One Year Later: ‘Call Me If You Get Lost’: The Ultimate Victory Lap

When Tyler, the Creator sat down with the crew of Hot 97’s “Ebro In the Morning” radio show a little over a month after the release of Call Me If You Get Lost, he was extremely forthright with the sentiment that led him to the inception of his sixth studio album: “I wanted to rap”.

Tyler’s delivery of such a statement just 5 years prior may have seemed almost redundant; much of his earliest catalog, though experimental and genre-bending, was unconsciously classified under the hip-hop/rap umbrella. But with more recent and heavily lauded releases such as Flower Boy and (in particular) Igor, the Hawthorne, California songwriter continued to challenge that narrative.

The opening track “SIR BAUDELAIRE” borrows its instrumental backing from Westside Gunn’s “Michael Irvin”, an artist with unmistakably authentic old school New York hip hop roots. It perfectly sets the tone for a record that traverses the ever-widening spectrum of rap music. Representations of this old school sound immediately clash with the iconic voice of the “mixtape era” DJ Drama; his consistent inclusion on Call Me If You Get Lost creates a perfect balance of this gritty and urgent mixtape feel clashing with the obvious premeditative approach that Tyler takes on this 16-song journey.

I could talk endlessly about the contents of Call Me If You Get Lost: the perfect mission statement of “CORSO” representing Tyler’s coping with the pain of lost love by focusing on his material possessions and stunting; the absolutely intoxicating sample loop that perfectly welcomes an unexpected NBA Youngboy feature with open arms on “WUSYANAME”; or the spell-binding runs of Fana Hues on “SWEET/I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE” that follow a desperate and feverish closing verse from Tyler. But Call Me If You Get Lost is more than just an immaculately executed body of work: for me, it is the soundtrack to being lost in the world.

I had just graduated college. I was in love, again, for the first time in years. Finally making a bit of money (not much, but it would do). There were day trips, nights out on the town, the occasional celebratory expensive dinner (after a year of oatmeal and rice and beans, anything could be considered extravagant). I had a car for the first time. I lived in a new part of town. The relationship I was in during this album’s release ended amicably albeit sadly, due to distance. This album answered so many questions, allowed me to get lost in my hurt while reminding me of myself. Sure, I didn’t stamp any passports or think “I might buy a boat”. But I was 23, also feeling some latent effects of “caterpillar to cocoon”.

I will never forget the week after this album released, driving back through the LA area from Las Vegas, with the 8 minute and 36 second confession of “Wilshire” blasting out of my new Mazda speakers down I-14, descending from the mountains. To me, this instrumental so perfectly captures the feeling of getting lost in music: phased, whirling soft pianos accentuating a rumbling and endless bass stacked on top of the crunchiest, marching band drum loop. It would become one of my favourite road tunes as a new driver, period. It still is. And this album is the soundtrack to my coming of age, truly. And for that reason, it is one of my favourite albums of 2021. And for that reason, I hope this commemoration inspires you to give it a spin, one year onward.