Cherry Bomb: The Documentary

VERY MUCH A WORK IN PROGRESS!!!

[Chad Einbinder]
Tyler, The Creator. Is he extremely ridiculous? Yes. Is he extremely talented? Definitely. We are about to embark on an adventure through the making of the album: Cherry Bomb. Take a seat, and relax

[Tyler, The Creator]
Yo, what up, it's Tyler, and I'm about to show y'all what really went down when I was recording the album: Cherry Bomb! The album!

I had a show New Year's 2015, and I haven't came out with music in a while

[Taco]
Damn, finally, you gonna drop a new album

[Tyler]
That show fuckin' sucked dick! That show was trash. What none of these kids knew was that I was halfway done with a brand new album

*Tyler recording verse from DEATHCAMP*

DEATH CAMP

[Tyler]
I'm recording songs, directing these videos, doing these photoshoots, the release date is comin'

[A$AP Rocky]
We look like Puffy and Mase on our jiggy shit, you feel me?

[Tyler]
And right before it releases, this bullshit happens

Tyler here, and I'm makin' this video, just to prove the fact that I don't wanna get sued for sampling on my song DEATHCAMP that appeared on Cherry Bomb

Now, I rarely sample. I usually play the instruments or get someone to play it if I can't. And the one time I sample for this album, it gets rejected, right before I have to turn the album in. I got Coachella, I got a tour comin' up, I don't really have time. But, fuck it, I gotta figure it out

*Cole Alexander adding his vocals to DEATHCAMP*

*Tyler recording clapping*

*Cole Alexander playing a guitar riff*

*Tyler playing and recording the tambourine*

*Tyler recording his verse on DEATHCAMP*

*Live performance of DEATHCAMP at Camp Flog Gnaw*

BUFFALO

[Christian Clancy]
There's obviously an incredible intelligence and shit that I have no opinion on, but he's the dude to make that statement if he backs it up with intelligent thought. The problem is, America doesn't have the intelligent conversation that, they read a headline, but that's actually the problem. So half of me goes, fuck, this ain't my thing, but if this dude's gonna push a button that causes important dialogue, then fuckin' A dude, you know what I mean, 'cause I'm not proud of our whole shit, it's like, you know what I mean?

[Tyler]
I usually just make shit 'cause it look cool, but people's brains misinterpret it whatever way they want it to, man...

*Offstage filming of BUFFALO*

[Tyler]
I should be that white face character I was in Tamale, because it's like no deeper underlying shit

[Lionel]
You're just making art and then it's interpreted after. [unintelligible]

*At a live performance*

[Tyler]
I performed this shit in my bedroom, so this shit's personal when I'm just in my room dancin' alone. Play that shit, Travis?

Me and my friends hang out at my house a lot, whether we're skateboarding or swimming or playin' a game or someone cooking some food that is really really trash

I'm just really hungry, this shit is garbage

*Live performance of PILOT*

[Tyler]
I recorded Cherry Bomb in random houses because I like the windows and looking outside and stuff, and I think why the album has such a bright tone to it

[Lionel]
Yo, [?]

[Tyler]
You got cum in your ear. *Laughs*

Alright, back to my house, 'cause that's my, that's my comfort zone

PILOT

*Tyler records his verse on PILOT in his room*

[Tyler]
I'm about to put this banana in my fuckin' ass! That shit is amazing! Wow! And I'm only on thirty-three percent, that charger is fufu. I've been gone for three hours. Damn, that shit sounds amazing. Alright, can I hear it from the top?

*Kali Uchis recording an unreleased verse*

TYLER AND ROCKY TOUR TEXAS

[Vince Staples]
Listen, yesterday, me and young Corey played a game of NBA 2k—

[Tyler]
What? You gonna come clean, what, 'cause I whooped your ass?

[ASAP Rocky]
You wasn't even playing, nigga! Get the fuck out of here, nigga! You wasn't even there, nigga! Ayy bro, I'mma come clean, you got me—

[Tyler]
Jay in first, I'm in third! Where the fuck you at?!

