Tyler, The Creator, CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: The Estate Sale | Album Review 💿

After winning a second Grammy CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, Tyler, The Creator returns with the must-hear deluxe, CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: The Estate Sale.

It’s amazing when a musician evolves – blooms into a beautiful flower.  Maybe describing 🏆 Grammy winner 🎙 Tyler, The Creator as a flower is pushing it, but the rapper, singer, and producer has grown tremendously over the years, maturing into a truly elite artist.  💿 CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, released in 2021, earned him his second 🏆 Grammy for Best Rap Album.  In 2023, he releases the deluxe edition, 💿 CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: The Estate Sale, which not only adds eight tracks, but also expands on the greatness of the 2021 LP. 

via GIPHY

“Sir Baudelaire” 

CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST commences with 🎵 “Sir Baudelaire” featuring 🎙 DJ Drama, which sets the tone.  We’re introduced to Tyler’s character throughout the LP, Tyler Baudelaire as well as reference to travel.  From there, on 🤩🎵 “Corso,” we see Tyler Baudelaire in action, and the rhymes are L-I-T.  Throughout, Tyler weaves in numerous pop cultural references including Hurricane Chris and 📺 Living Single.  Furthermore, he flexes hard like a boss (“‘Bout to spend millions just to fill voids up”). Strong start to CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST.

“I was too hot TLC ‘Waterfalls’ on my chest help me cool out.” Woo! On the epic 🤩 🎵 “Lemonhead,” Tyler, The Creator brings in 🎙 42 Dugg for the assist.  Tyler delivers stupendous production including malicious brass and a banging, pummeling beat.  Both rappers go H.A.M. understandably, given that ferocious backdrop.  In addition to Tyler’s TLC ode, 42 Dugg comes in ‘turnt’ (“A young turnt nigga, I be fuckin’ these hoes”) and drippy AF (“Two-tone Patek in this bitch goddammit”). 🤩 🎵 “WUSYANAME” marks another triumphant moment early on.  Tyler is assisted by 🎙 YoungBoy Broke Again and 🎙 Ty Dolla $ign.  Ty Dolla gives us those soulful vocal stylings – always a vibe.  Tyler continues on his ‘journeys’ (“Let’s go to Cannes and watch a couple indie movies that you never heard of”), adding some L-O-V-E along the way. As for YoungBoy, he appears on the second verse, building off T’s verse (“I’m tryna get down to the root of the apple / The deepest I could in them jeans”).

“LUMBERJACK”

“Rolls-Royce pull up, black boy hop out / Shout out to my mother and my father, didn’t pull out.” Tyler, The Creator excels on the potent 🤩 🎵 “LUMBERJACK”, which samples 🎙 Gravediggaz’s 🎵 “2 Cups of Blood” (1994), giving it a vintage hip-hop feel. He begins the record with an excerpt from the eventual chorus before dropping an intro that interestingly sets up the record.  The chorus is the centerpiece: “Whips on whips, my ancestors got they backs out / … Call me lumberjack ‘cause I wish a nigga would race.” Tyler comes through over the course of two verses too.  “I took the gold bitch home, niggas was big mad,” he spits in the first verse, referencing his Grammy. In the second, it’s arguably more outlandish whether “My nigga tall, look like a bitch, I call him Mulan” (a queer reference) or “Used to treat me like that boy from 📺 Malcolm in the Middle.” All in all, “LUMBERJACK” finds Tyler being true to self.  While it runs only two minutes, there’s plenty to unpack.

“We just landed in Geneva / Yeah, that’s in Switzerland,” DJ Drama announces on another elite number, 🤩 🎵 “Hot Wind Blows.” Keeping things star-studded, “Weezy the GOAT,” aka 🎙 Lil Wayne drops bars, following the first verse by Tyler.  For good measure, Tyler remains in character, asserting, “We boated here, it’s Tunechi and Tyler but call me Baudelaire, yeah.”  Also, he keeps the production on-point, no cap, sampling 🎵 “Slow Hot Wind” by 🎙 Penny Goodwin and 🎵 “Senile” by 🎙 Young Money. As for Weezy, he’s true to self, whether it’s mentioning lean, exuding ample confidence, and flexing.

“MASSA”

The flex continues on 🤩 🎵 “MASSA,” which goes deeper beyond money.  Tyler, The Creator uses puberty figuratively to reflect on his changes over the years – very cool.  Furthermore, he continues to travel worldwide, showing us how fortunate he’s been.  The more interesting component of “MASSA,” of course, are the references to slavery and the checkered past of the United States.  The chorus is one of my favorite moments particularly when Tyler spits, “They try to talk me up, but I keep short like Caesar / Eyes open if I pray ‘cause I can’t trust God either, uh.” Just those last couple of lines spawn intriguing stories.  

