It’s fair to categorize Tyler, the Creator as an indelible legacy artist in the rap music industry these days. After the multi-hypenate initially became famous with his former Los Angeles-based underground rap supergroup Odd Future in the late 2000s, he’s released six solo albums since 2011, and steadily risen to pop stardom. He may just be The Only Brand That Matters in hip-hop.
That was evident from the diverse, sold-out crowd of high school kids, college students, and fans aged 40-plus alike on the opening night of Tyler’s electrifying “Call Me If You Get Lost Tour.” Much of the crowd at Footprint Center in Phoenix on Tuesday night (February 8th) was also sporting his Golf Wang apparel, which he refuses to call “merchandise.”
After performances from the three opening acts — Teezo Touchdown, Tyler’s fellow SoCal MC Vince Staples, and Latina soul singer Kali Uchis — Tyler’s one-hour, 15-minute performance was a wonderfully odd intersection of the pageantry of 1980s TV magazine Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (which profiled wealthy one-percenters), Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, and the spastic rage of a hardcore punk show.
Tyler rose up from under the floor, standing through the roof of his 1930s Rolls-Royce Wraith, before jumping onstage for his tracks “SIR BAUDELAIRE,” “CORSO” and “LEMONHEAD” while he rapped and headbanged until his eyes visibly rolled to the back of his head. Dressed in a white, furry Russian ushanka cap, printed button-down shirt, tassled penny loafers and white socks, Tyler spent the night captivating his crowd amid a Broadway play-esque house and snowy forest backdrops.
Tyler, the Creator came to Phoenix. He was pretty good. #callmeifyougetlosttour pic.twitter.com/8ZdjqrOC3g
— DANA (@iam_DanaScott) February 9, 2022
At one point, Tyler asked the audience, “I went to Baskin-Robbins earlier, and a crackhead tried to break in — and they were open! Is meth the drug of choice here?!” The crowd laughed as if they were at a stand-up comedy show, giving rap’s merry prankster the attention he deserved.
