How Tame Impala Became Rap’s Favorite Rock Band | Genius News

As hip-hop continues to eclipse rock as the most popular musical genre, Tame Impala stands out as a rock outfit that’s collaborated with and inspired rappers. One of the Kevin Parker-led Australian psychedelic rock group’s biggest and earliest hip-hop supporters is Tyler, The Creator, who also introduced the band’s music to Frank Ocean. Other fans and collaborators include Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky, Kanye West, Travis Scott, and Rihanna, who covered Tame Impala’s “New Person, Same Old Mistakes” on 2016’s 'ANTI.'
Read more on Genius: genius.com/a/how-tame-impala-...
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Hillary Crosley Coker, Senior Producer
Russel Abad, Associate Producer
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[@Slownut]

You’re missing out if youre not listening to tame impala

[@nickydarling5208]

nah I’m doin just fine not listening

[@yd6484]

@@nickydarling5208 same here 🙌

[@patrickforbes7373]

Yeah no it’s just bad elevator music

[@CursxR0]

Patrick Forbes what do you listen to?

[@polaroidandroidjeff6383]

Comments like this make me even more grateful I don't listen to him

[@emilgaziev5804]

Tame Impala's bass lines are really something impressive

[@jimmybob5541]

Yeah Kevin definitely plays it more like a guitar which is refreshing

[@TheGroucho66]

I agree. Very McCartney-esque Circa 1966-67

[@mrdragoon3344]

Emik No Best bass line?

[@SLASHERHEATH]

@@jimmybob5541 most of the time it is a guitar run through an octave effect, like what the White Stripes did with Seven Nation Army

[@theeoddments960]

MeanMisterWalrus damn definitely with the first track on innerspeaker. Very revolver-pepper vibe on it’s not meant to be.

[@KingOfThePiratesOfTheHill]

Tame Impala, Foster the People, MGMT are all clear influences to the american pop shift in the last 10 years.

[@Autodidactfortunes]

Jay Jay foster the people suck but I agree with the other 3

[@Autodidactfortunes]

2*

[@benhanna495]

Autodidactfortunes bruh foster the people dont suck, whatchu on?

[@guidoguido2245]

Jay Jay OMG, I love foster the people so much!

[@baster8777]

Mild high club?

[@DakaONER94]

y'all forgot the miguel waves (tame impala remix. one of kevin parkers most euphoric songs ever

[@inessa5923]

DakaONER94 Yeah, that was absolutely genius

[@yowazupman123]

Thank you for this. Now I have a new amazing song to listen to.

[@lockergr]

How is there SO much Kev content I've still not managed to hear. Thanks man. Feel free to throw a few more my way. Only You with Theo is my fave.

[@needlessoptions]

facts

[@kasares17]

What about Gotta get a grip with Mick Jagger?

kevin parker is such a legend, amazing lyricist, amazing instrumentalist

[@ADGBeats]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXvQlH2trZupjMU

[@jhonnyxabriel]

and most of all, amazing vocalist

[@polaroidandroidjeff6383]

Basic vocalist, basic lyricist, god instrumentalist

[@absmooth69]

Fuck up dude 😂😂😂 beanie wearing dude

also here's a vid kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZ_ZqIWiiMaLabs 💙

[@DannyOVideos]

How did Tame Impala become popular with rappers? Rappers started doing psychedelics, end of story.

[@Waldo905]

pretty much lol, raps in a progressive psych wave rn

[@steev7343]

Alex H it’s not white culture but I’ll let u feel great 😂

[@chidorirasenganz]

Steev 7 black ppl create the basis of rock and now it’s white ppl music 😂

[@brennybi]

Music still has to have something though even if your're on psychedelics

[@yodawg45]

chidorirasenganz by that argument eastern music African music and ‘white’ Europeans laid down the basics for ALL modern popular music. That’s literally ALL modern western music including jazz, blues,rock’n’roll and hip hop. In fact, pretty much after Beethoven and the likes, music has only changed aesthetically. We typically use the same chord progressions and so on. In other words, don’t go there. I like to refer to it all as human culture and not any specific races culture.

