Although Tyler, the Creator and Jay-Z might have wildly different styles when it comes to both delivery and content it can certainly be said that they both have a bravura that proves utterly unmistakable. In fact, like many people of his generation, the Californian rapper grew up listening to albums like The Blueprint and Reasonable Doubt that inspired the future of the scene.
And as Tyler might tell you, the second he heard him, he had eyes on his own bright (odd) future. “I’m an optimistic guy,” he once declared “I’m one of those big dreamers. I’m one of those kids with that annoying imagination.” That very same wild imagination has certainly flourished in his creative raps.
Thus, with the inspiration of Jay-Z still serving well for Tyler, it is no surprise that when Spotify’s Carl Cherry took to Twitter a while back to ask his followers for their favourite Jay-Z tracks, Tyler enthusiastically obliged. In fact, instead of choosing five like everybody else, Tyler either lost count (quite possible) or threw an extra one in there for good measure.
First up in his rattling rant was the track ‘Fuck All Nite’ from 2002’s The Blueprint 2: The Gift and the Curse. The anthem featuring Pharrell Williams sees Jay-Z at almost his grooviest point settling into a bass-driven track and cruising loose verse over the top. The retro vibe is something that it is easy to see Tyler bopping along to.
Next up on the list is ‘Excuse Me Miss’ and Hova’s iconic ‘Funk Flex Grammy Family Freestyle’, and even though Tyler breaks the rules and picks six, when he’s asked whether he’s dropping the freestyle because it technically doesn’t count, the free-spirited Odd Future star refuses to budge. In fact, he opines: “No, no come on that counts. That shit is crazy!”
Thereafter, Tyler moves onto ‘Allure’, the track famous based on the classic Al Pacino film Carlito’s Way from The Black Album in 2003. Produced by the Neptunes, the intent behind the record was to push Jay-Z into a more emotional zone and clearly, this touched the right nerve with Tyler who drops it in his selection with no questions asked.
Later, Tyler pumps for Hov’s song ‘Do It Again’ from Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter labelling it “crazy” and “insane”, two words that are never far from a review of his own repertoire. And lastly, the ‘Yonkers’ star goes with ‘Show You How’ and eulogises: “That last verse on ‘Show You How’ put a lot in perspective for me as a kid but that’s six so I’m done.”