The career of Tyler, The Creator has been in front of us for a good while. From his early days to his last album Igor, the rapper has never really disappointed. While his last two releases Flower Boy and Igor both proved he could step up his game, his new album Call Me If You Get Lost brings his past and his present together. Full of features from Lil Wayne to Lil Uzi Vert, the release is easily the best album of 2021 so far and a contender for best of the year.

The first half of the album flows like a mixtape while we’re introduced to his new persona Tyler Baudelaire. The DJ Drama tones of the first half showcase Tyler rapping with lightning like rhythms while holding things down for his features to shine. “Corso” is such an example where Tyler flexes in the words without feeling like he’s flexing. The beats on fantastic as his flow never wavers. “Wusyaname” shines with this effect above nineties R&B back beats and tones. “Lumberjack” cuts and hops with that DJ Drama sound though “Hot Wind Blows” featuring Lil Wayne shines like a diamond. Wayne delivers an epic verse as Tyler sets the stage for it to occur. “Massa” showcases the overall mixtape vibes here with an epic beat that has hints of old school placed in modern sounds.

The second half of the album hits differently but not in a bad way. “Manifesto” feels introspective while still hitting hard. The rhymes here are personal but not sappy, deep but far from overwhelming. “Sweet/I Thought You Wanted To Dance” has this synth hop tone with this beautiful Brent Faiyaz joint that pops. “Blessed” is Tyler hitting hard with these eloquent backing vocals and flute notes that just flow over you as the rapper talks above the notes. Flowing into “Juggernaut” Tyler mixes so many pieces together that between the beats and synths and the rhymes from himself and Lil Uzi Vert and Pharrell Williams create a sound that you can’t help but bump to. The whole album bumps and shows how far Tyler has come since his early years. But of all the tracks and features “Wilshire” may be Tyler, The Creator at his best. A song of heartbreak with the rapper flowing like a river above these seventies funk tones. The live drum beats, the silky rhymes and the funky bass create a tone that displays Tyler above many of his contemporaries. Mixing the past with his present showcase that Tyler is far beyond many in the rap world.

Call Me If You Get Lost is available to purchase in all digital outlets or it can be streamed on all platforms. Merchandise for the album is also available here. Tyler, The Creator will be on tour starting at Lollapalooza on July 29 in Chicago, IL until October 29 at Outside Lands in San Francisco, CA. His tour dates can be accessed here.

Image Credits: Still Courtesy of Columbia Records.