![]() ![]() “Call Me If You Get Lost” is Tyler’s most masterful album yet. After the release of “Igor,” it was hard to imagine where Tyler would go next - his production was near-flawless, his lyrics were heartfelt and he had just about run the gamut from aggressive to vulnerable. On 2019’s “Igor,” Tyler further developed these themes, the result of which was a critically-acclaimed album exploring Tyler’s sexuality through the story of his love affair with a man who was in a relationship with a woman. “Flower Boy” painted an intimate portrait of a confused artist, unsure of his sexuality but consumed with the idea of a beautiful love. Tyler’s 2017 album, “Flower Boy,” marked the beginning of a new era - a complete departure from the wildly offensive lyrics and dark themes that defined his previous works. Over his next 6 studio albums, Tyler polished his skills as a producer, rapper, singer and artist. Lyrics aside, Tyler’s flow was unique and his beats were courageous, but his production skills were clearly unrefined. It was controversial, and for good reason: The lyrics screamed with homophobia and threats of sexual assault. Tyler, the Creator released his debut mixtape “Bastard” in 2009, which told the story of Tyler’s tortured soul through the lens of a session with his therapist. Its sound is comparable to his earlier albums, but in a way that is more mature and secure, foreshadowing the feeling of the album that would follow. The album’s first single gave us the old, aggressive Tyler it boasted of wealth over an abrasive sample from the pioneering horrorcore group Gravediggaz, but with humor and grace infusing the lyrics. Tyler’s discography has seen a major swing from aggressive and alienating lyrics to exploring introspective, vulnerable themes. ![]() CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, though, is a chance to see if they can recognise rap greatness once it has kicked their door in.When Tyler, the Creator released his album’s new single, “Lumberjack,” on June 16, it was unclear which version of him we would get on “Call Me If You Get Lost,” his sixth studio album. Giving the Grammy the benefit of the doubt, maybe they wanted to reward all the great rapping he’d done until that point. “WILSHIRE” is potentially best described as an epic poem. ![]() And then there’s “RUNITUP”, which features a crunk-style background chant, and “LEMONHEAD”, which has the energy of Trap or Die-era Jeezy. The vibes across the album are a disparate combination of sounds Tyler enjoys (and can make)-boom-bap revival (“CORSO”, “LUMBERJACK”), ’90s R&B (“WUSYANAME”), gentle soul samples as a backdrop for vivid lyricism in the Griselda mould (“SIR BAUDELAIRE”, “HOT WIND BLOWS”) and lovers rock (“I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE”). Tyler made an aesthetic choice to frame CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST with interjections of shit-talking from DJ Drama, founder of one of 2000s rap’s most storied institutions, the Gangsta Grillz mixtape franchise. The focus here is very clearly hip-hop from the outset. Tyler superfans will remember that the MC was notoriously peeved at his categoric inclusion-and eventual victory-in the 2020 Grammys’ Best Rap Album category for his pop-oriented IGOR. But in this case, an exceptionally great one. But across CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, the man once known as Wolf Haley is just a guy who likes to rock ice and collect stamps on his passport, who might whisper into your significant other’s ear while you’re in the restroom. The Los Angeles-hailing MC, and one-time nucleus of the culture-shifting Odd Future collective, made a name for himself as a preternaturally talented MC whose impeccable taste in streetwear and calls to “kill people, burn shit, fuck school” perfectly encapsulated the angst of his generation. There’s a handful of eyebrow-raising verses across Tyler, The Creator’s CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST-particularly those from 42 Dugg, Lil Uzi Vert, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Pharrell and Lil Wayne-but none of the aforementioned are as surprising as the ones Tyler delivers himself. ![]()
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