🎵 “RUNITUP” featuring 🎙 Teezo Touchdown is another respectable song from CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, an album with no outright misses.  Not a personal favorite, Tyler continues ‘putting in work.’ On follow-up, 🎵 “Manifesto,” he trades Teezo for 🎙 Domo Genesis. Notably, after the first verse by Tyler, he gives us a beat switch for Domo’s verse. The switch features more aggressive production, which natural fuels more aggressive rhymes from Domo and, in the third verse, Tyler.  One of my favorite lyrics mention a situation with Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber: “I was a teener, tweetin’ Selena crazy shit / Didn’t wanna offend her, apologize when I seen her / Back when I was tryna fuck Bieber, Just-in.” Truthfully, Tyler has matured a lot since his early days.  Hard to imagine he’d become such an elite, respected musician.

“Sweet / I Thought You Wanted to Dance”

🎵 “Sweet / I Thought You Wanted to Dance” featuring 🎙 Brent Faiyaz and 🎙 Fana Hues marks the longest record on CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, running just shy of 10 minutes.  This is a well-rounded number, but lengthy.  The musicianship, above all else, is terrific.  The production shines on both parts.  Faiyaz (“Sweet”) and Hues (“I Thought You Wanted to Dance”) both do their thing, supporting the star of the show without a hitch.  Here, we get more melodic Tyler, like on 💿 IGOR.

Appears in 🔻:

• 11 Songs That Are Incredibly Sweet, Vol. 2 (2023)

On the interlude, 🎵 “Momma Talk,” as you’d guess, Tyler’s mom takes the mic, speaking about how she ‘doesn’t play’ when it comes to her children.  If you wondered where Tyler got his blunt, unapologetic spirit, well, Momma on “Momma Talk” gives us a crystal-clear idea. “When I rise to the top / I’m tellin’ you right now / I’m tellin’ you right now / Oh, I’ll show you something.” On the utterly superb 🤩 🎵 “Rise!” featuring 🎙 DAISY WORLD, Tyler produces alongside 🎛 Jamie xx, the rare time he isn’t the sole person behind the boards.  The result is my favorite backdrop 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.  The jazzy harmonic scheme, the spirited performances (including DAISY WORLD) make this among the best of CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST.

Appears in 🔻:

• 13 Songs That Encourage All to Rise Up (2021) 

“Blessed”

While it’s clear Tyler, The Creator remains an atheist, he is ‘blessed’ on the interlude, 🎵 “Blessed” – just not spiritually!  Then, he delivers a true juggernaut in 🤩 🎵 “Juggernaut” featuring 🎙 Lil Uzi Vert and 🎙 Pharrell Williams.  Any way you cut it this is a certified banger.  Here, you can see Tyler play around with trap, coupled with his signature style.  T, Uzi and Pharrell spit straight fire over this electrifying backdrop.

“Met you on a Saturday, knew it was somethin’ soon as you spoke it / Eye fuckin’ across the table, don’t think anybody noticed…” On 🤩 🎵 “WILSHIRE,” Tyler, The Creator does an about face.  It marks the second-longest song from CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, clocking in at just over eight-and-a-half-minutes in duration.  A true narrative cut, the rapper gets personal about a relationship where everyone got hurt.  Tyler admits his wrongs on the outro, which, again, marks evolution for a rapper formerly considered one of the crudest of them all.  The fact that he shows vulnerability is admirable. Like “Rise!”, closing cut 🎵 “Safari” marks another rare moment where Tyler shares production duties with someone else.  In this case, it’s 🎛 Jay Versace. “Safari” caps off the marvelous 💿 CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST. Now, onto the deluxe!

CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: The Estate Sale 

“Thank you to every ear that listened, bought a ticket, whatever.” On the lush interlude, 🎵 “EVERYTHING MUST GO”, Tyler The Creator thanks his fans for supporting him, specifically regarding the standard edition of 💿 CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST.  Notably, he references the fact that he which earned another 🏆 Grammy from the project (“Took another trophy home”). After setting the tone for 💿 CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: The Estate Sale, he totally kicks ass and takes name on  🤩 🎵 “STUNTMAN” the 18^th overall cut. The production kicks some serious ass, with an electrifying beat and a minimalist vibe through much of it.  Tyler produces with the one and only 🎛 Pharrell Williams – a match made in musical heaven! The chorus, which is infectious, features fuller, more edgy production. Tyler enlists 🎙 Vince Staples for the assist, who brings the heat big time (“Don’t do no cuffin’, go when night come / No, you can’t be my girl, bitch, are you dumb?”). Of course, Tyler absolutely eats the shee-it up in the fourth and fifth verses, dropping aggressive, confident bars.  I have no doubt he’s not lying when he asserts, “Me and Flacko Jodye been gettin’ green by the acre.”