[@noseblunt7482]

Yet again tyler the genius was on it ever since.

[@cosmicchild6977]

Nose blunt that man is an actual angel. I’m convinced. Tyler deserves more.

[@GVMBITxxx]

We need Tame Impala x Cudi

[@jadeginn3138]

OMG YES MY 2 FAVORITE ARTISTS

[@heydoeradio7298]

Humming too a bass line I don't think my jaws ready to sing along

[@linnh940]

YES my 2 faves

[@linnh940]

@@jadeginn3138 OMG SAMEEE

[@jadeginn3138]

@@linnh940 YES

[@FlashGiordani93]

MAN WHEN ARE WE GETTIN THE DAMN ALBUM KEVIN

[@thai8028]

Flash Giordani IKR I’VE BEEN WAITING LIKE OMFG

[@Josh-stewie]

The longer it takes the more perfect it is. That's why Kanye and Frank are also taking long

[@thai8028]

Josh yea ik but the waiting sucks but yes you’re correct but i know Frank is gonna give us something phenomenal just like Kevin

[@sevenhazee]

@@Josh-stewie Kanye's "music" is forced. Making it trash

[@ronaisok]

Flash Giordani saw tame on june 8th (last date of the tour) in london and kevin said next time he plays london he’ll “have a lot of new songs to play” so it’s really just a matter of waiting a little longer now

[@minto1947]

Tame Impala isn’t a band, it’s actually all just Kevin Parker himself. Tame Impala enlists the help of an Australian psychedelic band called Pond when he’s touring or playing at another event.

[@dogmosatchmo]

It literally told you that.

[@deechonada]

@@dogmosatchmo not really

[@RotchildFrancoisJr]

THIS MAKES SO MUCH SENSE. I love Pond but never made the connection.

[@minto1947]

Dogmo Satchmo in the video it kept mentioning how tame impala is a band and kept referring to tame impala as “they” when in reality it’s just one guy who writes and composes all of the music himself

[@TheZombieJC]

0:35 - she literally says it right there u just wanna correct people cuz u like correcting people, even if there's nothing to correct

[@Sneak248]

The Album “Currents”, is a damn classic.

[@nelav74]

Excellent album

[@MENTAL_WARFARE]

SneakOne_ really though

[@DukeMcMuscles]

Facts

[@MvsG18]

It's a damn bad album, never heard something worse, lonerism is the real tame impala

[@sirenz11]

@@MvsG18 It's not bad but it sounds very pop. Lonerism > Currents tho

[@Olivia-uq4ls]

Lmao I love how they used the “Kanye as a Tame Impala song” at the end of the video

[@barry.mccockiner]

Olivia part 2 is out now

[@vicentedillon4885]

Uf you don’t feel like platino white a cat... that’s racism

[@mauricioberlanga]

Have yall ever seen Wreck It RAAAAALLLPPPHHHHH

[@HotStrange]

Currents is a masterpiece. Love all 3 albums but Currents just speaks to me on another level. One of the greatest pop albums ever made.

[@stev6963]

Fucking agreed my man. I swear it feels like that album speaks directly to me sometimes with how I live my life and what I need to change.

[@HotStrange]

@@stev6963 Agreed. The Slow Rush is becoming my second favorite as well. Both are incredible.

[@A....S....]

They're neck n neck. Currents & slow rush.. but currents was better live.

[@lando4433]

It makes me cringe how everyone is trying their best to one up each other on who's the biggest Tame Impala fan or trying to show how early they started listening to him

[@user-rx3js1no3s]

2010 for me.

[@100nujabes]

Bro... your just mad you didnt know tame impala was one guy, bro.

[@Jimmy-uy1xm]

100nujabes bro

[@blanco7726]

Same lol it’s obviously me

[@100nujabes]

@@Jimmy-uy1xm bro..

