Tyler, The Creator releases "Stop Playing with Me" Video with LeBron James and Clipse
Tyler, The Creator wasted no time launching the visual era for his surprise album Don't Tap The Glass, dropping the energetic music video for "Stop Playing with Me" just hours after the album's release. The self-directed visual features surprise cameos from NBA superstar LeBron James, his business partner Maverick Carter, and hip-hop legends Clipse (Pusha T and Malice).
A Message About Dancing and Freedom
The video serves as a visual manifesto for Tyler's core message behind the album: encouraging people to dance without fear of judgment. In a candid social media statement, Tyler explained his inspiration: "I asked some friends why they don't dance in public and some said because of the fear of being filmed. It made me wonder how much of our human spirit got killed because of the fear of being a meme, all for having a good time."
The message reflects Tyler's broader vision for Don't Tap The Glass: "This album was not made for sitting still. Dancing, driving, running any type of movement is recommended to maybe understand the spirit of it. Only at full volume."
Visual Aesthetics and Star Cameos
The video showcases Tyler's new retro-inspired aesthetic, drawing heavily from hip-hop's golden era with an updated b-boy flair. He sports a red GOLF trucker hat, transparent Cazal frames, a mustache, and gold fronts, topped off with a red leather tracksuit and matching Converse weapons. The setting is deliberately simple—Tyler dancing between two massive speakers in a barren room with a "No Glass Tapping" sign and torn newspapers swirling around in a wind-tunnel effect.
The star cameos appear strategically throughout the video. LeBron James and Maverick Carter make their entrance around the 80-second mark, with James wearing a denim jacket and bucket hat while vibing to the track. Clipse members Pusha T and Malice also make brief but meaningful appearances, all sporting what appears to be Louis Vuitton threads.
The Creative Vision Behind the Chaos
Tyler's decision to include these particular collaborators speaks to the video's deeper message. While Tyler dances freely and expressively, his guests maintain a more reserved, "cool" demeanor—a deliberate contrast that illustrates his point about people's reluctance to fully express themselves in public. Their calculated stiffness plays into Tyler's broader commentary about how social media culture has stifled natural human expression.
The connection to Clipse runs deeper than just the cameo—Tyler recently contributed to their comeback album Let God Sort Em Out with the track "P.O.V.," showing the mutual respect between these artists across generations.
From Surprise Party to Global Release
The video's release follows Tyler's innovative album launch strategy. He debuted Don't Tap The Glass at a surprise $5 listening party at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, where phones were banned and 300 people experienced the album in its intended form—loud, communal, and movement-focused.
Tyler described the listening party as "one of the greatest nights of my life," emphasizing how the phone-free environment allowed attendees to dance and express themselves freely: "Everyone was dancing, moving, expressing, sweating, it was truly beautiful... there was a freedom that filled the room."
"Stop Playing with Me" marks the first visual from Tyler's ninth studio album and sets the tone for what promises to be his most dance-focused era yet. The track, which Tyler both produced and directed the video for, runs just over a minute and serves as a perfect encapsulation of the album's kinetic energy and unapologetic attitude.
uristocrat
