A

Foreign. Welcome, everyone, to Last Long Standing. I'm Cole Kushna.

B

And I'm Charles Holmes. And in this fifth season of Last Long Standing, we're working our way through Tyler the Creator's entire catalog in order to crown his greatest song of all time, AKA the Last Long Standing.

A

Last episode, we revisited Flower Boy, and today we are tackling what many believe is Tyler's best album.

B

Oh, yeah.

A

2019's Igor.

B

Are we still friends? Can we be friends? Cole, bro, we're here. We've been on a journey. Our friendship has been tested. It is very funny that I feel like we both love the opposite Tyler albums.

A

Thinking back to last episode, I feel like you. This is like the reformed Charles is really showing itself, because I feel like a few years ago you would have came in here just shitting on Flower Boy. I know that there's a part of you that wanted to shit on Flower Boy so bad, but the new accepting, meeting people where they're at. Charles is very much showing itself. And last episode, I'm proud of you. You showed a lot of.

B

That was. That was my Cherry Bomb episode where I'm like, yeah, Cherry Bomb is great. And you're like, well, you know, it's no Flower Boy.

A

You're learning from me, I'm learning from you, I think. I feel like that's.

B

That. That is what friendship is all about. So before we get into it, do we want to go over where we stand this season with our. With our picks?

A

I'm feeling good about the picks that we're rounding out into. I feel like the prime of Tyler's discography. But let's go over our picks so far. All right, so I've got Bastard, title track. She answer. Cherry Bomb, title track. And Garden Shed. I've. I'll just say I love Garden Shed. I'm. I maybe have slight regret not going 91 1, but I still think Garden Shed was.

B

Garden Shed is the one. Right? Don't have regrets.

A

Okay.

B

You made the right choice. Are you. Are you. Are these personal regrets or are these regrets that you feel like the fan base is like.

A

I think that's kind of it.

B

No, no, you've learned anything. The fans, we love them. Keep listening. They can lead you astray. You know what I'm saying? We have to honor the exercise. Okay. If an alien comes to Earth, what is the song that best represents Tyler?

A

Yeah.

B

All right. For my choices, dawg. This list is great. French Yonkers, Bimmer Buffalo, who that Boy? Banger Banger, Banger, Banger, Banger they're all good songs.

A

I'll just. Like we said last episode, it's just a little one note. I would love. I would like to see some variety out of you today, maybe. Do you think that's going to happen?

B

Hey, when Tyler starts throwing us some variety, I will as well. Got one in there. Got one in there early. I'm sorry, I had to. Okay, so. All right. Before we get into. Do we want to walk people through the premise of the whole show?

A

Yes. So for those who have forgotten, each episode of Last Song Standing covers one album where we're forced to choose the best song off of that album, AKA the last song standing. In the season finale, we take all the songs that we picked across the entire season into a royal rumble. They duke it out. They go head to head until we eliminate and agree upon the single greatest Tyler the creator song of all time. We're going to take a quick break and then we're going to get into your favorite. Your favorite Tyler album. I'm going to have to talk this through because it might be my favorite Tyler album, but I haven't convinced myself

B

it's my favorite and the best. So after we get some ads, you know, rolling, we'll get back, I'll drop some album facts about Igor, you'll get into the themes, and then, you know, we'll have a little bit of banter about where igor stands in 2026.

A

This episode is presented by Sierra Nevada. Life's about embracing the haze. What does that mean? Living in the moment, Seeing where the night takes you, being up for the adventure. And there's no better way to embrace it than with Hazy Little Thing by Sierra Nevada. Hazy, citrusy, smooth, juicy but not sweet. Hoppy but not bitter. America's best selling hazy ipa for good reason. Hazy Little Thing. Enjoy responsibly. This episode is brought to you by Sprite. The magic of a great bar is that every lyric comes with a deeper story. That's what powers Sprite's Living. Track list, 50 iconic hip hop tracks that spark real conversations, from foundational anthems to modern day classics. Listen to Sprite's Living tracklist on Spotify and dive into the lyrics that shaped hip hop. And look for iconic bars featured on Sprite and Sprite. Zero sugar cans and bottles all summer long.

B

Sprite.

A

Obey your thirst.