[@Mark0Mokum]

Kevin Parker is the GOAT musician of this generation. Without a doubt. The guy is so musically gifted..

[@SebastianTinajero]

Mark v. V. Kanye West needs to step aside

[@jmarsden73]

What does GOAT mean?

[@lockergr]

@@jmarsden73 Yeah, I guess we have to hit up urban dictionary.

[@jmarsden73]

@@lockergr ohh right thanks man :D

[@goofoffchannel]

Lmao not even. He IS an amazing musician but not THE greatest. Id put him up there with Damon Albarn and Andre 3000

[@Fernanae_]

Kevin Parker said they aren’t a rock band just saying

[@WHYOSHO]

TheFernanae12 they don’t sound like one either... Tame Impala’s style is very funky, psychedelic and melodic... very vintage.

[@pedromarques9498]

He said that because they are not a band. He makes the music completely alone and then performs it with a band that is already existing

[@arabtrappers6934]

NVO BEATS Yeah it sounds more like indie music

[@guenthersteiner8163]

Currents isn't a rock album at all, but Lonerism, Innerspeaker, and the Tame Impala EP are definitely (psychedelic) rock albums

[@pedromarques9498]

@@guenthersteiner8163 Right you are

[@oflict]

kevin parker issa fucking legend glad they’re getting the recognition they’re getting

[@oscarmedina-gomez9245]

Lonerism is a gift from the Gods 💯💯💯😩

[@just_cade]

They all are

[@oscarmedina-gomez9245]

Just Cade Big Facts

[@CrucifiedinChrist]

Fake fans say currents is the best album 😂

[@just_cade]

@@CrucifiedinChrist Not the best, but still a masterpiece with some of the best songs. Lonerism is the best, I think.

[@J78Kio]

Lonerism is their best album. I miss the sets they were touring with that album and Live Versions.

[@tommybawse1224]

idk it feels weird calling them a "rock band". They're more of a psychedelic alternative group. But either way its sf nice to see rappers appreciating talented artists in other genres

[@ethanenright1143]

it’s not a group

[@matthewparis1362]

I just saw them in concert - they played every song with guitars, drums and bass. They’re a rock band. Rock doesn’t always sound like Led Zepplin. Currents has more electric guitar on it than Sgt Pepper does. But no one would say that Sgt Pepper isn’t a rock album

[@wyattbailey7668]

The studio mixes maybe... The live performances tho are oooh so rock inspired and heavy.. totally recommend trying to catch a show sometime

[@Alberto-ny7kf]

Tame Impala USED to be rock

[@jasminewilliams8944]

Their first 2 albums are easily rock albums

[@JordanMarsh1]

Y’all forgot about Tame Impala x Miguel. Their collab was unforgettable

[@dixiechanglolz]

Big facts smh how could they miss that one???

[@inessa5923]

I’m so mad that this wasn’t mentioned

[@moriaht.7397]

YES

[@marcoaureliopenalozamendoz4863]

I thought he just made a remix of waves

[@riotzaka]

>"yall forgot" >"unforgettable" choose one

[@paulbarnes8732]

Dang y'all skipped over the Kali Uchis collab huh

[@dausthrowaway4349]

Smh

[@paulbarnes8732]

@@yesimtakeoffcantstopmenow2663 They mentioned the Theophilus London tracks which are not hip hop either. Also, the SZA track(s), the Rihanna cover etc.

[@inessa5923]

And the Miguel collaboration... unforgivable

[@masonicyouth3632]

Let’s not forget the video of Joey Bada$$ dancing to “The Less I Know The Better”

[@levirosenlieb7798]

You know your a true art genius when so many famous people constantly use your work

[@LOHAANDA]

so glad this video has been made

[@Kasonbrandon]

Best genius video!