Tyler, The Creator continues the excellence on 🤩 🎵 “WHAT A DAY” which is produced by 🎛 Madlib. The smooth record samples the 2009, 🎙 Michal Urbaniak song,  🎵 “A Day In the Park”.  The backdrop is perfect fuel for Tyler’s fire. His bars are fire – incredibly intriguing. Highlights include the genius, “So many white diamonds, yeah, I got jungle fever / But they didn’t raise me, so shout out black women.” Also, for good measure, he drops the m-word (“Feeling myself, ego masturbating, I graduated / After album five, I got syndicated, you want the old T?”).  On the follow-up, 🎵 “WHARF TALK”, Tyler collaborates with his buddy, 🎙 A$AP Rocky. Once more, it is Tyler behind the boards providing a sophisticated, jazz-rap backdrop. He also delivers a melodic performance, dropping two verses himself and another memorable chorus (“Where we goin’? We should get lost (Get lost) / No more questions, let the wharf talk (Wharf talk)”).  A$AP Rocky provides a contrast in the third verse, opting for unpitched rhymes.  Even so, Rocky shows his kinder, gentler side (“Them bitches say I’m too conceited, they see the way I treat her / Be my señorita, put a ring up on her finger”).

🤩 🎵 “DOGTOOTH” marks another triumph from CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: The Estate Sale.  Tyler, The Creator is incredibly confident, as he spits straight fire, bar after bar. Clearly, he gives no fucks – NONE.  Specifically, the chorus is the crème de la crème (“She could ride my face, I don’t want nothin’ in return / And will I ever fall in love again? I can’t comfirm.” Ooh wee! Aside from the chorus, one of the very best bars from TTC arrives in the second verse: “Niggas tellin’ women how they bodies supposed to be, but / Never take advice from any nigga with a lean gut.” 🎵 “HEAVEN TO ME” gives the rapper another heavenly moment on the deluxe version of CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST.  Notably, 🎵 “Heaven” by 🎙 John Legend is sampled – a great song in its own right. It’s worth noting, Legend’s song sampled the 1972 🎙 Monk Higgins song, 🎵 “Heaven Only Knows”). With such a soulful instrumental supporting him, Tyler makes the best of it, continuing to impress with his rhymes.

As epic as “HEAVEN TO ME,” 🤩 🎵 “BOYFRIEND, GIRLFRIEND (2020 Demo)”, the 23^rd track, is a hella groovy bi anthem. Here, he is open about, well, being open to both girls and guys 🌈.  Over another masterful backdrop (produced by himself) and featuring 🎙 YG in the first verse (“You should be my bitch / I could be your nigga / Come and get this drunk dick, fuck you off the liquor”), he speaks about his desires: “I just want someone to talk to whenever I start feeling alone.” He proposes, “You should be my boyfriend, girlfriend,” keeping the door open to either sex at any given time. CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: The Estate Sale concludes exceptionally with 🤩 🎵 “SORRY NOT SORRY” where the rapper takes accountability for his past mistakes.  One such mistake includes his sexuality (“Sorry to the guys I had to hide (Ooh) / Sorry to the girls I had to lie to / Who ain’t need to know if I was by the lake switchin’ tides, too (Tides)”). Not all of the apologies are as repentant, which speaks to the contradiction of the song title itself.  All told it is a fitting end to a magnificent deluxe LP.

 Final Thoughts 💭

After impressing on the original edition of CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, Tyler The Creator continues flexing 💪 – his musical talent, mind you – on 💿 CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: The Estate Sale.  Deluxe editions aren’t always built like the original album, but in this case, all of the new songs are worthwhile, expanding upon the greatness of the original. From top to bottom, this LP benefits from  stellar production, an intriguing concept, fine guests, and strong performances from Tyler.

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🤩 Gems 💎: “CORSO,” “LEMONHEAD,” “WUSYANAME,” “LUMBERJACK,” “HOT WIND BLOWS,” “MASSA,” RISE!”, “JUGGERNAUT,” “WILSHIRE,” “STUNTMAN,” “WHAT A DAY,” “DOGTOOTH,” “BOYFRIEND, GIRLFRIEND (2020 Demo)” & “SORRY NOT SORRY”  

🎙 Tyler, The Creator • 💿 CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: The Estate Sale • 🏷 Columbia • 🗓 3.31.23

[📷: Columbia]