Gustavo Souza Marques, Tyler, The Creator’s Hip Hop Revolution: Beyond Gangsta
This talk presents Tyler, The Creator’s Hip Hop Revolution: Beyond Gangsta, a scholarly book that explores how one of the most influential artists of the past two decades reshaped hip hop culture. Rather than following established models of gangsta rap or mainstream pop success, Tyler, The Creator built a creative universe that moves fluidly across music, fashion, visual art, social media, and live performance.
Designed for a general audience, the presentation examines how Tyler’s sound, public persona, and independent approach challenged expectations around race, masculinity, and authenticity in hip hop. Through musical examples, media clips, and cultural context, the talk shows how humor, provocation, and experimentation became key tools in Tyler’s artistic evolution. The presentation also considers how Tyler’s career reflects broader shifts in media and creative labor, including the rise of self-produced platforms, direct engagement with fans, and artist-led branding. By focusing on a globally successful and culturally significant figure, the talk invites audiences to reflect on the ways music, media, and identity intersect in contemporary popular culture.
Accessible to listeners with no prior background in music or cultural studies, this event presents hip hop as a space of innovation, storytelling, and social meaning.
Dr. Gustavo Souza Marques is an ethnomusicologist, hip hop scholar, instrumental hip hop music producer, and assistant professor in the Department of Musicology at the University of Michigan.
This lecture took place on May 8, 2026 at the Ann Arbor Public Library in Ann Arbor, Michigan.