[@Dogen70]

Honestly alternative/ indie music is killing it right now. It's refreshing

[@nicholasmarch3286]

Dogen70 agree 100% it’s nice to take a break from all the trap stuff that sounds the same

[@joshnippleton3449]

I like when artists from different genres have mutual respect for one another. I like when HUMANS have mutual respect for OTHER HUMANS! Makes me happy to be a living breathing organism. #love

[@nmasijika7557]

Josh Nippleton are u high but respect tho

[@joshnippleton3449]

@@nmasijika7557 ahhh shit! This always happens. See, the version of me that's not high never leaves corny hashtags out. Sorry you had to witness that.

[@joshnippleton3449]

@Marilyn Mercury Love I think is overrated nowadays. There should be more respect for one another.

[@TheCoolerChannel]

Marilyn Mercury black people get along just fine what are you talking about? The news? I bet it’s the news smh

[@MVCDVDDY]

Hey bro just want to let you know that I respect that you respect we both mutually respect humans. Keep on respectin' ✊🏻

[@riana639]

This is actually a great video

[@djcj]

Really cool story thanks guys

[@king_potato9038]

Skeletons by Travis Scott is written by Tame Impala and it is one of my favorite songs off of ASTROWORLD

[@deruckuscousins7239]

Don’tMakeMeGangGangYou we all no that Astro thunder is the g maybe even coffee bean

[@kendrickrichard3449]

Bro that song is my intro to Kevin, I thank all the people who suggested to check tame Impala on the skeletons yt comment section, now iam crazy about tame Impala ❤😇

[@thefallenonezz7540]

Its 2019 yall late asf but its all good

[@superBboy619]

Give this man a cookie

[@carsonboi9326]

This comment has me weak lmao

[@aaronnelouis-charles2921]

like most ppl with the band lol

[@gabelebabe8644]

never too late to get into an artist. people explore music at different rates.

[@aaronnelouis-charles2921]

@@gabelebabe8644 true

[@tahjglasper6475]

I gotta listen

[@HockeyStuffGuy]

You guys need to start doing videos about them.

[@nrcissism]

if rocky went all out and made a collab album with kevin with frank and tyler features the world would go crazy

[@inessa5923]

shoota _ That would be the actual perfect combo, I feel like they’d all take each other’s ideas to the next level. Love em all

[@POOPGOD999]

id say travis asap and kevin would make a dope ass album

[@gurseratkaurl976]

Tame Impala is the reason I feel I was born in the right generation

[@brendan594]

And The Weeknd

[@mattb2540]

Great video!

[@keithshowell6688]

Great and informative credits to Kevin Parker, Hillary. Thanks "Genius" news!

[@endlesummer_]

asap rocky uses their music the best as always he’s a genius

[@ballersonly5443]

He’s fucking trash you just follow everyone else

[@Mermaid_girl-mh2jf]

@@ballersonly5443 stfu dumbass

[@ShotsMerkzAll]

A genius for an awful sample of Tame Impala? No he’s taking genius and manipulating it to get girls and role play as an artist

[@ATX-js1to]

Ballers Only loser

[@dvnychvz9757]

Ballers Only stfu go listen to your generic trap

[@MaRyaYTOfficial]

I love Same ol'mistakes/new person same ol'mistakes

[@trishacabral6982]

i loveee tame impala

[@hillythekidd5240]

loved him since 2016

[@ForeheadSweat]

You already know ASAP needed some good music on an acid trip and found tame impala and just fell in love

[@allo_es_me_sam]

Kevin Parker looks like Jesus.

[@patrickbateman2171]

he might just be, cause the music he provides us are blessings

[@Omkar-ey3ls]

no Father John Misty is the jesus

[@sophiamelchor4721]

he is jesus

[@carlosgabrieliniguezurbina817]

Jesus looks like Kevin Parker

[@nobutfrtho]

is he not

[@jeremybielenberg6253]

Going to see Tame Impala in July!!