B

All right, we're back with Tyler's six studio album Igor. Released on May 17, 2019. The 12 song project features collaborations with Charlie Wilson, Playboi Carti, Losi, Vert, Sandy Gold, among others. It spawned one single in earthquake and debuted at number one with 165,000 copies sold. Become the first time Tyler went number one on the Billboard 200. And then in a big moment, I remember covering this. Tyler wins Best Rap album at the 62nd Grammys.

A

Yeah, that's the one thing I wanted to talk to you about, because this is Tyler's sixth album and it's his biggest to that point. Debuts number one for the first time, gets his first Grammy. And I was trying to think back, like, I mean, this is just how atypical I feel like his career has been in terms of, like, just this, like, continual ascension. Because I think there's a world in which Flower Boy is the album for Tyler, and that becomes a peak in which he is not able to ever reach again. We've seen that how many times? And usually that happens early in someone's career with the debut or the sophomore work. A lot of times, the debut, I think of like a 50 cent who just came out so big and was just never able to sustain that height where Tyler's, if it was charted on a graph is just up and up and up. And I feel like the back to back of a Flower Boy, which I feel like earned him a certain critical acclaim and respect, brought in a new fan base to then just follow it with an even better record in an Igor that is even more mature and more refined and more, you know, exact in a vision. Just really. We talked about Flower Boy changing the trajectory of his career, but I really think it's the back to back of Flower Boy and then doing it again on an Igor that really just redefined Tyler as an artist.

B

This comparison, the fans might kill me, you might kill me, but Tyler would be like, oh, no, that's actually. That might be actually. Right is to me, his trajectory reminds me of like a Justin Timberlake. You know, he loves Senorita, he loves Pharrell, the Neptunes, that era of music. And if you think about it, Tyler for, like, the first kind of part of his career was in a boy band. Odd future, in a way, was very much that conception of a hip hop version of. Right, right.

A

I know what you're saying.

B

Even though he had solo records, a, you're gonna find all of these same collaborators in Earl or Frank or Haji. And I think the reason why he's had this dissent truly is the fact that, like, once he breaks away from that structure of that family, you get it justified. And I think this is his future. Sex Love sounds where it's like oh, who am I when I am not the center of a group? Who am I when I have to stand on my own two? And of course, he had been standing on his own two for a while. But as we talked about last episode, you do see that moment where he doesn't want to be the guy who's being noticed because he's in a ridiculousness episode or he's on Twitter just like, shit posting. Or even all of the Adult Swim, the Adult Swim show, Waiter Squad. This, to me, is the moment where you're like, oh, okay. Artistically, you have finally, finally, finally shed a lot of the baby fat, the baby weight. And this is like a coming out record as a fully bloomed artist.

A

Yeah. And I think we mentioned it last episode, but I think the work that was done not only artistically and refining a sound and learning to pick and choose his spots and all that we talked about, but I think the emotional work of a Flower Boy and the things that he confronted about himself and shared in his music for the first time allowed him to make a project like Igor, which feels as meaningful and thematically heavy as a Flower Boy, but a little more effortlessly.

B

Yes.

A

I think Flower Boy is like, you could tell it was him kind of working out that part of himself artistically. Like, I need to make an album that means something and you can very much hear or like see the brushstrokes a little bit, if that makes sense. Where Igor, after having done all that work, just feels like this was a situation that happened to him that was kind of effortlessly expressed through music in a way that doesn't feel forced. Not to say that Flower Boy feels forced, but it definitely felt more considered, if that makes sense.

B

It's a little sweaty, and I don't mean that in a bad way. It's like sweaty sometimes can be good because you see how. How hard he's working. And I want to bring up this quote because I was like, oh, the things that, you know, I thought about Flower Boy. Tyler has kind of said it as well, where he said in an interview with. I believe this was with Rick Rubin. I think Flower Boy is good and it's my best work thus far. Just because it's an easy listen, it's not boring. It's just tamed me. Of course you're gonna like it. It's nothing too abrasive. It's nothing too weird about it. And he goes on to say in interviews with Rick, with interviews with Zane Lowe, where on Flower Boy, he shaves away a lot of the idiosyncratic. Things we had known about Tyler, which is like, he loves crunchy sounds and distortion and these things that have become hallmarks. And on Igor, he adds that back in to the mix, but it does not take away. To your point, it is a seamless transition where it's like you think of. Because of the COVID and a. A song like Earthquake, that Igor is like a very soft record. But when you go back to. I'm like. There's abrasive moments that, like, they're very much like the distortion and the crunchiness. Everything. I was like, oh, this is playing so well with the high low. Hard, soft.

