
Peak
29
Weeks
32
Score
2,389
Chart Year
2024
Tyler The Creator was raised in a single-parent household by his mother, Bonita Smith. His father, who is of Nigerian and Igbo descent, abandoned the family when Tyler was just a kid. In his song "Like Him," Tyler dives into the murky waters of that absence, examining what it's like to feel echoes of a man he never knew. The track is full of a particular kind of bewilderment, the kind that comes from noticing little pieces of himself - a chin here, a tilt of the head there - that feel oddly familiar even though he barely knows where they come from. "She said that I make expressions like him," Tyler declares, listing these eerie physical and behavioral traits he seems to have inherited: his shoulders, his chin, his posture. His mom doesn't just sit silently by; she opens the song with a few telling words about how Tyler is so much like his father, both in looks and in demeanor, and closes with an admission that her own poor decisions led to Tyler's father's absence. Bonita Smith speaks throughout Chromakopia, offering spoken interludes, snippets of advice, and a painful self-awareness. English singer-songwriter Lola Young's vocals serve as a haunting, ethereal counterpoint to Tyler's main vocals, emphasizing the song's themes of searching for identity and resemblance. Her repeated "Like him" and "Like what?" add a questioning, uncertain quality that underscores the song's emotional core. "Like Him" trended on TikTok as users shared clips exploring complicated relationships between children and their parents. Some TikTokers also used the track to make playful or nostalgic comparisons between athletes past and present. Tyler, the Creator had previously shown his admiration for Lola Young by DMing her, and when he asked if she'd contribute vocals to one of his songs, she instantly said yes. "When I first heard [Tyler's 2011 track] 'Yonkers,' it completely changed how I viewed music," she told Billboard. Describing the rapper as a "magic human being," Lola Young shared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon the unconventional way Tyler, The Creator reached out to her before proposing the "Like Him" collaboration. "He messaged me with a photo," she recalled. "It was a sticker of Busta Rhymes with no context. That's what he does every time he speaks to me." Laughing, she added: "I don't know if he does it to anyone else. It's odd, he's an odd guy."
Damn, nigga, every time I look at you, I swear to God Nigga, you got that nigga feet You got that nigga body You got that nigga long arms, fingers and shit Flat feet, big di- She said that I make expressions like him My legs to my shoulders and my chin like him My waist and my posture like him Like him Like him, like him, like him Mama, I'm chasing a ghost I don't know who he is Mama, I'm chasing a ghost I don't know where he is Mama, I'm chasing a ghost Do I look like him? (Like, what?) Like him (like, what?) Like him (like, what?) Like him You gave me love and affection Attention, protection How could I ever miss something that I've never had? I would never judge ya 'Cause everything worked out without him (like, what?) Like him (like, what?) Like him Mama, I'm chasing a ghost I don't know who he is Mama, I'm chasing a ghost I don't know where he is Mama, I'm chasing a ghost Do I look (Huh?) Like him Like him (Let it go) I decided to Anything that lives inside of you I would never ever lie to you, yeah You ain't ever gotta lie to me I'm everything that I strive to be So do I look like him? Do I look like him? (Like him, like him, like him, like him) I don't look like him (like him) It was my fault, not yours, not his, it was my fault I'm sorry, you know? It was my fault Not him 'cause he always wanted to be there for you And I'm sorry I was young But he's always wanted to be a father to you So I-I fucked up and I take ownership of that Of my choices and decisions and I'm sorry for that He's a good guy So don't hold that against him because it was my fault Just, you know? Forgive me
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 11, 2024 | 45 | 81 |
| 2 | Sep 18, 2024 | 29 | 97 |
| 3 | Sep 25, 2024 | 46 | 80 |
| 4 | Oct 2, 2024 | 35 | 91 |
| 5 | Oct 9, 2024 | 52 | 74 |
| 6 | Oct 16, 2024 | 60 | 66 |
| 7 | Oct 23, 2024 | 58 | 68 |
| 8 | Oct 30, 2024 | 56 | 70 |
| 9 | Nov 6, 2024 | 66 | 60 |
| 10 | Nov 13, 2024 | 37 | 89 |
| 11 | Nov 20, 2024 | 46 | 80 |
| 12 | Nov 27, 2024 | 54 | 72 |
| 13 | Dec 4, 2024 | 54 | 72 |
| 14 | Dec 11, 2024 | 54 | 72 |
| 15 | Dec 18, 2024 | 62 | 64 |
| 16 | Dec 25, 2024 | 58 | 68 |
| 17 | Jan 1, 2025 | 76 | 50 |
| 18 | Jan 8, 2025 | 73 | 53 |
| 19 | Jan 15, 2025 | 69 | 57 |
| 20 | Jan 22, 2025 | 76 | 50 |