"Thought I Was Dead" is a song by American rapper and producer

Tyler, the Creator Tyler Gregory Okonma (born March 6, 1991), known professionally as Tyler, the Creator, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has been cited as an influential figure in alternative hip-hop during the 2010s. Tyler beca ...

featuring fellow American rapper

Schoolboy Q Quincy Matthew Hanley (born October 26, 1986), better known by his stage name Schoolboy Q (stylized as ScHoolboy Q), is an American rapper. He began recording in 2007, and released his first two mixtapes, ''ScHoolboy Turned Hustla'' (2008) and '' ...

and American singer

Santigold Santi White (born September 25, 1976), known professionally as Santigold (formerly Santogold), is an American singer and songwriter. Her debut studio album, '' Santogold'' (2008), was released by Atlantic Records and met with widespread critica ...

, with physical releases of the album additionally featuring American rapper

Playboi Carti Jordan Terrell Carter (born September 13, 1995, or 1996), known professionally as Playboi Carti, is an American rapper. Known for his eccentric vocal style and fashion, he is considered an influential figure in modern Hip hop music, hip hop a ...

. It was released through

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

as the eleventh track from the former's studio album, ''

Chromakopia ''Chromakopia'' is the eighth studio album by the American rapper Tyler, the Creator. It was released through Columbia Records on October 28, 2024, serving as the follow-up to ''Call Me If You Get Lost'' (2021). ''Chromakopia'' was written, pro ...

'', on October 28, 2024. The song was produced by Tyler, the Creator himself.

Composition

The song has been considered similar in style to the music of Tyler, the Creator's album ''

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'' (2015). It contains a horn-led beat with a "busy" drum pattern, while Tyler uses a "bassy" delivery.

Critical reception

The song received generally positive reviews. Elias Andrews of ''

HotNewHipHop ''HotNewHipHop'' (HNHH) is an online publication that covers daily news about hip hop and pop culture, including streetwear, sports, and Sneaker collecting, sneakers. In addition to its editorial content, HotNewHipHop also produces the video seri ...

'' wrote of the song, "The chorus is simple and catchy. ScHoolboy Q, who also popped up on a stellar ''Cherry Bomb'' cut, brings his typical hybrid of menace and energy to the table. He's the perfect rapper to get on a beat this bizarre." Matt Mitchell of ''

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'' wrote "Tyler and Schoolboy Q go toe-to-toe in a sparring match of dick-swinging verses". Fred Garratt-Stanley of ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' commented the song has an "infectious hip-hop bite". Reviewing ''Chromakopia'' for ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'', Heven Haile stated "Tyler is an amazing rapper when he wants to be, even on cartoony beats like 'Balloon' and 'Thought I Was Dead.'" Francis Buseko of ''

The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quietu ...

'' called the song "a powerful declaration of resilience that exudes Tyler's confidence, dismissing doubts and signalling his unapologetic survival."

Controversy

In the lyrics, Tyler references his previous comments in an interview with marketer and media personality Maverick Carter ("White boys mockin' this shit, and y'all mad at me? Y'all can suck my dick / Pull up old tweets, pull up old t-shirts, all that; I moonwalk over that bitch") in which he criticized a "white kid" (allegedly rapper Ian) for mocking rappers like

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and

Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He is credited, along with fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Jeezy, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music for mainstream a ...

Music video

A music video for the song was released on October 26, 2024 in promotion of ''Chromakopia''. It was directed by Tyler, the Creator and shot by Luis "Panch" Perez. In it, Tyler is dressed in a military uniform as he dances, prances, marches and stands on the wing of a vintage airplane that appears to be delivering his ''Chromakopia''

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in the middle of an airfield. He is also shown inside the carrier, in a pitch-black background wearing a flesh-toned mask. Men in suits stand guard around the aircraft. The clip is mainly filmed in a sepia tone, but Tyler's attire is revealed to be green in the end.

Alternative version

An alternative version of the song featuring a guest verse from American rapper

appears on the vinyl and CD versions of ''Chromakopia'' as a bonus track.

Live performances

During live performances, due to Tyler's

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, he will often rap the first few lines of his second verse until transitioning into a

spoken word Spoken word is an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a 20th-century continuation of an oral tradition, ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetic ...

version of the song. During Camp Flog Gnaw 2024, Tyler brought out Schoolboy Q by surprise to perform his verse. During the Chromakopia World Tour, Tyler skips Schoolboy Q's verse, instead playing an alternate

bridge A bridge is a structure built to Span (engineering), span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or railway) without blocking the path underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, whi ...

, before performing his verse.

Charts

Certifications

References

{{Playboi Carti 2024 songs Tyler, the Creator songs Schoolboy Q songs Santigold songs Songs written by Tyler, the Creator