Back in 2010, Tyler, The Creator tweeted, “I WANT A GANGSTA GRILLZ TAPE SO F*CKING BAD GOT DAMN,” and over a decade later, the former Odd Future artist made his dreams a reality with the release of his DJ Drama-assisted sixth studio album CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST. His recent work with DJ Drama represents a huge shift for Tyler, who used to occupy a controversial position on the outskirts of mainstream Hip-Hop.
The “WUSYANAME” artist even alluded to his reputation as an alternative rapper in 2012 with a tweet about BET in 2012, when he wrote, “Most People Who Actually Watch BET Dont F*ck With Me Anyway. So Yah.” Tyler had been nominated for “Rookie of the Year ” at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards, and as the years progressed, he went on to be nominated for “Impact Track” and “Album of the Year” at the BET Hip Hop Awards in 2017 and 2019, respectively. However, the CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST artist went the entire decade without receiving a nomination at the main BET Awards or performing at the annual ceremony.
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That all changed this Sunday, when Tyler, The Creator performed at the BET Awards for the first time in his entire career. For the special occasion, Tyler, The Creator hit the stage to perform “LUMBERJACK,” the lead single from his sensational new album. The whirlwind of a performance finds Tyler bringing his lyrics to life and hopping out of a vintage whip and attempting to check his mail while huge winds blow his way.
Watch Tyler, The Creator’s long-delayed debut BET Awards performance below.