering, providing a moment of cool confidence that perfectly complements Tyler's chaotic energy.
• Cinematic Introduction: The track begins with a 33-second instrumental intro that slowly builds suspense with swirling strings and eerie sounds before the beat drops. This extended, atmospheric opening is highly atypical for a hip-hop single and functions like the opening scene of a film, setting a cinematic and unsettling tone.

Literary Techniques:

• Repetition and Parallelism: The lyrical structure relies heavily on repetition and parallelism. The central hook, "Who dat boy? Who him is?", is repeated insistently, drilling the theme of identity into the listener's mind. A$AP Rocky's verse also uses parallelism, with lines repeatedly starting with "Who else...", creating a rhythmic, boastful cadence.
• Rhetorical Questions: Both artists employ rhetorical questions to challenge the listener and their critics. Tyler's "Why you niggas feel like that?" and Rocky's series of "Who else...?" questions are not meant to be answered but to assert dominance and express frustration.

What is the meaning behind Tyler, The Creator's song 'Who Dat Boy'?

The song explores themes of identity, fame, and being an outsider. The recurring question 'Who dat boy?' reflects both public scrutiny and Tyler's own self-perception, while the aggressive lyrics and beat convey a defiant response to jealousy and those who try to define him.

Was the beat for 'Who Dat Boy' originally made for another artist?

Yes, Tyler, The Creator originally produced the beat for ScHoolboy Q in late 2015. After ScHoolboy Q decided not to use it, Tyler kept the track for himself and later featured A$AP Rocky on it for his album 'Flower Boy'.

What movies are referenced in the 'Who Dat Boy' music video?

The music video, directed by Tyler, contains visual allusions to several films. Critics and fans have pointed out references to the 2017 horror film 'Get Out' and the 1960 French horror classic 'Eyes Without a Face' due to its face transplant surgery plot.

Who is the doctor in the 'Who Dat Boy' music video?

The 'doctor' who performs the face transplant surgery on Tyler in the music video is fellow rapper and the song's featured artist, A$AP Rocky.

What is the significance of the face transplant in the 'Who Dat Boy' video?

The face transplant, where Tyler receives a white man's face, is a powerful metaphor. It symbolizes themes of assimilation, escaping racial profiling, and the extreme measures one might consider to change their identity to avoid societal dangers and scrutiny.

When was 'Who Dat Boy' by Tyler, The Creator released?

'Who Dat Boy' was officially released on June 30, 2017. It was released as a dual single with '911 / Mr. Lonely' and served as the lead single for his critically acclaimed album 'Flower Boy'.