CMIYGL finds Tyler nestling back into the rap pocket where he made his name through a mix of juvenilia, emo, and Art Tatum piano lines. Wolf marked the metamorphosis of Tyler as an artist tying together impressive projects in sound, scope, and even sexual identity.
Bastard: Underrated in its musical power, overstated in its cultural significance.
Cherry Bomb: the experimental extravaganza he claims he finds himself as an artist.
Flower Boy: Tyler taking on a directorial role, sitting back and letting the features do the heavy lifting and exercising his ability as a producer.
IGOR: A full-on plunge into the realms of synthpop and neo-soul where Tyler finds his melodic voice.
Rap never left the equation, but it always felt like just another tool in Tyler's eclectic toolbox. In CMIYGL, Tyler is using a classic MC skillset with jokes, entendres, proper storytelling, and internal rhyme without compromising quotability. Though his artistry has seldom come into question, If CMIYGL is of any indication: Tyler, the Creator is one of the best EMCEES in the game. He even includes a scene stealing feature from Domo Genesis as a reminder of his Odd Future roots.
Tyler is no stranger to the concept record, Flower Boy and IGOR were two of the most realized conceptual feats of the last decade. On his sixth, Tyler opts for a looser narrative to tie together Call Me if You Get Lost's tracklist: a fantasy mixtape curated by Gangsta Grillz legend DJ Drama. The quick and dirty format gives Tyler carte blanche to do whatever he pleases sonically. He travels back in time, referencing his back catalog both in lyrics and production. He also offers a smorgasbord of trap, hard-core rap, old school r&b, and reggae. While genre limbo actually works about half the time, smooth transitions, recurring motifs, and a fiery new alter ego, and a heartbreaking love story helps CMIYGL find its focus.
Some have taken to assessing CMIYGL as a well assembled vanity project, oftentimes beginning with Tyler’s decided inspiration pulled from the poetry of Charles Baudelaire. This is a reductive appraisal of the album. Yes, Tyler is reveling in his success, but moments like the "BLESSED" interlude are acts of self affirmation in the face of the many personal insecurities he dissects on this record. Two emotional plights eat up Tyler on the record: 1. Self identity vs the court of public opinion 2. trying to recover from a broken heart. To simply evaluate the record as a victory lap diminishes its emotional value.
“WILSHIRE” represents the record’s emotional core and a symbol of its catharsis.
In eight and a half minutes, Tyler takes us to the culmination of a love triangle that he has basically powder kegged. But this ain’t Too $hort; Tyler takes full accountability for his wrongdoings while also acknowledging how he was hurt in the situation. Tyler has never laid himself emotionally bare as he does with this romantic situation, giving the listener an honest perspective on the cost of love that only he could provide.
Fulfilling his best friend duties, Frank Ocean makes a rare appearance on “LEMONHEAD,” notably not singing. Ocean uses the soft outro of an otherwise rambunctious track to cite his love of the colour green. Tyler's close friend Frank Ocean makes an appearance on "LEMONHEAD" via spoken word, citing his love for the colour green.
Tyler even threw out a reference on “LUMBERJACK” to the Flog Gnaw Drake fiasco, where a surprise performance from Aubrey ended in boos when fans realized that a Frank Ocean appearance was no longer a possibility. What does this tell us? Characteristically, not much. Though it’s hard not to speculate that Frank is lurking in the shadows and may or may not be sitting on a trove of new music.
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQqlc0VlQET/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQqlc0VlQET/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div><div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"><div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; 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padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQqlc0VlQET/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Tyler, The Creator (@feliciathegoat)</a></p></div></blockquote><script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
CMIYGL finds Tyler nestling back into the rap pocket where he made his name through a mix of juvenilia, emo, and Art Tatum piano lines. Wolf marked the metamorphosis of Tyler as an artist tying together impressive projects in sound, scope, and even sexual identity.
Bastard: Underrated in its musical power, overstated in its cultural significance.
Cherry Bomb: the experimental extravaganza he claims he finds himself as an artist.
Flower Boy: Tyler taking on a directorial role, sitting back and letting the features do the heavy lifting and exercising his ability as a producer.
IGOR: A full-on plunge into the realms of synthpop and neo-soul where Tyler finds his melodic voice.
Rap never left the equation, but it always felt like just another tool in Tyler's eclectic toolbox. In CMIYGL, Tyler is using a classic MC skillset with jokes, entendres, proper storytelling, and internal rhyme without compromising quotability. Though his artistry has seldom come into question, If CMIYGL is of any indication: Tyler, the Creator is one of the best EMCEES in the game. He even includes a scene stealing feature from Domo Genesis as a reminder of his Odd Future roots.
Tyler is no stranger to the concept record, Flower Boy and IGOR were two of the most realized conceptual feats of the last decade. On his sixth, Tyler opts for a looser narrative to tie together Call Me if You Get Lost's tracklist: a fantasy mixtape curated by Gangsta Grillz legend DJ Drama. The quick and dirty format gives Tyler carte blanche to do whatever he pleases sonically. He travels back in time, referencing his back catalog both in lyrics and production. He also offers a smorgasbord of trap, hard-core rap, old school r&b, and reggae. While genre limbo actually works about half the time, smooth transitions, recurring motifs, and a fiery new alter ego, and a heartbreaking love story helps CMIYGL find its focus.
Some have taken to assessing CMIYGL as a well assembled vanity project, oftentimes beginning with Tyler’s decided inspiration pulled from the poetry of Charles Baudelaire. This is a reductive appraisal of the album. Yes, Tyler is reveling in his success, but moments like the "BLESSED" interlude are acts of self affirmation in the face of the many personal insecurities he dissects on this record. Two emotional plights eat up Tyler on the record: 1. Self identity vs the court of public opinion 2. trying to recover from a broken heart. To simply evaluate the record as a victory lap diminishes its emotional value.
“WILSHIRE” represents the record’s emotional core and a symbol of its catharsis.
In eight and a half minutes, Tyler takes us to the culmination of a love triangle that he has basically powder kegged. But this ain’t Too $hort; Tyler takes full accountability for his wrongdoings while also acknowledging how he was hurt in the situation. Tyler has never laid himself emotionally bare as he does with this romantic situation, giving the listener an honest perspective on the cost of love that only he could provide.
Fulfilling his best friend duties, Frank Ocean makes a rare appearance on “LEMONHEAD,” notably not singing. Ocean uses the soft outro of an otherwise rambunctious track to cite his love of the colour green. Tyler's close friend Frank Ocean makes an appearance on "LEMONHEAD" via spoken word, citing his love for the colour green.
Tyler even threw out a reference on “LUMBERJACK” to the Flog Gnaw Drake fiasco, where a surprise performance from Aubrey ended in boos when fans realized that a Frank Ocean appearance was no longer a possibility. What does this tell us? Characteristically, not much. Though it’s hard not to speculate that Frank is lurking in the shadows and may or may not be sitting on a trove of new music.
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQqlc0VlQET/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQqlc0VlQET/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div><div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"><div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div><div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div><div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"><div style=" color:#3897f0; 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padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQqlc0VlQET/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Tyler, The Creator (@feliciathegoat)</a></p></div></blockquote><script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
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