With every album rollout signaling a new sartorial chapter, it's no surprise we spent the last couple of weeks gushing over Tyler, The Creator's style in tandem with his new album release Call Me If You Get Lost. One person who isn't as impressed is A$AP Nast because, according to him, Tyler's been biting his style.
The internet usually doesn't need any extra fodder to turn innuendos into rumors of beef. Yet in the days following his album release, Tyler made it very clear that he was, in fact, sending shots at someone when fans took notice of a scathing lyric in the song "RISE!"
In order to understand this style dispute fully, let's take it back to where it all began and chart how exactly it ended up on wax.
2020 - A$AP Nast Blasts Tyler for Biting His Style
As Complex points out, the beef between Tyler and Nast started back in May of 2020 when Nast went on an Instagram rant – seemingly out of the blue. In a series of effortful Instagram Stories, Nast presented his arguments as to why he was convinced that Tyler’s current preppy wardrobe of sweater vests and loafers was inspired by the A$AP Mob member.
"I see y’all stealing the drip, it’s all good. You know, just pay me some homage. Tyler just make sure next time next year, I got some Golf Wang tickets." He added, “I don’t want to call you next year to get tickets. ‘Cause you’re going to be on stage dancing around looking like me anyway.”
In addition to the video, Nast posted two sets of photographs as evidence of Tyler taking inspiration from his outfits. In one we see Nast rocking a leopard Comme de Garçons vest and in the next, he showed Tyler wearing a similar vest from his GOLF Le FLEUR* label.
“[Tyler] think he slick went and did this same fit after I did this. I just realized you even made the GOLF Le FLEUR* look just like the Comme [de Garçons] one I’m wearing. I’m dead then he did the same exact outfit in London for my Converse 1star hotel event in February 2018.”
Speaking to Highsnobiety last year, A$AP Nast once again sent some subtle shots at people in the industry stealing his drip. “I’m extremely true to my own level of style," he told us. "I just think that people genuinely gravitate towards that. Now when I go outside, every day I see people who dress like me, except they probably would have got shit for it a couple years ago.”
2021 - Tyler Finally Claps Back
For a full year, Tyler, The Creator didn't respond to Nast's antics. That is, of course, until he dropped his sixth studio album last year.
While Nast was never called out by name, fans quickly realized that Tyler was addressing the strife between him and the A$AP Mob member on the 12th track, “RISE!”
He raps: “You ain’t the only n***a that be in Paris” and “Why you filled with terror whenever you in my presence?/Is it ‘cause we look just alike and n****s said it?”
If it wasn't clear enough from the song, Tyler doubled down on his comments in an IG Live. Still not specifically mentioning Nast, he said, “To n****s who saying I took they style, you will never amount to me, okay? Just know that. They know who I’m talking about. Just listen to that ‘RISE!’ verse.”
Then over on Instagram, when a fan asked who he was referring to on the track Tyler made it even clearer he was going at Nast. He revealed the lyric was about "a fella who I think has great style but keeps getting in his own way because of ego so he blames others when they get hand claps for something hes passionate about. which is sweaters that all old french men wear and animal prints haha."
2021 - Nast Claps Back to Tyler's Clap Back
Unsurprisingly, Nast took the opportunity to readdress the entire situation.
Taking to Instagram Live himself, Nast started off his message sweetly by congratulating Tyler on the release of his new album. He continued by saying how even though fans expect him to respond in some way that he won’t because he “can’t do the back and forth with people that are not even of [his] caliber.” He went on to say that he hasn’t gotten his flowers yet, but has learned to accept that it likely won’t happen until he passes away. However, Nast acknowledged that he had “struck a nerve” after seeing the video Tyler posted earlier that day, but revealed that the two aren’t “beefing for real.”
“We don’t have an actual beef. We aren’t beefing for real guys. It’s all good,” says Nast during his Livestream. “He’s still Rocky’s boy. He’s still my boy. But if n****s really wanna have a swag off, holla at me.”
However, over on Twitter, Nast broke his four-month hiatus for a much more scathing approach to the situation. He started out by calling out Tyler to "@ me so i know it’s real or get off my dick.” He continued by saying accusing Tyler of being a fan and switching up his style after hanging out with him.
He then went on to say that Tyler’s hadn't only bitten his style, claiming that the GOLF man also stole Shlohmo’s look for his IGOR project. This was followed up by photos of Shlohmo's neon yellow bob wig with bangs and Tyler's famous blond mushroom-shaped wig.
When a Twitter user asked, “WHAT DO YOU WANT TO HAPPEN,” Nast responded, “Start paying homage to the people you rip off. Stop acting original when you not! Simple.”
