Words by Alex Dye

Who is Tyler the Creator?  For the longtime Tyler fans and the uninitiated alike, this is a legitimate question. Because in the 14 years he has been on the scene, thirty-year-old Tyler Okonma has been in a constant state of evolution.

He began as the founding member of the hip-hop collective Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All (OFWGKTA), which launched the careers of the enigmatic singer Frank Ocean and conscious rapper Earl Sweatshirt, among many, many others. 

Tyler rose to popularity in controversy, known for violent, sometimes homophobic lyrics, and extremely dark music videos. He was a force to be reckoned with live, as at least one show got shut down at SXSW because crowds were breaking through the barriers.

Besides his vast musical career, he had several shows on Adult Swim and has developed into a genuine fashion icon with his hard to get Golf le Fleur clothing line, which specializes in muted pastel colors and bold styles. 

The pertinent question here, though, isn’t just ‘who is Tyler the Creator,’ but ‘which Tyler the Creator did we get with this album?’ Did we get horrorcore Tyler from the Goblin era, which many longtime fans were clamoring for. (For those who may not know, horrorcore is a rap style originating from the mid 90’s with groups like Gravediggaz and ICP that features violent lyrical imagery, and even though Tyler explicitly said on the song “Sandwitches” he’s not horrorcore, the content of his first two albums absolutely fit the bill.) And sampling Gravediggaz “2 Cups of Blood” on “Lumberjack,” his first single on the album, certainly winks to if not explicitly calls back to this part of his history. 

Or did we get the Scum F—K/Flower Boy Tyler, who was just starting to experiment with R&B while still dropping some classic Tyler bangers like “Who Dat Boi?” Or was he going to continue the direction of sensitive, soulful, and sultry Tyler who won a Grammy for the album IGOR, in which he leaned completely into the R&B and neo-soul elements of SF/FB. 

So, which Tyler showed up here? Well, that’s not an easy question to answer. Call Me If You Get Lost seems like a more natural sequel to SF/FB by mixing dope bangers with the softer pop sensibilities that were explored on IGOR.  But lyrically he’s continued to evolve, showing even more confidence and vulnerability and throwing down some serious but not excessive humble brags.

Let’s take a deeper dive into the album itself. The music is all over the place and sometimes feels like you accidentally set the radio to scan: from the blasting horns in LEMONHEAD, to the 90’s R&B sounding slow jam WUSYANAME and the 70’s soul of SWEET/I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE, to the obvious horrorcore sounds and samples, and maybe even some tinges of G-Funk influence (which would make sense because he is a west coast boy). Tyler is not afraid to sample on this album. These aren’t just clips; he often uses whole songs (such as the aforementioned Gravediggaz sample in “Lumberjack,” “Back Seat (Wit No Sheets)” by H-Town in WUSYANAME, and “Westside Gunn” in the opening track SIR BAUDELAIRE.)

Lyrically, this self-confident emcee stylizes himself as Tyler Baudelaire (after 19th French poet Charles Baudelaire who was a free-wheeling big-spending world traveler). This identity makes appearances all throughout the album, from the over-the-top “I might buy a boat, depends if Capri got space, don’t really need one” (CORSO) to chopping and screwing the rap tropes of cars and cash with the history of his family in America “Rolls Royce pull up, Black boy hop out, whips on whips, my ancestors got they backs out, two four five hundred stacks on the hood.”

His confidence isn’t just rooted in money and possessions. Tyler knows who he is, and he feels great about it. Sometimes it comes out funny, “Got too much self-respect, I wash my hands before I piss,”(MASSA), and sometimes it’s cathartic, “And all them n—s, they peaked in high school, I always had confidence, I ain’t never been nervous, I ain’t never had anxiety, I ain’t never second-guessed myself” (RUNITUP). He even owns up to and embraces the old Tyler, not as something to hide, but just as a part of the journey to who he has become. “I come a long way from my past n—a it’s obvious, internet bringin’ old lyrics up, like I hide the shit, what’s your address, I could probably send you a copy b—t, I was canceled before canceled was with Twitter fingers, protestin’ outside my shows, I gave them the middle finger” (MANIFESTO).

The most compelling song on the album is the eight and a half minute WILSHIRE. Tyler exposes some serious pain and tells the story from beginning to end of a relationship he could never fully have, from first meeting “I ain’t even wanna f—k cause your presence was enough” to soul shattering ending “We trip on our words, nobody is lyin’ hakuna matata, we sat in the car and cried for an hour,’ and reconciliation and moving on “I can’t even look at you and think about bad words, that’s why I called and said we couldn’t end this on bad terms, we straight like a bad perm, we’ll always be good friends.” I dare you to listen and not be moved (unless you’re some kind of sociopath).

Tyler is not the only voice on CMIYGL. It’s impossible to miss the presence of the ringmaster DJ Drama, who peppers the tracks with hype. Collaborating with DJ Drama, Philadelphia producer known for his Gangsta Grillz mixtape series which gave a start to many southern rappers, was a dream for Tyler, as mentioned nearly a decade ago in a tweet. And along with DJ Drama came guest spots from superstars in the Gangsta Grillz Mixtape universe, including Lil Wayne, Lil Uzi Vert, and 42 Dugg. There’s also appearances by Pharell Williams and OFWGKTA alumni Domo Genesis. No one’s bars get wasted here. Lil’ Wayne spits fire with a vengeance in his verse on HOT WIND BLOWS “I’m hot as hell when the weather is freezin’ the cold as the devil and demon and ghost.”

To wrap up, this might be the time to discuss whether CMIYGL is a mixtape or a true album. The differences between the two have become a lot more subtle over the last ten years, especially as artists like Chance the Rapper, Lil’ Wayne, and Drake have released some genuinely dope, critically acclaimed mixtapes that are better than many albums released on major labels. On the one hand, like mixtapes, CMIYGL features extreme style shifts and heavy samples. And DJ Drama brings his best mixtape call out game. On the other hand, the tracks are arranged with purpose like an album, including an intro and closer. And there is a strong theme that weaves its way throughout.  For my money, I think Tyler intentionally put out a mixtape flavored album, fulfilling a long held dream while still pushing his style and art forward.  

So, has Tyler the Creator dropped the album of the year with CMIYGL?  This is obviously a subjective question that very much depends on the individual’s taste in music. However, in the hip-hop world, this has a serious shot at claiming the title, especially among mainstream releases this year. Wherever you land on this question and whatever your musical preferences may be, don’t sleep on this record. It really is that good. 

You can follow Tyler the Creator on Instagram and Twitter and find the new album on most streaming platforms.  And if you’re still reading this but not listening to it RIGHT NOW, then what are you even doing with your life?!