[@duncangagnon8907]

Are you though - covid-19

[@haleighnicole4233]

I love tame impala so much

[@krystopherpoe7629]

Tame Impala is fucking amazing going to see them at Lolla

[@TheAnimeman101]

Krypto Kryssi aye that’s what’s up have fun out there bro 💯

[@noonecaresalex]

Tame impala looks like the guy who sold me bad acid outside the tame impala concert

[@cherrybumman541]

bandmemes

[@crispouk3070]

noonecaresalex bruh actual acid is easier to get than fake acid. Jus coz u didn’t have a great trip don’t mean it is bad

[@noonecaresalex]

Crispo Uk r/woosh

[@crispouk3070]

@@noonecaresalex bro ngl i must have been high as fuck this is such as obvious woosh lmaoo

[@noonecaresalex]

Crispo Uk lmaooo

[@jacobsory9678]

Brought up in supermarket too

[@adrianrichards26]

Cuz Kevin parker is the shit. A damn genius.

[@kaylabey]

tyler the creator was the first rapper i’ve heard reference them 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@ash.g59]

I lowkey hate how everyone said it was weird music when i showed it to others now everyone is on the wave 🙄

[@CantGuardBron]

ong fuck people

[@nautikient2151]

@@CantGuardBron yeah fk you

[@xanbell7723]

well it is weird, but its also amazing. Most people are too afraid to like new weird music so they wait until it becomes popular.

[@ipsilonia]

kevin parker really my boyyyyyyyyyyy

[@walter5517]

I’m in love with Tame Impala

[@jancurlyhoes7750]

Add Lil Yachty to this list, he collaborated with Kevin on Breathe Deeper and now has his own album that’s based on Psychedelics

[@twanbok9564]

Tame Impala invited A$AP Rocky to play with them at Lowlands festival and it was amazing!

[@Turrican]

I'm going to listen to some TA now then

[@leggs7994]

tame impala is 1 person : kevin parker the backing band is called pond

[@caroline6138]

*Rap/rock collaboration* is like a moon eclipse, we rarely see it but when we do it's always special 🎵

[@caroline6138]

*linkin park feat jay-z* was a masterpiece I recommend u check it

[@tryggvi98]

Nu-Metal sucked I don’t know wtf you’re talking about

[@axelkason6526]

@@caroline6138 yeah "numb encore" by jayZ and linkin park was an amazing song..Rip Chester

[@nanayawberko3212]

Why the fuck you lying Why you always lying Oh my god stop fucking lying

[@axelkason6526]

@@nanayawberko3212 you still stuck there ?! That meme died 3 years ago BTW

[@indiehipstervibe]

I love tame impala and I’ve loved them for the past 2 years

[@TheGfacekilla]

whiplash was an instant classic

[@adam-hp6qt]

Kevin Parker should produce next Travis project. That would be magic

[@IlIlIlllIlIlIllli]

I feel so refreshing Everytime I listen to tame Impala I feel more happy

[@CT.ALEXX_]

A girl I kinda crushed on showed me tame impala back in 2017 my senior year. She made a playlist of the best songs on currents and now those songs take me back to my last couple months of high school.

[@yonyunior]

good video, informative, right to the point, good stuff.

[@GhostOfZion]

Seeing them for the second time this August, I can’t wait

[@NashelleBrown]

Can y’all do this on Hiatus Kaiyote? They’ve been sampled by Kendrick, The Carter’s, Anderson Paak and more! They’ve even collaborated with Paak!

[@yuihirasawa01]

I've been thinking the absolute same thing like yoooo.... They need to recognize Hiatus fo real.

[@domo535]

Rihanna fans will say that Rihanna made it first 😐

[@sanrafaeldeguanapalo938]

domo535 bitch WHERE? Stop the bullshit 🙄

[@Nooooooooooooooooooooo7913]

I heard the Rihanna version and once I heard it was a cover I immediately searched for the original and have been listening to that ever since lol

[@sanrafaeldeguanapalo938]

noooooooooooooooooo same.

[@J78Kio]

@@sanrafaeldeguanapalo938 I worked at a Buffalo Wild WIngs in Inglewood, whenever that song came on everyone sang it and didnt believe me at first when I said it was a cover smh.

