While Tyler, the Creator has built a reputation as a disruptive creative who is more focused on artistic integrity than commercial success, he is now able to enjoy a healthy serving of both.
With the release of his latest solo effort IGOR, the Odd Future co-founding member has earned the first No.1 album of his career. As reported by the New York Times, the rapper’s fifth solo album has officially beat out DJ Khaled’s Father of Asahd, securing the top slot on the Billboard 200.
According to Nielsen, Tyler, the Creator’s IGOR opened at 165,000 equivalent album sales its opening week, while Khaled’s 11th studio album garnered 136,000 units. Of those numbers, for Tyler, 74,000 were pure sales while 122 million streams made up the remainder of the total.
Both albums were accompanied by merch bundles with the purchase of certain items including a downloadable copy of the album. Tyler, the Creator offered T-shirts, stickers and “Vote Igor” lawn signs, while the veteran DJ sold bottles of Awake Energy Shot energy supplements.
Tyler, the Creator’s chart-topping album also doubles as the first time a solo rapper debuted in the No. 1 slot for an album that they also solely produced and arranged.
Taking to Twitter, he shared a variety of reactions, beginning with an all-caps tweet.
“IGOR, NUMBER UNO, STANK YOU,” he tweeted. “honestly didnt think people would enjoy this album based on alot of thing, so again, thank you, i mean it.”
Tyler, the Creator’s fourth studio album, 2017’s Flower Boy, debuted at No. 2.
Take a look at Tyler, the Creator thanking fans for their support and reacting to the new career milestone in the posts below.