Tyler the Creator. // Photo by Aaron Rhodes
As the lights went down before Tyler, The Creator took the stage at Cable Dahmer Arena on Saturday night, the decibels of applause were the loudest in at least three years. The 30-year-old California-born rapper is on a real winning streak. His last three albums topped the Billboard charts and sold out shows around the world.
The set kicked off with “Sir Baudelaire”, the opening track from Tyler’s latest album, Call me if you get lost. It features lines about attending the French Open, swimming in Geneva and riding his bike on a tarmac as he adds another stamp to his passport. There was a deafening slam pyro during this song – the first of a long series – giving vibes similar to those of the Beastie Boys or Run-DMC at their peak: in-your-face hip-hop with explosive rock energy.
Tyler the Creator. // Photo by Aaron Rhodes
While Tyler’s music, the creator has often strayed from hip-hop in the traditional sense, he has reinvested some of his creative energy into expressing his love for the genre on Call me if you get lost. Many songs contain the R&B, soul, jazz, funk, disco and even reggae influences that Tyler now loves.
The album is formatted as a late 2010s/early 2010s mixtape hosted by none other than DJ Drama – infamous for his swagger and ridiculous proclamations as well as the Gangsta Grillz series, which includes collaborations with Gucci Mane2 Chainz, Pharrell, Jeezy and many more.
Between the melodic adventures of Tyler and the screams of DJ Drama, there are some of the loudest and best streams since 2015 cherry bomb, a few songs of which sat at the start of the set. The ominous sounds of the horn on “Lemonhead” could have been taken from the 2010 era mixtapes of Waka Flocka Flame, of which Tyler is a documented fan of.
Perhaps enhanced by the song’s hook (“Rolls Royce pull up, black boy hop out”) or the crowd’s reaction to the song, “Lumberjack” featured Tyler screaming rap as he intentionally thrashed over the stage – one of his favorite moves.
Tyler the Creator. // Photo by Aaron Rhodes
Besides its homage to hip-hop as a genre and a movement, what makes Call me if you get lost an amazing album is the looping moment it creates for Tyler. He is now able to travel and live like the characters in his favorite Wes Anderson films, with careful attention to every element of his soundtrack, wardrobe, luggage and itinerary (the album of blanket even features a stylized passport).
Tyler functioned as his usual playful, antagonistic self throughout the show. He asked fans to clap if he was performing in Kansas City or boo if he was at Independence. He said he was confused. In the end, it looked like we were temporarily in Kansas City proper.
He revealed he had stopped by Betty Rae’s Ice Cream earlier in the day for a dish of toasted buttered pecans (a treat he later turned into a happy, half-mumbled freestyle) and we said how pretty our town looked in the snow. Some fans disagreed before Tyler jokingly retorted that we better “put our boots on and shut the fuck up” before jumping into the next song.
As much as Tyler romanticizes various locations on his travels or the love interests he meets along the way, he always falls back on the melodies, bridges, and chords that obsess him.
He danced and sang to the vintage-style R&B/soul instrumental produced for “Wusyaname” as he stood atop a small replica yacht driving him across the arena floor from the stage. main, which was adorned with a pastel green vintage car parked in front of a color-coordinated mansion, where he could climb to the second floor and a smaller platform.
Tyler the Creator. // Photo by Aaron Rhodes
It was on this smaller platform, decorated with tall grass and surrounded by lights, that Tyler delved deeper into his catalog and performed fan favorites from Leprechaun, Wolfand flower boy.
“Boredom”, the first song of flower boy‘s “island” excursion, is a twee but funky anthem for suburban youth and was one of the biggest singles of the night. “911” and “See You Again” also landed well, the latter including a fanfare instrumental intro – not heard on the record – and Tyler marching and saluting like a soldier as some fans joined in.
Tyler the Creator. // Photo by Aaron Rhodes
After boating back to the main stage during “I Thought You Wanted to Dance,” Tyler prepared for five final songs. There would be no false exits or recalls this time. “Who Dat Boy” included more pyro explosions and some of the loudest GA mosh-pitting of the night. The theatrical nature of igor songs such as “I Think” and “New Magic Wand” were great picks to end the night.
The grand finale “Runitup” – a celebratory collection of synths, horns and a trunk-slamming Three 6 Mafia-like beat – was preceded by a quick inspiring spiel from Tyler:
” You can change your mind. You can change it. You can be somewhere next week where you are not this week.
As a former skateboarder and bedroom rapper turned global icon who was once demonized for his candor, Tyler’s words of wisdom have never been more meaningful.
Kali Uchis. // Photo by Aaron Rhodes
Supporting acts Kali Uchis and Vince Staples hit the “W”
Tyler’s previous set was that of his longtime collaborator, Colombian-American singer-songwriter Kali Uchis. Kali and her quartet of dancers wore coordinating red bodysuits and delivered an often hypnotic (but sometimes overly laid-back) performance of sad girl R&B and soul.
What made the set an overall win was its rarity, with Kali’s first time on the subway, and some key moments like returning favorite “Loner”, his platinum single “Telepatía”, and some diva moments in which she was briefly carried by her dancers as she struck a pose. His whispered voice and his sometimes sensual lyricism also recalled the frequently seen graphics about young people having less sex than ever right now – a relatively raunchy set that makes a hit in the arena.
Vince Staples had a clear agenda during his set: to have fun. It almost seems like a drastic thing to do right now. The Long Beach, Calif. rapper and longtime Tyler collaborator — good for him to have brought the team with him — doesn’t always have fun writing his songs. Many detail his mental health issues and past involvement in street gangs.
Nonetheless, his Future-sampling “Señorita” banger was a mosh and arm-waving fan’s delight, as was his “Norf Norf” set-closer. The avant-garde electronic production of “Big Fish” from his 2017 album big fish theory sounded massive, just like it did when it open for Gorillazand was the first big highlight of the evening.
Enjoy? Mission accomplished.
