Yonkers (song)

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"Yonkers"
Single by Tyler, the Creator
from the album Goblin
ReleasedFebruary 14, 2011 (2011-02-14)
Recorded2010
Length4:11
LabelXL
Songwriter(s)Tyler, the Creator
Producer(s)Tyler, the Creator
Tyler, the Creator singles chronology
"Sandwitches"
(2010) 		"Yonkers"
(2011) 		"She"
(2011)
Music video
Music video on YouTube

"Yonkers" is a song written, produced, and performed by American rapper Tyler, the Creator, released digitally as the second single from his debut studio album Goblin on February 14, 2011. It received controversy due to its violent lyrics and numerous disses, although it was critically acclaimed and landed on numerous year-end lists. Tyler also directed a music video for the single, which was also met with positive critical reception and earned him the MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. Numerous magazine publications noted "Yonkers" as Tyler's breakout song.

Background[edit]

The song is named after Yonkers, New York. Tyler claimed to have created the beat in eight minutes as a parody of stereotypical 1990s New York hip hop:

Dude, niggas don't know that that beat was made as a joke. I was trying to make a shitty New York beat and we was just rapping like we was from New York like we were retarded. And then, I just had some random verses and I was just like; "I'll just record it to this beat, this beat is kinda cool." And then niggas really liked it. That's so nuts, because that shit was actually a fucking joke. I made that beat in literally eight minutes.[1]

Content and controversy[edit]

Tyler disses numerous musicians in the song, most notably Hayley Williams, B.o.B, and Bruno Mars. He also dissed Mars in the Game's song "Martians vs. Goblins". In response, B.o.B released a disstrack titled "No Future" in reference to Tyler's rap group Odd Future.[2] Tyler praised the song and claimed that he did not initially think it was a diss track.[3] In response to the line "stab Bruno Mars in his goddamn esophagus", Mars said, "[Tyler] has to wait in line if he wants to stab me... he's definitely not the first guy that's said something like that to me and he's not going to be the last."[3] Rapper Capital Steez sampled the song in his song "Negus", using the same opening line, "I'm a fucking walking paradox."[4][5]

Music video[edit]

Tyler holding a cockroach in the official music video

The music video for "Yonkers", directed by Tyler, was released via Odd Future's YouTube channel on February 10, 2011. Shot in black-and-white using a perspective control lens, the video features Tyler performing the song on a chair in a blank room while handling and later eating a cockroach, which causes him to vomit. The word "kill" is seen on his hand, along with a St. Peter's cross. The video concludes with Tyler taking off his shirt, realizing that his nose has started bleeding, and hanging himself.[6] The video excludes the third and final verse as the version with this verse was not released until four days after the video. The full song was, however, included on the album.

The music video went viral.[7] On February 23, 2011, rapper Kanye West stated on Twitter that he thought the "Yonkers" video was the best of 2011.[8] The video earned Tyler the Best New Artist award at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, as well as a nomination for Video of the Year.

Critical reception[edit]

"Yonkers" received critical acclaim. Pitchfork awarding it with the "Best New Music" award, stating that it is "not only the best thing any [Odd Future] affiliate has produced to date, it's also the perfect distillation of what they do well".[9] The Guardian named it the third best song of 2011.[10] Claire Suddath of Time named "Yonkers" the eighth best song of 2011, describing it as "minimalistic rap" and "a piece of performance art", concluding that it "creates a thrilling sense of uneasiness that the music world hadn't seen since the early days of punk".[11] Pigeons and Planes named the single the 21st best song of 2011.[12] XXL named it the 22nd best song of 2011, noting that the song, video, and Tyler's performance of "Sandwitches" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon propelled him to stardom.[4] Rolling Stone named the song the 23rd best song of 2011, stating that Tyler "stabs Bruno Mars and disses Jesus [...] somehow, all the bad vibes are mesmerizing".[13]

In the media[edit]

The song was featured in the soundtrack to the video game Saints Row: The Third.[14]

Track listing[edit]

Yonkers was written and produced by Tyler, the Creator (T. Okonma).

Digital download
No.TitleLength
1."Yonkers"4:11
Promo CD
No.TitleLength
1."Yonkers" (radio edit)4:12
2."Yonkers"4:12
Total length:8:24

Charts[edit]

Weekly charts[edit]

Chart (2011) Peak
position
UK Indie Breakers (Official Charts Company)[15] 15
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[16] 2
US Heatseekers Songs (Billboard)[17] 9
US R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Songs (Billboard)[18] 27

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[19] Platinum 80,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[21] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Tyler, the Creator: "Yonkers" Was Made As a Joke". Pitchfork. 17 February 2016. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  2. ^ "B.o.B., "No Future [Odd Future Diss]"". Hip Hop DX. 25 March 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  3. ^ a b Goodman, William (10 May 2011). "Bruno Mars Responds to Tyler, the Creator's Dis". Spin. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  4. ^ a b "Top 100 Songs of 2011". XXL. 15 December 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  5. ^ Martin, Dan (11 May 2011). "Bruno Mars: Tyler, the Creator will have to wait in line to stab me". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  6. ^ - Yonkers (Music Video). YouTube. Retrieved on 9 May 2011.
  7. ^ Weiss, Jeff (February 14, 2011). "Odd Future's Tyler the Creator signs one-album deal with XL Recordings". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  8. ^ "Kanye West Says "Yonkers" is the Video of 2011". Complex Networks. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  9. ^ Kelly, Zach (14 February 2011). "Yonkers Review". Pitchfork. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  10. ^ "The Best Songs of 2011". The Guardian. December 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  11. ^ Suddath, Claire (7 December 2011). "Top 10 Songs: Tyler, the Creator, "Yonkers"". Time. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  12. ^ "P&P's Best Songs of the Year 2011". Pigeons and Planes. 21 December 2011. Archived from the original on 8 January 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  13. ^ "50 Best Singles of 2011: Tyler, the Creator, 'Yonkers'". Rolling Stone. December 2011. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  14. ^ Official Soundtrack - Saints Row 3 Wiki Guide - IGN, 28 October 2011, retrieved 2022-01-03
  15. ^ "2011-04-02 Top 40 Independent Singles Breakers Archive | Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
  16. ^ "Tyler The Creator Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
  17. ^ "Heatseeker Songs: Sep 17, 2011". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
  18. ^ "R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Songs: Sep 17, 2011". Billboard. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
  19. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Tyler, The Creator – Yonkers". Music Canada.
  20. ^ "British single certifications – Tyler the Creator – Yonkers". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  21. ^ "American single certifications – Tyler the Creator – Yonkers". Recording Industry Association of America.
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