[ASAP Rocky]
Yo blue! What place did you come in? Everybody know when you play Mario go-karts, you don't play one race

Coming on this tour, I didn't know what to expect

[Tyler]
It's crazy, it kinda, I think it kinda makes me not judge as much

[ASAP Rocky]
See, this is really us together, like, we chose to do this, this not no higher powers, like, I know what this nigga does, no-one, comin' around, giving this nigga ideas, he gets with his niggas and he really do what I do, and be like 'yo, we need to, ah man, I need to, we need to do this, do this, do that', that's real creative shit

[Tyler]
And, when you're really not afraid to be yourself, you're comfortable, it's like a web or a umbrella. When you're not afraid to be you, you're comfortable, when you're comfortable with yourself, you don't have that much hate in your heart, you're not that quick to judge, and when you're not that quick to judge, you're open to more things, and when you're open to more things, you're not ignorant, and when you're not ignorant, racism doesn't exist

*Mocking Rocky* Yo, what up, I'm ASAP Rocky, you gettin' jiggy here with my mans, uh, I love bad bitches, that's my fuckin' problem

[Taco]
This nigga Tyler though, almost killed me and Nico, on Washington Boulevard, the day before the carnival last year, just because this nigga was listening to some fuckass, turnt up Death Grips shit, bro

[Tyler]
Yeah, I wrote RUN at like, nine in the morning. I wake up really early all the time, and I had logged in on Twitter just to, and I saw someone tweet 'bout to roll up'... Dude, that's all you do? And that's how that first line came, 'cause I thought to myself, 'all y'all niggas smokin' y'all brains out'. That song is really about a lot of the gang violence circle:

All y'all niggas smoking y'all brains out
In the car called life take the lame route
Going nowhere fast but you think that you not
Cause you never hesitate to take the thang out
In the drop top, pop the trunk then pop pop
At his drop top, took another lame out
Oh you the big nigga? Took a hit nigga?
Well I hope you understand you ain't shit nigga
Cause them niggas whole purpose is to get niggas
And make sure that your mama cry the pain out
Now that gang is out to get you
But you stuck in the same house
Nigga never came out, wow
It's a shame how you got sucked in that life
But hey man at least you got a name now
They say you a "real nigga" cause you kill niggas
Nuts for that ice and that cream banana peel niggas
Banana clips spill, niggas wanna bang out
For they approval boy, you can't even hang out
That light you hit, it was the light I held
That's why you never ever see me with my chains out
I don't need to, truth they don't feed you
Lies what they got on their plate, they gon eat you
They got a homie called Karma he gon meet you
Better look the other way if he ever see you
And run as fast as you can, nigga

Plus, that's in my top three songs to perform

*Live performance of RUN in Paris, France *
You gotta uh, you gotta follow direction. Watch my hand, okay? No nigga, don't put your hands up, just watch (Watch it!) my hand. I'll do this, and then I'll do this. Let's try this
(Clap!)
(Wait, stop.)
(Clap!)
(Stop!)
(Clap!)
(One, two, one two three!)

*Proceeds to perform RUN live*

CALABASAS, CALIFORNIA 8PM MONDAY NIGHT

[Tyler]
Got big arms

[Mikey]
What's up with you? *Laughs* You good? Aight?

[Tyler]
Yo, chill bro!

**MORE LIVE STUFF*

[Tyler]
So Chaz, from Toro, one of my favorite artists ever, there was this melody that I had in my head forever, just in my head, I'm runnin', I'm runnin', I'm runnin', I'm runnin', I'm runnin', I'm runnin', like some weird opera stuff, but I didn't want it to be too extra'd out. I easily coulda hired a lady who sings opera or got one of the female singers who hits runs and coulda, I'm runnin' I'm runnin', just to emulate a string, but, I know Toro would do it perfect, and he does high pitch, like, he can do high, he can do low, he has such a middle that's really good too, so I just stacked all of 'em and... It came out perfect

*Toro y Moi plays the chords to FUCKING YOUNG on his guitar*

Those chords are gorgeous. I can't do without 'em. The day that I met Tony-

Yo, yo yo yo yo! Back to RUN!

