PHARRELL

RapCaviar Presents is a new docuseries on Hulu. It extends from the Spotify playlist, RapCaviar, which also has a podcast series hosted by music journalist Jinx. Across the six episodes, various rappers are covered, and their careers are discussed. These artists are chosen based on the central theme of each episode. This ranges from the hyper-masculinity in rap being erased to the continuous rise of women in the genre. The first episode is “Breaking The Mold – Tyler, The Creator.” It features interviews with Tyler’s famous friends Pharrell Williams, Vince Staples, radio host Big Boy, and one of Tyler’s managers, Christian Clancy.

Tyler’s Origins Made Him Unique, But He Wanted To do More

This episode of Hulu’s RapCaviar Presents frames its focus around Tyler’s individuality as an artist. The episode serves as a timeline of his career with the footage it uses. In the opening portions are multiple videos from his time with his collective Odd Future. Longtime supporters will recognize these clips, including popular moments from the infamous “A Day in Ladera” video and other iconic group pictures and footage. And yes, footage from the “Oldie” music video is in it, too. Interviewees spoke about how the group’s style was one thing that set them apart from the rest of the rap world immediately. The footage ends with videos from Tyler’s most recent tour promoting his Call Me If You Get Lost album. Fans will find joy in just seeing how the size of the crowds increased more and more as Tyler’s career progressed.

Tyler’s manager Christian Clancy said he always trusted Tyler’s vision. This goes back to the notoriously controversial video for “Yonkers.” This was released in 2011, long before the RapCaviar playlist was a thing. Tyler was always confident in what he wanted to make. He trusted his ideas and those around him did, too. Those people embraced what he was doing because it was different. However, ‌that’s what was pushing other sources away. Tyler’s music was not getting the coverage he wanted. He later realized people knew him for his antics more than his music career. This caused a shift in his creative output. Rather than just doing shocking things for fun, he changed to making things that showed his talent.

Tyler’s Grammy Loss Pushed Him To A Different Level

Tyler was nominated for Best Rap Album for Flower Boy in 2018 but lost. The episode focuses on how Tyler did not care what others thought of his music and expression. Yet, he still wanted validation from something on a grand scale. He knew he deserved it. This loss pushed him even more, and his following album IGOR won the Grammy for Best Rap Album in 2020. This win was ironic because the album is even less traditional in terms of “rap” than Flower Boy. Hulu’s RapCaviar Presents inserted footage of Tyler’s face on that night, showing his genuine shock at the win. 

Tyler won the Grammy for Best Rap Album again in 2022 for Call Me If You Get Lost. The episode ends around this point with footage of fans speaking about how he impacted their lives. This is fitting because the RapCaviar Presents episode has been about how he has inspired people to embrace their uniqueness. By showcasing his own, he directly inspired them. Many viewers may find this inspiring because they remember when Tyler had the same effect on them years ago. It shows that no matter when someone gets into his music, the same result can come from it. Christian Clancy’s closing quote from the Hulu series is perhaps the best way to frame the entirety of Tyler’s effect on the music world: “If you don’t allow for change, you stay stuck.”

Tyler’s Episode Is For Two Audiences

This debut episode of RapCaviar Presents serves as a decent overview of Tyler’s career. However, longtime supporters may not learn anything new from it. At less than an hour, there is only a limited amount of time to get all the information in. Additionally, the documentary jumps from multiple eras quickly to allow time to include them, with some getting much more time than others. The focus is primarily on how people perceived the music—not how Tyler made it. The documentary echoes something many listeners already know about Tyler: he will do what he wants no matter what. For those unfamiliar with him, this will serve as a good introduction. For those already familiar, this will serve as more of a trip down memory lane and a chance to reflect on Tyler’s growth as an artist.

RapCaviar Presents is available to stream on Hulu now.

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