[@mrods999]

domo535 no one ever said that.

[@YUAN-se6xg]

I LOVE YOU @tameimpala. 💖🔥

[@skilla326]

*Kevin Parker💖*

[@mar_souul]

This is why I love him so much, a genuis...traveled all the way to Barcelona just to see him. 😭

[@TheHuskyK9]

When you realize that Tame Impala isn't a band, it's just Kevin Parker's stage name

[@Souldem619]

Trip i just came across this band today

[@LosAngeles822]

I just barely started listening to them yesterday have not stopped

[@joejones8454]

Good to see genres mixing with each other

[@nikitavolochenko2169]

cmon guys, it was gonna happen... eventually

[@tosinagbi8378]

This is so underated

[@falkym]

AAAAAAAAHHHH

[@hayleyb467]

yep, had to wait until the moment was right

[@ad-zx4iv]

So let it happen

[@brandywightman2499]

UGH THIS WAS SO GOOD

[@imanualmahida8278]

Thanks for putting me on tame Impala I going to dive into their music

[@mentally-ill-mary]

This was amazing. Thank you @genius

[@nicogularte]

Kevin Parker/Tame Impala is our generations Pink Floyd/Led Zepp/ Beatles, just a legend is my point

[@meowdalachow7932]

Nicolas Gularte the doors are the goat for me

[@Spiderboyish]

AGREED

[@dmitryteseniar846]

Hey daddy

[@dmitryteseniar846]

I watched it man. It was good. When you coming down to look at the place?

[@nicogularte]

@@dmitryteseniar846 ill be leaving my house by 11:10

[@krackin2552]

Tame impala isnt a bandddd😭

[@Here30]

Yup.

[@coreygarrettpowell]

I want doubles of all the Tame shit on vinyl! Period.

[@yournamebutbetter3908]

Kevin finally getting some recognition on here.

[@vaughan3000]

No mention of the Kevin and Kali Uchis collab... blatant disrespect

[@dixiechanglolz]

They skipped on a couple. Its that one, the one with Miguel, and although they mentioned mark ronson as djs they did make a song called daffofils that was amazong but i guess they were focused on rap/hiphop/rnb collabs

[@inessa5923]

Tomorrow?

[@stev6963]

Holy shit for real?! What song is that?

[@kritiikasingh]

legend

[@camiscamyuotube98]

Kevin is so brilliant

[@narredont]

Kalis Uchis “Tomorrow” is hands down my favorite collab

[@guwop9758]

Currents is the most beautiful album ever

[@theairagain]

yes but lonerism

[@seansibley9371]

skyefilm yes but innerspeaker

[@lameimpala2500]

Kevin Parker is the ONE

[@StarskyandDutch]

I love Tame so much

[@Dreamstarr]

YESSS I love Tame impala rock and rap has got to be one of the best collaborations

[@thereallegend4lyfe]

How did I not hear about that Kendrick x Tame Impala song?!!!

[@brownboy6272]

Travis put me on to tame impala in that narduwar interview

[@melodkeyelash]

Kevin Parker is Gandalf!!!!!

[@kylemccray4545]

ITS NOT A BAND ITS KEVIN PARKER. THEY JUST PERFORM AS A BAND SO ITS NOT BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@jackrichards4718]

Just seen tame impala live at Glastonbury and I can say one of the best lives shows I’ve witnessed 👌🏼

[@angelinasleath9409]

this is why i live for Kevin Parker

[@deshaundozier]

Parker is legendary

[@thai8028]

Kevin Parker has been my dad since i was in 6th grade 💕

[@Killerwhale317]

Been listening to Kevin Parker since 2012. As a black dude people think I'm weird for listening to Tame Impala, I feel like some people aren't cultured enough to like something different than the stereotypically acclaimed "normal".

[@Patricia-vi4ud]

Saw them live a few days ago and it was amazing 🖤

[@kuznapi]

Our boi Kevin out here 😎