Bonus pic:  on Friday night I went with friends to our favorite cidery for drinks and food.  Unfortunately the place is going out of business on Christmas of all days.  So much for having a heart, owners (very well-known family, think Cheeto appointee and ABCs.)  The place was originally owned by people who grew apples and made cider and then was “assimilated” by an overlord. Supposedly they will continue to sell the canned cider (who wants cider that’s been trapped in an aluminum can?) and will have a tasting room in another city in the summer months.  Knowing it was our last time, we did it up right.  Two flights apiece and smoked chicken taco salad that was to die for.  The best part was spending quality time with good friends.  We each took a growler (can’t spell the real word) home as well.  This coming Friday I’ll be drinking Magners in an Irish pub!

Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, music video director, fashion designer, and graphic designer. He rose to prominence in the early 2010s as the co-founder and de facto leader of alternative hip hop collective Odd Future, and has performed on and produced songs for nearly every Odd Future release. Okonma has created all the artwork for the group’s releases and has also designed the group’s clothing and other merchandise. As a solo artist, Okonma has released one mixtape and five studio albums, often handling most or all production himself.

Following a large contribution to Odd Future’s early work, Okonma released his debut solo mixtape, Bastard, in 2009. After releasing his debut studio album, Goblin, under XL Recordings in April 2011, Okonma signed a joint venture deal for him and his label Odd Future Records, with RED Distribution and Sony Music Entertainment. Following that, he released his second studio album, Wolf, in 2013, which was met with generally positive reviews and debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200, selling 90,000 copies in its first week. His third studio album, Cherry Bomb, was released in 2015, debuting at number four on the US Billboard 200. It received positive critical reviews but a polarized reception from fans. In 2017, he released his fourth studio album, Flower Boy, to widespread acclaim. It debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. His fifth album, Igor, was released in 2019 and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, becoming Tyler’s first US number-one album.

On August 26, 2015, Okonma revealed that he had been banned from visiting the United Kingdom for three to five years, which forced him to cancel a string of tour dates supporting the Cherry Bomb album, including the Reading and Leeds Festivals. The reason for the ban comes from lyrics dating back to 2009. His manager Christian Clancy said they were informed of the ban via a letter from then-Home Secretary Theresa May. May cited lyrics from the mixtape Bastard as the reason for the ban, although Okonma had toured multiple times in the UK since its release. Okonma later claimed that he felt he had been treated “like a terrorist” and implied that the ban was racially motivated, stating that “they did not like the fact that their children were idolizing a black man.” According to the BBC, “It is believed the ban was lifted” in February 2019, concurring with a scheduled performance in London to promote his fifth studio album, IGOR. However, his show was forcibly cancelled by police after they voiced their safety concerns, saying that it was “overcrowded” and “too rowdy.”

There is a lot of other controversy about Tyler detailed in wikipedia, but I’m not going into all of that. I’m “judging” Tyler by this song, “Hot Chocolate,” which I found randomly on youtube. I judge it very jazzy, laid back, and holiday-like.  As a matter of fact, I downright like this song!

It’s gettin’ cold, chocolate
Too warm, chocolate
It’s too hot (hot), chocolate

Leche for my (woo!) damn self
Hot chocolate
You can use water
Hot chocolate
I prefer milk if it’s 2%
Marshmallows on top and some extra whip
You can even use cinnamon, cinnamon on top
Hot chocolate

By the fire, I sip hot cocoa tonight
It makes me feel all right
It’s Christmas time (cocoa, cocoa)
Jigsaw puzzle with my buddies
Tonight is our big night
It’s Christmas time (cocoa, cocoa)

It gets cold in the winter, cold in the wintertime
Cold that’s my favorite, cold that’s my favorite time
It gets cold in the winter, cold in the wintertime

Songwriters: Laurence C Mizell / Lucas Nathan / Tyler Okonma