A

Well, you see that. That's perfect because that. You see that even in the album art. With soft pink background.

B

Yeah.

A

And a black and white, really contrast heavy photo of him that is literally cute J and jagged, you know, edges, which I think is the perfect album cover to. To relay the sound of the record, which is exactly that because it's. Starts with that synth. There's, you know, distorted synth on every single song and. But yet he's rapping less than he ever has before. He's singing on most of this record. There are just. There's only less than a handful of moments where you get a traditional rap verse. I mean, even Earthquake, which we'll probably talk about later, doesn't have a verse from Tyler. It's essentially like two hooks and then the verse that comes is a Playboy Cardi verse. And so we're seeing those moments of him being the producer that he. You know, we saw. We talked about that with like a boredom, where he's more of the curator a la Kanye, putting pieces together. And so we get the best of that world. And then Igor, I feel like what makes it special is the. That juxtaposition of soft and distortion and that it's the high low. It's the soft and abrasive, perfectly melded together to. You know, I'm always taking it back to the themes of the album, which maybe I can use as a transition into the concept of the record, but essentially having mixed feelings about this guy in his life, that he has feelings for who he's caught in this love triangle with. So it's Tyler liking this guy. This guy being involved with this girl also seems to be leading Tyler on. But the irony of the record is that it seems like the guy that Tyler likes in this story is going through something similar that he went through on Flower Boy, which it doesn't seem like he is comfortable with that part of his sexuality. Yeah, there's multiple times on the album where Tyler's saying, I know your secrets, take the mask off. Like, you know, kind of alluding to maybe that part of why this relationship isn't working is because this person's not yet comfortable with that part of himself. And so the album is essentially, it's really clever because it's not heavy handed, but there is a very clear linear progression of emotion where it starts in romantic infatuation on Earthquake, moves into like a longing and obsession on songs like I think. And some of those middle tracks we get the rejection, we get anger, a new magic wand and resentment, we get indifference and I don't love you anymore. And then ultimately it ends in acceptance. Where he's are we still friends? Is very much him accepting the fact that this thing we had was beautiful and it's gone and that's okay. And so it's really this beautiful arc of this unrequited relationship expressed over however many. 1012 tracks, very concisely, not heavy handed. There's no really skits aside from the Gerard Carmichael, very brief little moments that kind of anchor the thematic kind of areas of the record. And then of course, like I think the most brilliant or one of the more brilliant things about the Igor character is that he's playing on this idea of like the classic Igor sidekick grotesque, you know, infatuated with this master, but seeing as a sidekick by the master himself playing on the scientist, the classic, you know, I'm talking about the sci fi trope. And so he's playing on that, I think with the Igor character. And just one last thing, what's cool about the record too is that Igor is this character, but he also has a sound in my mind. So Igor's theme. We're presented with a 23 second one synth note introduction of the record, which that bass synth that we hear at the start of the record is in every single song. And that to me represents the Igor character. And it really anchors all these, all these songs together and glues them together sonically in a way that I think, you know, one of the strengths of this album is that it is very sonically cohesive despite having a lot of variety in songs types. It's again, Tyler being such a refined producer where he knows how to build a world as articulate and as narrowly focused as ever. We saw glimpses of that throughout his career. But I think Igor is where things really come together in terms of like the thing I always say. I can picture Igor, the world of Igor in my mind. You know, it's that sonically concise.

B

What I think works also for me about this album so much going back to, like, that Igor, that Igor figure as a character, is that Tyler, when he's talking about this record and he's talking about how much he. Because he's always been like this, how much he hates his voice, how everybody wants him to rap, and he knows how good his rapping voice is, but he wishes he had that type of pitched up, being able to voice, being able to hit those notes and everything. And what's so funny is you have him building this character that is playing upon very European beauty standards with the blonde wig. So it's like. It's so funny how you have this juxtaposition of Igor as this short, grotesque monster who would probably traditionally have a voice similar to Tyler. And that's gruff. But then the visual, when you see him in the videos or you see him on tour of this, like, stick thing, pastel suit, blonde wig, it's. It is Tyler doing something that he had been doing all of his career, which is embodying characters to tell a story. But this is the one where I'm like, okay, this works on a conceptual level, on a narrative level, and on an aesthetic level where it is just. It's seamless. Where on a lot of times with his other characters, I'm just like. This is, like, a funny punchline, but it doesn't always cohere.

