In 2021, hip-hop and rap seem to be evolving at a steady pace. The rise of artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Earl Sweatshirt and BROCKHAMPTON have given birth to a new golden age of hip-hop. However, it seems a specific artist originating from Ladera Heights, California, has become one of the most important faces of this movement.

Tyler, the Creator has been around since the late 2000s, starting as a founding member of the Odd Future collective. Most of his projects from 2007 to 2017 did not gain much praise from critics and listeners. Tyler’s early work was very controversial and offensive in certain tracks.

However, ever since the release of “Flower Boy” in 2017, Tyler evolved into the artistic wonder he is regarded as today. After his record, “Igor,” in 2019, Tyler’s fans were eager to see what direction he would take his music. Tyler released “CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST” on June 25, 2021. 

For this project, Tyler dons the character of “Tyler Baudelaire,” a play on the name of French poet Charles Baudelaire. Similar to Tyler, Charles would always find himself facing controversy for his work. The explicit content of Charles’ “Les Fleurs du mal” in 1857 led to book bans and indecency charges. Tyler’s choice of naming his character after Charles is an artistic one. Both artists explore themes of romance in their art while garnering a slew of controversy.

Half of the album’s beats are soothing and relaxing, ebbing and flowing through the listener’s brain and putting them into a trance. A perfect example of this is in the song “WUSYANAME,” which contains an ethereal sample of the track “Back Seat With No Sheets” by H-Town. The beat creates a romantic atmosphere, enhancing the track about Tyler approaching a beautiful woman.

“If you got a man, you should cut it off

Get your passport ’cause we runnin’ off (Run off)

We can sit and talk

You can tell me everything that’s on your chest, baby, get it off”

The other half of the beats are often energetic and groovy. The slower songs also showcased the R&B flair, but these are faster and contain harder-hitting lyrics. The best example of this is in the track “MANIFESTO,” which includes a soft drum sample coupled with dissonant echoes from a choir.

The production keeps the listener on edge, as Tyler dives into an attack on cancel culture and attacks Twitter users who attacked him for not being as active on the platform regarding the 2020 George Floyd protests.

“Hit some protests and retweeted positive messages

Donated some funds, then I went and copped me a necklace

I’m probably a c**n, your standards based on this evidence

Am I doing enough or not doing enough?”

The album also showcases Tyler’s development as an artist. Tyler has a special ability to bring the best out of another artist. Similar to some of Kanye West’s work, Tyler brought on multiple collaborators to this project. In “WUSYANAME,” Tyler can turn YoungBoy Never Broke Again into someone who can provide soothing melody for a romantic track. In “HOT WIND BLOWS,” he somehow transforms Lil Wayne into someone who can drop lines at lightning speeds. It is truly astonishing how Tyler can encourage artists to reach their highest potential.

The main problem with the album, however, is the inclusion of DJ Drama. His constant interjections during tracks like “SIR BAUDELAIRE” and “LEMONHEAD” are incredibly annoying and fail to hype Tyler in any way. Tyler has proven he is capable of carrying tracks and creating hype by himself. The track “JUGGERNAUT” also does not seem to fit into the scheme of the album. It is a random hiccup in a solid album.

Even with these flaws, Tyler’s latest project is a solid hip-hop album with some great tracks. While Tyler did not top the genius of “Igor,” he at least dropped a solid record that showcases his ability to make great music.

Score: 7.7/10