This is the kind of flexing that’s cultured, well-mannered, and well-traveled. Not many people can say that they had a million for Drake. “It’s opulence, baby,” he muses on “BLESSED.” On first listen, a lot of CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST might just seem like a giant flex.
Whereas some of Tyler’s earlier albums had a clear abrasion to them, that’s been replaced with a sun-soaked new era full of 20th century passports, luxury suitcases, and brown sugar salmon.Īdopting the moniker of Tyler Baudelaire, a reference to the poet Charles Baudelaire, we see a side of the artist that knows and understands his worth. CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST showcases something that we’ve known for a while: Tyler can rap.ĭrama’s presence is felt throughout the entirety of the album while Tyler fully shines with some of his best verses. That album was a huge transitional moment for Tyler, marking the shift from industry troll to a mainstream star. Notably, 2018’s IGOR where he played the titular character in a story about a love that fizzles out. He’s always been auteur, adopting new personas in characters in his work. As with his previous records, CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST contains an entire world expertly crafted by Tyler himself.
CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST is Tyler’s most mature effort to date, as he reflects on his successes, controversial past, and the importance of finding your own voice.
And yet, CMIYGL surpasses that project in nearly every way.Ĭharting Tyler’s career from 2009’s Bastard tape to now has been beautiful to behold. It only makes sense that Tyler, a devout disciple of Pharrell and The Neptunes, would follow in his idols footsteps. An unlikely pairing at the time, but undoubtedly becoming another notable entry in both artists catalog. CMIYGL pays homage to Drama and Pharrell’s prequel tape to 2006’s In My Mind. Whether or not they were aware of it, Drama had begun a whole new era in rap.Ī decade and some change later, Tyler, the Creator returns with CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, an ode to this era of hip-hop. Drama and Cannon had the all of the marketing power of a record label and provided artists, both established acts and up-and-comers, an immediate platform. Drama, real name Tyree Cinque Simmons, formed the legendary Gangsta Grillz empire alongside Don Cannon, which is responsible for some of hip-hop’s most iconic mixtapes: Jeezy’s Trap or Die, Lil Wayne’s legendary Dedication series, and, notably, Pharrell’s In My Mind: Prequel. In the mid-2000s, DJ Drama became one of the most sought after mixtape DJs in America.