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Tyler, the Creator Says He Turned Down Jay‑Z’s Offer to Sign Odd Future

Tyler says he refused so he could keep creative control rather than accept major‑label trappings.

Overview

  • Early in June 2026, Tyler recounted on DJ Drama’s Gangsta Grillz podcast that Jay‑Z invited Odd Future to his Los Angeles home and offered to sign the group.
  • Tyler said he declined the offer because he wanted to keep creative control and avoid the conventional major‑label lifestyle he described as the “shiny plane.”
  • Reporting notes the conversation appears to be an older, previously unreleased recording rather than a new negotiation between the artists.
  • Odd Future never took a traditional label deal and instead launched Odd Future Records through a distribution arrangement with RED and Sony in April 2011, and the collective remained active until 2016.
  • Tyler’s refusal highlights Odd Future’s DIY ethos and helps explain his later selective label choices, including a one‑album deal with XL and subsequent releases with Columbia Records.