On the 3rd edition of 4GEMZ
, we select four must-hear, surefire gems from Grammy award winning musician, Tyler, The Creator.
W
elcome to 4GEMZ1. Tyler, The Creator, โFind Your Wingsโ
Ft. Roy Ayers, Syd & Kali Uchis
Cherry Bomb โข
Odd Future โข
2015
โFind your wings (Fly) / Find your wings (Find your wings).โ Few will deny that
Tyler, the Creator is โrough around the edges.โ His early catalog is incredibly raw and, in some respects, problematic. That said, over the years, heโs done a better job of โopening upโ and honestly, maturing as both a person and musician. On
โFind Your Wings,โ which hails from a cruder album,
Cherry Bomb (2015), we begin to see expanded musicianship from Tyler.
โFind Your Wingsโ is quite beautiful. Itโs lush and jazzy โ a palette comprised of vibraphone, horns, strings, and of course, keys/synths. Notably, the title/titular lyric appear throughout Cherry Bomb. Tyler enlists the services of Syd,
Kali Uchis, and
Roy Ayers on vocals, in addition to his own vocals. The sheer radiance of the record is quite surprising โ shocking at that point of the musicianโs career.
Also appears on :
Take Flight with These 11 Wings Songs
2. Tyler, the Creator, โWho Dat Boyโ
Flower Boy โข
Columbia โข
2017
In the context of
Flower Boy, the
Grammy-nominated album by
Tyler, the Creator,
โWho Dat Boyโ is representative of tough Tyler โ โscum fuckโ if you will. After eerie, malicious production, he jumps right into unapologetic rhymes. He wants to ensure that everybody knows exactly who he is. Without a doubt, โdat boyโ is on autopilot.
Tyler, the Creator gets help courtesy of A$AP Rocky, who kills the second verse. Upping the ante, they join forces on the final verse. Chocked-full of twisted, cocky, and confident rhymes, โWho Dat Boyโ concludes fittingly.
Also appears on :
Songs About Boys, Vol. 1
14 Songs That Are About Boys
or Girls
50 Awesome Boy or Girl Songs
3. Tyler, The Creator, โEARFQUAKEโ
IGOR โข
Columbia โข
2019
โEarfquakeโ is an instant highlight from the incredibly ambitious,
Grammy-winning Tyler, the Creator album,
IGOR. The backdrop is ear-catching, and Tyler sings with pitch-shifted vocals. On the memorable chorus, he gets a big-time, uncredited assist, courtesy of the soulful
Charlie Wilson. On the first verse, another surprising guest appearance occurs,
Playboi Carti, who fits in perfectly and remains true to self. โEarfquakeโ ranks among the best songs released in 2019 โ 13th best to be exact.
โโCause you make my earth quake Oh, you make my earthquake Riding around, youโre telling me something is bad And itโs making my heart break...โ
Also appears on :
51 Best Songs of 2019: Year in Review
11 Colorful Songs That Reference Devastating Disasters
13 E Songs Selected with No Rhyme or Reason
4. Tyler, The Creator, โRise!โ
Ft. DAISY WORLD
CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST โข
Columbia โข
2021
โWhen I rise to the top / Iโm tellinโ you right now / Iโm tellinโ you right now / Oh, Iโll show you something.โ
โRise!โ marks an utterly superb moment from
CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, the 2021 studio album by Tyler, The Creator. On โRise,โ Tyler enlists
DAISY WORLD for the assist. Furthermore, he produces alongside
Jamie xx, one of rare moments he isnโt the sole person behind the boards. The result of the collaboration is one of the best backdrops of the entire album. Those syncopated drums and synths โ woo!
As I listen, I hear the influence of say, The Neptunes, one of the greatest production teams of all time. Throw in the jazzy harmonic scheme as a big-time selling point. Of course, it should be noted both Tyler, The Creator and DAISY WORLD give spirited performance โ โrisingโ to the occasion (โWith the rockets in my mind, yeah / I could touch the sky, I donโt see any ceilingsโ)! โRise!โ is one of the best of CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST.
Also appears on :
Rise: 3BOPS No. 43 (2021)
13 Songs That Encourage All to Rise Up