Photo Credit: Rolling Stone

On June 9th, 2021, a promotional billboard announcing Tyler Okonma’s sixth studio album Call Me If You Get Lost quietly appeared in Los Angeles.

Billboards were also spotted in London, Berlin, Paris, Sydney and Toronto, all with an 855 number. When called, individuals would hear a recorded conversation between Okonma and his mother, Bonita Smith. This recording appeared on the album as its eleventh track, MOMMA TALK.

At the time, Okonma, better known by the alias “Tyler, the Creator,” had already been on an impressive streak. Four years earlier, his album Flower Boy debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 and received widespread critical acclaim for its introspective lyricism and masterful, daydreamy production, a subversion of his earlier, more controversial output.

In 2019, Tyler ventured into unexpected territory again with the experimental Igor, which was also met with positive reviews and earned him a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, despite not being a rap project in Tyler’s own view.

Call Me If You Get Lost was Tyler, the Creator making a declarative statement to everyone watching. As he would explain in an interview with Billboard at the BET Awards, he may be multifaceted, but despite the diversions, he was still a rapper at heart.

Call Me If You Get Lost went on to debut at number one on the charts, facilitate Tyler’s second Grammy Award win and his subsequent tour for the album raked in nearly $33 million, beating out J. Cole’s The Off-Season and B2K’s Millennium to become the highest-grossing tour during the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 31st, the thankful and celebrated musician dropped a deluxe version of CMIYGL, titled The Estate Sale.

EVERYTHING MUST GO is the first of eight additions to the original sixteen track line-up. It’s an introduction of sorts in which DJ Drama (whose voice can be heard often throughout CMIYGL and The Estate Sale) hypes up Tyler as he expresses his appreciation to his fans for their support.

This is followed by the energetic STUNTMAN, featuring fellow Californian Vince Staples. Frequent collaborator ASAP Rocky appears on the romantic WHARF TALK. In the Madlib co-production WHAT A DAY, Tyler expounds on his experiences growing up black in America and his struggles with fame.

Another song, HEAVEN TO ME, is co-produced by Kanye West. Also included is a 2020 demo BOYFRIEND, GIRLFRIEND, featuring YG and the song DOGTOOTH, released as a single four days prior to the deluxe edition on March 27th.

Bringing the album to its conclusion is the vivid and extremely raw SORRY NOT SORRY, in which Tyler apologizes to his loved ones for being too self involved during his rise and makes open hearted confessions about his sexuality. This final offering is undoubtedly one of Tyler’s strongest pieces, imploring the listener to reflect on not just his recent history but his entire time in the spotlight.

Typically, an estate sale makes one think of the aftermath of a long, dense life. This may be Tyler’s intention. At this moment, there isn’t much left for the artist to prove, and the need to prove something is often the catalyst for Tyler’s creative process. However, if you’ve been paying any attention over the years, for Tyler, “death” always comes with the promise of rebirth. The Estate Sale is a victory lap and whatever he does next, whenever he does it, there’s little doubt it’ll be both unexpected and revealing.