Tyler The Creator has two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, two Grammy awards for Rap Album of the Year, and dozens of platinum-certified hits. But, according to his latest Instagram post, much of this could not have been possible without Pharrell’s 2003 song “Frontin’” with Jay-Z.
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Uploaded this past weekend, Tyler’s Instagram post contained photos regarding his upcoming Camp Flog Gnaw festival along with a lengthy written message for his fans on the fourth slide. In the note, the 32-year-old discusses how the intricate details of “Frontin’” altered the way he understood and made music.
“(T)he melodies in (Pharrell’s) shaky head voice were sticky. i was stunned,” he wrote. “(B)ut what took me over the edge was the bridge. i believe the trajectory of my life changed at that moment. its a high chance my addiction of putting bridges on everything was cemented because of this song. ive subconsciously been trying to chase that high for 20 years.”
Upon its release two decades ago, “Frontin’” peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100, a spot Pharrell wouldn’t sniff again until his 2013 No. 1 hit “Happy,” which was originally meant to be performed by Cee Lo Green.
Luckily for Tyler, Pharrell’s legendary career would lead to him eventually becoming great friends with The Creator. So much so, that the two would go on to collaborate numerous times, most recently on songs like “Juggernaut” with Lil Uzi Vert (2021) and “Cash In Cash Out” with 21 Savage (2022).
As mentioned above, Tyler’s Camp Flog Gnaw is set to return to Los Angeles in November for the first time since 2019. The rapper made the announcement during a cameo for Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem’s new music video “The Hillbillies,” as both artists are now expected to appear on the yet-to-be-announced lineup.
Photo by Andy Sheppard/Redferns