A

Yeah, yeah. The piece is all coming together. Like, this is what makes this album so special, because it's everything we saw in Tyler and gotten bits and pieces across his career put together in one kind of perfectly constructed package.

B

Why do you think, before we get to a very contentious segment, why do you think love triangles reappear in Tyler's catalog so much? Because his characters on Wolf. Yeah, obviously, at the camp.

A

Are.

B

Are in a love triangle. On Igor, they're in a. In a love triangle. And then even on Call Me if you get lost, there's. There's a love triangle. So why do you think that this is something that kind of keeps, well, popping up in, like. And I'm not talking. I don't want to get into, like, what Tyler's love life is. I'm talking more narratively. Why do you think that that is something that he keeps trying to interrogate?

A

Well, that's the thing. Because it is. So there's just. If you go on, like, the Tyler Reddit, it's like, there's so many theories about who this, you know, white guy is that he's infatuated in. There's theories that the same guy on Flower Boy is the same guy on Igor, which is the same guy, and Call Me if youf Get Lost. I do think there's some truth to, like, this just being inspired by real events. There's even connections some have brought all the way back to like a song like fucking Young. There's just. It's so.

B

It's just.

A

It's. When I was doing my seasons on both these records, there's something I had to contend with a lot, which is like, I don't like getting into that real world shit. And so I'm more interested in, like, narratively. To your question, you know, why is it something he keeps returning to? Like, the first thing I would say is like, it does seem like it's inspired by real life events, but I mean, it is just a kind of classic and interesting narrative framework that has worked across, you know, rom coms forever. But I do think there is something interesting thematically about it being the gender fluidity of it all and like the. The needing to accept yourself in order to accept a love that is presented to you. You know, that was the story of Flower Boy for Tyler personally. And now Tyler being on the other side of that is dealing with someone that was once like him in the past, which I think is just kind of interesting. Um, so I don't know if it's anything other than real life events and just a. A timeless and proven thematic kind of narrative framework, you know, And I think

B

what's interesting to me as well is like there's. There's a. There's a racial component as well, because he's always making jokes about this white boy. Right, right. And then you get project like Igor, where he's wearing the blonde wig, he's dancing in a certain way. And then you go to a very braggadocious record like Call me if you get lost, where almost Tyler, I think he's. To your point, he's playing with gender fluidity. He's playing with race. He's playing with just what it means to like be a rap artist at one moment and then want to make rock music or make R and B or make soul. And that's why this. This era of his career is so interesting to me, because he's getting better at playing with that without being obvious.

A

That's the thing, that's why it works so well, is because it's not heavy handed at all.

B

Yeah.

A

It just feels natural and organic, not forced. It's not him trying to Make a serious album. It's just him expressing what it seems like real life events and real feelings through music, which is what music does at its best is capture emotion, you know?

B

Hell fucking yeah. So should we. Should we pivot to. Like I said, our most contentious segment, Quiz Me if you Get Lost trivia.

A

It used to be the nominations, but I feel like the contention is now in. Now in the Quiz Me if youf Get Lost section. So for those that don't know, Quiz Me if youf Get Lost is where Charles and I attempt to stump each other with little known facts about the album. Whoever gets the most questions correct will get first pick in the last song standing segment of the episode. But maybe more importantly, we are keeping a running tally this entire season. And whoever has the most points at the end of the season gets a prize picked out by Justin Sayles. Hell yeah, Justin. Welcome to the episode. You're a fan of Igor, right?

C

I love Igor. Yeah, I think, you know, last album, Charles asked me what I thought about this in relation to the rest of his discography. And I'm sure you guys will get into it, but this is probably the pinnacle of it still. But definitely to this point.

A

Yeah, I agree. I just. Is it my favorite? I just go, maybe it's. Maybe it's better if I don't pick because I just. I can make a case for Flower Boy Igor, and Chromo Copia. And I feel like, so funny.

B

Chromo Copia. I can't wait till we get. That is an album I bounced off so hard.

A

God damn.

B

Well, call me if you get lost.

A

Yeah. Okay. All right. So running tally so far, you're up by one. You have five points. I have four. Okay, you want to go first?

B

I will go first because do you want me to start with.

