I Killed You Lyrics – Tyler, The Creator

I Killed You Lyrics Meaning

[Intro:]
In the intro, Tyler talks about the repetitive beauty routines people go through with their hair, using words like “round and round” to describe the endless cycle of straightening, waving, and adding products. This is a reference to the effort Black people often put into reshaping their natural hair to fit societal expectations, suggesting the ongoing, often frustrating battle with hair that refuses to conform easily.

[Verse 1:]
Tyler dives into the pain and conflict tied to rejecting his natural hair’s texture, shaped by the pressure to present a more “acceptable” look. When he says, “I gotta leave,” he’s recognizing that, in certain settings, his natural hair might be seen as unprofessional or threatening, making him feel forced to “kill” his natural look. Tyler speaks to how the natural curls and kinks that are a part of Black heritage are often stigmatized, leading to low self-esteem. For generations, people felt the need to “straighten out” their natural features, including their hair, in response to discrimination.

As Tyler recalls how his natural hair was “essential,” he also remembers simpler care routines that embraced oils and berries, highlighting the contrast with chemical treatments used to alter texture. He mentions “Jheris and Mimis,” referencing popular treatments like Jheri curls, which transformed natural hair through heavy processing. These products are metaphorical and literal “kills” to his natural curls, an effort to force his hair into something society sees as “beautiful” but that ultimately damages it.

The verse also points out the generational pressure passed down through families, where older members, influenced by their own experiences of discrimination, encouraged younger people to straighten or cut their natural hair to fit in better. Tyler confesses how he got “mentally stuck” in this cycle, unable to appreciate the beauty of his hair as it was. He mentions that these damaging routines began early, a cycle many Black people were “stuck” in, causing “damages” to self-perception and cultural pride.

Toward the end, Tyler refers to natural hair as his “crown,” a symbol of pride and strength. He recognizes that people’s discomfort with his natural hair reflects deeper societal bias. The last lines acknowledge his heritage, noting that the real challenge is society’s perception, not the hair itself, which he could “never kill.”

[Interlude:]
Here, Childish Gambino intensifies the cultural critique with direct commands to “cut that s*it out,” reflecting pressure to change one’s natural look to fit in. These demands mimic society’s push to conform, reinforcing the pressure many feel to alter or suppress their natural hair texture.

[Verse 2:]
In this verse, Tyler calls out society’s double standards and the narrow definitions of beauty that exclude natural Black hair. “Type three and type four” refers to the curl patterns common among Black people, which society has historically marginalized. He defiantly claims his “crown,” recognizing his natural hair as a symbol of his identity and pride, rejecting external pressure to change it.

[Outro:]
The outro shifts to a tone of acceptance and pride. Gambino’s repetition of “Just as beautiful” is a mantra celebrating natural Black hair and challenging societal biases. The affirmations of beauty encourage self-acceptance, underscoring the theme of reclaiming pride in one’s heritage and natural appearance. The repetitive sounds add a feeling of calmness and resilience, leaving the listener with a message of beauty and self-love.