I set up, like, all my recording stuff and my instruments in my living room downstairs

You did it in your regular voice?

[Toro]
Runnin', I'm runnin', I'm runnin-

[Tyler]
Look, it doesn't even have to be high-pitched 'cause, 'cause this is, remember the original, the original's, like, fast as fuck and pitched high. So, but I just couldn't record it at that speed, but that shit is- *plays instrumental* I couldn't record it that fast. And, it's going to be higher pitched, but right now, its- *plays instrumental*

[Toro]
Runnin', I'm runnin', I'm runnin', I'm runnin', I'm runnin', I'm runnin', I'm runnin'

[Tyler]
Follow the keyboard

[Toro]
Runni- might have to overdub it

[Tyler]
What you mean?

[Toro]
It's such a weird jump. It's like, jumpin' octaves, it's kinda weird

*re-records his line on RUN*

[Tyler]
Uh, that last note right here, try to hold that

[Toro]
Hold it. Okay

[Tyler]
Man, black people are gonna hate this song

[Cam]
I don't see y'all niggas bein' challenged to jump over a fucking car, jump over a trash can with both feet! [?] Where your knees at, nigga? Where your knees at? Oh, okay!

[Taco]
He clipped that shit!

[Tyler]
Trash! Ay, go up, go up! Trunk now! Go up, trunk!

[Cam]
What, he's not gonna do it, did I not do it? Did I do it? I Already did it. I have nothing else to prove

[Tyler]
The trunk! It's taller! Do the trunk, it's taller! Do the trunk, it's taller! See, look at him. There's always an excuse

[Mikey]
What the fuck!

[Tyler]
When I made, so, 2SEATER was made at the end of 2013, in my room, in like, twenty minutes, out of boredom again. I had just got my house, I was in my room, no furniture, no nothin'. And, this is cool, like, one minute and thirty second song, but I'm like, I wanna take it somewhere. I literally had wrote that string section, played it, and was like, okay, add all these instruments, I'mma get real players to play this, and then, hearing it come to life was so sick!

HOLLYWOOD HILLS 5PM 2015

[Tyler]
So, that's like the main part. I'mma use it throughout the song, but that's like the important part. Um 'cause (it's) eight bars, for the first four bars, you could get, like, riff it, get crazy, but like, when I start saying two seater and shit, like that part, you could get like soulful, repetitive, just so it doesn't get, uh, it doesn't get lost in jumble with my vocals

*Aaron Shaw begins playing the sax*

[Tyler]
That sounds amazing. Just do like, another pass where you just fuckin' let it all out, just do what this tells you

*Aaron Shaw begins playing the sax*

[Tyler]
Alright, alright, alright, you get it, you get it. So it's 8 PM, I'm about to record at Hans Zimmer studio, I'm a little nervous 'cause this is my first time with a actual string section, but, I know it's gonna be tight as fuck. Trust me, a lot of thought was put into this

[Mike Einziger]
Doubling things, and tripling-

[Ann Marie]
These pads, they-
So that should actually be A [?]-
Well, if we're doubling lots of-

[Tyler]
But I'mma just pan this one-

[Ann Marie]
Coming in with a swell is nice-

[Mike Einziger]
It might be easier to have-

[Tyler]
Yeah, or, no, it should be, it should be on three. Dun dun dun dun dun-

But dog, when you get that finished product? It's all worth it

*____ begin playing strings*

[?]
I'm like, what is that? I think I could go higher!

[Tyler]
Oh, shit! Why'd you do that?!

[?]
I'm starting over. I'm starting over! That was so [?]

SAME NIGHT 30 MINS LATER WANDERING THE STUDIO

[Hans Zimmer]
Hey! How are you!

