Tyler, The Creator | 4GEMZ

1. Tyler, The Creator, “Find Your Wings”

Ft. Roy Ayers, Syd & Kali Uchis

Cherry Bomb • Odd Future • 2015

“Find your wings (Fly) / Find your wings (Find your wings).” Few will deny that Tyler, the Creator is ‘rough around the edges.’ His early catalog is incredibly raw and, in some respects, problematic.  That said, over the years, he’s done a better job of ‘opening up’ and honestly, maturing as both a person and musician.  On “Find Your Wings,” which hails from a cruder album, Cherry Bomb (2015), we begin to see expanded musicianship from Tyler.

“Find Your Wings” is quite beautiful.  It’s lush and jazzy – 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 – shocking at that point of the musician’s career.

Also appears on :
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2. Tyler, the Creator, “Who Dat Boy”

Flower Boy • Columbia • 2017 

In the context of Flower Boy, the Grammy-nominated album by Tyler, the Creator, “Who Dat Boy” is representative of tough Tyler – “scum fuck” 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, “dat boy” 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, “Who Dat Boy” concludes fittingly.

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3. Tyler, The Creator, “EARFQUAKE”

IGOR • Columbia • 2019 

“Earfquake” 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. “Earfquake” ranks among the best songs released in 2019 – 13^th best to be exact.

“‘Cause you make my earth quake
Oh, you make my earthquake
Riding around, you’re telling me something is bad
And it’s making my heart break...”

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4. Tyler, The Creator, “Rise!”

Ft. DAISY WORLD

CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST • Columbia • 2021

“When I rise to the top / I’m tellin’ you right now / I’m tellin’ you right now / Oh, I’ll show you something.” “Rise!” marks an utterly superb moment from CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, the 2021 studio album by Tyler, The Creator. On “Rise,” Tyler enlists DAISY WORLD for the assist.  Furthermore, he produces alongside Jamie xx, one of rare moments he isn’t 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 – 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 – ‘rising’ to the occasion (“With the rockets in my mind, yeah / I could touch the sky, I don’t see any ceilings”)! “Rise!” is one of the best of CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST.

Also appears on :
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