Call Me If You Get Lost

Tyler, the Creator

Call Me If You Get Lost is Tyler's flex record and there's lots to brag about. His last record Igor scored him his first #1 record and his first Grammy. I think it was deserved as Tyler has really grown as an artist on his last few projects; drifting away from hip-hop a little bit to explore R&B and soul. On this record though, Tyler is back to making core hip-hop (aside from a track or two) and his production and rapping are as sharp as ever. MASSA I think is a good example of both. I love the drums especially with the decision to use snare flams at the end of the loop. The verses in this song are an opportunity for Tyler to speak on his evolution as an artist and also, to a certain extent, responds to his original fanbase who may feel they want the old Tyler back. Tyler says that he's curious by nature and that he will continue to explore regardless of whether his fans will accept it or not; a stance that I admire. Another one of my favourite tracks, MANIFESTO, is a pretty fiery rebuttal towards those who have criticized him for not speaking out during the BLM protests. Throughout the song, Tyler demonstrates his position convincingly and finishes the song with a call for action and unity instead of engaging in divisive virtue signalling.

These tracks are really great but I feel like your enjoyment of this record as a whole hinges on how invested you are in hearing Tyler brag about his life. There's countless references to his new Rolls-Royce, all the places he's traveled to, all his successful ventures, and projects in the works. If you weren't sick of hearing it by the end, Tyler has included a minute-long skit where he lists all the wonderful things going on in his life. For me, I don't mind the occasional brag, but on this record, it feels so gratuitous that I find myself losing interest. The bragging is particularly sad on a few moments where he complains that he can't seem to win the affections of another despite his fancy lifestyle and all his material possessions.

Another issue I have with this record is the inclusion of DJ Drama. As I said before, the production is incredibly sharp; just about every instrumental is fantastic here. However, Tyler has enlisted DJ Drama to be the album's hype man; a metaphorical shot to the foot. Just about every track features DJ Drama shouting and ad-libing, interrupting and distracting from the wonderful production work delivered by Tyler. The second I hear his voice, I am taken so far out of the musical experience to the point of intense frustration. Despite the issues I have with this record, Tyler still delivered on the production and in his vocal performances. It just turns out that some of the decisions made on this record don't particularly align to my tastes.