[Tyler]
I'm fine man, how are you?

This is Hans Zimmer. If you're not familiar with his work, he scored a bunch of movies like Spiderman and Despicable Me, and... Oh yeah, Inception, and a bunch of other crazy shit, 'cause he's really talented and the list just goes on and on and on. And I got to see his secret little stuff in his secret little room

Like, you can't make the same sound

[Hans Zimmer]
No, exactly, and that's what I love, is it's totally unpredictable

[Tyler]
Is this the one where you just plug in shit?

[Hans Zimmer]
Yes

[Tyler]
Oh my god

[Hans Zimmer]
And there's a whole back wall. I got all this stuff [?]

[Tyler]
But more importantly, I got the nod of approval. So sick!

High five! High five! Then you ain't shit, hoe

Okay, okay, I'm fully not feeling this

Black diamonds, yellow canary diamonds, white diamonds...

BROWN STAINS

*Tyler records his verse on Brown Stains*

[Tyler]
I think ScHoolboy Q is a actual shermhead, and no-one can tell me any different. He's my fucking favorite ever, I love him so much. He's a shermhead

I produced a song off his first album, I mean, we've been homies ever since, he's one of the only few rappers I fuck with, and I had made this beat, it sounded like, schizophrenic shermhead, whatever you wanna call it, automatically thought that the tone of voice ScHoolboy Q has would just sound ridiculous over it. I hit him up, he came at night, knocked his shit out in an hour. Bam

Nigga that really makes me sad

TYLER AND SCHOOLBOY Q RECORDING SESSION HOLLYWOOD CA 2015

*ScHoolboy Q records his verse on Brown Stains*

[Q]
We gotta do it again. Let me [?]

[Tyler]
What are you doin'?

[Q]
Just goin' in, man, you know, gon' body some shit cuz

[Tyler]
What kinda draws are you wearing?

[Q]
Um...

[Tyler]
Dude, that's weird

[Q]
Some Calvin Kleins-

[Tyler]
Don't answer! No! No!

*Live performance of Brown Stains*

[Taco]
What the fuck

[Tyler]
This is $80,000, nigga. Fashion, youth, dab, lit, gas emoji, bitch

[Rocky]
Why you hiding, Tyler? Where you goin'?

[Tyler]
[?]

[Rocky]
Oh beans it's lit!

[Tyler]
What else you get?

[Rocky]
[?]

[Tyler]
What else?

Me and Q both got white Mclarens, but he got it after I dusted him in his weak ass Porsche of course

[ScHoolBoy Q]
It was dope as fuck. Shout out to Tyler, we got the same car, it's tight

[Tyler]
When I'm not making a song I can drive fast to or wild out on stage, I'm tryna figure out the right chords and melodies

SINGERS

*Tiffany Palmer, Onitsha Shaw and Samantha Nelson record their part for Find Your Wings*

[Tyler]
I feel like rap has a timestamp on it. You could listen to My Cheri Amor by Stevie Wonder any time frame, ever. A five-year-old could listen to it. A eighty-year-old could listen to it. It's less boundaries with singing songs

Keeping ALL the fuckups too

My boy Austin, who's in a band called Slow Hollows, is really sick with guitar. He's playing on three songs on the album, and the things that I've learned from him, just over the years made me more comfortable, with who I am, and the things that I like, and just learning more stuff, and what keeps things fresh is just, new energy, and, not getting complacent and stuck. Working with these three girls was just amazing, they knew exactly what I wanted, and then in unison, they just sounded together, and they were open, and they- they made me feel comfortable

KALI & TYLER RECORDING SESSION HOLLYWOOD TUESDAY 11 PM

[Kali records her part for Find Your Wings]

[Kali Uchis]
Oh, my name's Kali Uchis, usually he already has something ready and he'll already have an idea, most of the time he writes everything, or he'll have a melody idea. Obviously he produces everything, so he really hones in on making sure everything is exactly how he wants it to be. 'Cause, when I met him, I had just started singing, I feel like I was still really learning about my voice. He definitely made me a lot more comfortable and experiment more with my range. I think what I admire most about Tyler, how dedicated he is, how much he really wants to make something meaningful that's gonna be lasting, rather than make something that, you know, will get to radio, or, will be, something that people listen to right now, and then maybe goes away later, I don't think he's ever really cared about trends, or, um, he just kind of follows what he wants to do, and, um, he works really hard

*Unreleased song plays (possibly called Time Being)*

*Clem records her part for OKAGA, CA*

[Tyler]
OKAGA, CA is my favorite song on that album, and probably, to me personally, in my top five songs in my discography
I remember hearing Clem a long time ago, and her voice stood out to me so much. It was so high pitched, and like, it almost had this kid-like vibe to it, to where it was just fun, and she was just like- it had no worries in it

Pretend, you're Tido and Jermaine?, to youre Michael Jackson leads, so you you're own backup singers

You know, she comes from this rock background, so to have her singing in a soul cadence, was really interesting to me. It's not many people who know how to hit those registers and riffs that I love. Me and Frank talk about it all the time, it's few people like Kim Burrell is one that we always bring up, Jasmine Sullivan, um, Alice Smith, I which- uh, she's on the OKAGA, CA song on the album, too

*ALICE SINGS*

[Syd]
I'm Syd, I've known Tyler since I think 2008, so that would be 8 years. The biggest thing that I've learned from working with Tyler is to trust your ideas. I don't agree with all of his ideas, but when somebody, like, trusts themselves that much, makes you question yourself if you don't like it, and that's what I really got from him

*SYD SINGS*

[Tyler]
But working with Charlie Wilson, that was a whole 'nother story

FUCKING YOUNG

[Tyler]
I don't think I've ever been this stressed making a song. Charlie Wilson took what I had in my head and made it come to fruition so perfectly, that I started stressing out on the fact that I could never do anything that good

*CHARLIE RECORDS*

[Tyler]
What the fuck, I hate this. *Laughs* I fully, I fully can't take this

He's a legend, and him taking cues from we was so weird

*CHARLIE SINGS HIS PART FOR FUCKING YOUNG*

FUCKING YOUNG VIDEO SHOOT

[Tyler]
I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry

This is happening! Oh, my god

It was a two week span where everything I had planned for this album just started to come together. It was beautiful

SMUCKERS

*KANYE RECORDING VERSE*

KANYE WEST RECORDING SESSION HIDDEN HILLS 9PM

[Kanye]
I gotta figure that shit out!

[Tyler]
I see you tryna figure it out!

Hey, [?]

Ten years down the line, niggas gonna be like, SMUCKERS is legendary. That one's for the books, for sure. Yeah, finally just working with those two dudes was just crazy! I remember playing it for Travis and Lionel, and we was like 'oh, shit', like, I really got these two niggas on a song

Fuckin' fire!

And I knew specifically, I wanted Wayne's tone of voice on there

[Lil Wayne]
I kinda- He texted me, just like, 'Man, I got this joint'. He's like a, perfectionist, so he's one of those guys that you know, you, he want, he know exactly what he want from you. Might fuck around and write your verse for you

[Tyler]
So, I told him I wanted him over, and he was like, 'alright, cool'. I sent him my parts with his parts out, and then he just laid his shit down, and it was great by then. Went to 'Ye house, played it for him, he was like, 'cool'. Wayne sent me his shit the day after I played it, I went back the day after Wayne sent it and played it for 'Ye again, and he heard me and Wayne verse, and he was like *shakes his head* ripped his paper out of his notebook, balled it up, and started a new, and it was ideas on there, and he was like, 'Y'all niggas really 'bout to make me rap and go in, like, I ain't had niggas makin' me want to do that in so long'

[Wayne]
First of all, Tyler changed the game. Maybe I probably had online, and I knew- I wouldn't say because people might think it was too gross to put in a rap, or it didn't go with the whole vibe