A

Don't say fucking softball.

B

No, because I'm going to start with my most difficult one.

A

Okay.

B

Because you did a season on this. I really had to, like, there was a bunch where I was like this. Too easy. Too easy. So this is gonna be difficult.

A

Okay.

B

Tyler worked with engineer Vic Waynestown. Sorry if I butchered that on the album. And he talks very much about, like, how exacting Tyler was and especially about 808s and how much they needed to work on the 808s to make them knock on this record.

A

Okay.

B

So what? Plug in was their secret sauce to maintaining the fidelity of the 808s, dude.

A

Okay, this is a really good question. I don't remember what it is, but I love this question. I can't wait to be re remembered what it is. I'll take the loss. Right. But I love this question.

B

Little labs. Vog. Vog.

A

Okay.

B

Yeah. I was reading. Reading that. Reading that interview.

A

Where'd you. Yeah, where'd you find that?

B

Oh, I was just, like, researching and looking it up. If you look up Tyler, Igor, engineer, he has, like, an interview where he kind of goes through because I believe he had already worked with Tyler on Flower Boy, and he's getting very much into, like, the nitty gritty of. They worked with another engineer who kind of was, like, helping them a little bit, showing them, like, okay, here's how you work the 808s so they can get to where Tyler wanted them to be without losing any of that fidelity. And was like, oh, that's fucking.

A

Yeah, it's little labs. Voice of God, bass resonance. It looks like tune low end with confidence. It's a universal audio plugin for any audio nerds out there. It's 50 bucks. Did the job. That's cool. I love that. You know, I love that kind of shit. Okay, this one I picked out just for you. It might be a softball. Who knows? Tyler wrote Running out of Time during a recording session. With what other rapper?

B

With what rapper?

A

With what rapper? He was in a session with this rapper, and he wrote Running out of Time. I can give you a hint for a half point deduction.

B

I want to say because he uses the same sample from Bound 2, which he also worked on a version of Bound that never came out. It's not Kanye. No. Give me a hint.

A

Okay. The rapper is from Harlem asap.

B

Ferg.

A

Yep. Yeah. Okay, half point.

B

Hell, yeah.

A

Great job. That's such a red. Like, because that song sounds nothing.

B

I know. No, I read that. And I was like, why the. Why the. Would Tyler, like, be with asap, Ferg? But I'm like, oh, no, that makes sense. Like, he's. He's following around with Rocky. Okay, this is going to be a softball for you. When did Tyler have the original idea for Gone gone? What year?

A

2013. Wolf Tour.

B

Yes. Damn. I knew you would get it. I knew you would get it. But also, not to spoil, Gone Gone, one of my favorite, favorite records on this album. And to know that Tyler, even back then on Wolf, like, a project that I think we both like, but we're like, okay, he's getting there, but it's not perfected. Him having the insight to be like, let me keep this. Like, let me keep this idea. It's not on this. Because he said, like, There were a couple records where he's like, it's not meant for this record. It's not meant for this record. And then bring it back out. I was like, oh, yeah.

A

It's knowing how good it got. It's like, obviously they made the right decision and, like. Yeah. To have that intuition, to be like, this is not right or it's not ready, or I'm not. Or I'm not ready to make this song yet and to see what it becomes. It's like, there's a hundred. There's, like, so many radioheads, like, songs like that that started, like, 10 years, they always saved it. And then when you get the final product 10 years later, you're just like, oh, okay. They know. They have the instincts to know, like, we're not ready yet, or it's not right for this moment or whatever it is. And, like.

B

And to that. To your point, I don't even know if Tyler was at a place as a producer who could.

A

Yeah.

B

Who could really get that song, which is such a. Just, like a monument in his career to where it would need to go. He needed to, like. He needed to level up.

A

Yeah. All right, so I'll throw you a softball.

B

Okay.

A

Igor's final song, are We Still Friends? Features a guitar solo from what famous rock musician Check White. Yeah. That was too easy. Fuck.

B

Come on. That's too easy, bro. All right, this one. This one is on the easier side, but we'll see if you get it. One of Tyler's favorite moments, and my favorite moments on Igor is the bridge on I think.

A

Yep.

B

There are a lot of versions of. I think is a bridge. Which number version do we end up hearing?

A

Yeah, I've definitely read this before, but I don't know the exact number.

B

He tweeted out 9. So this is, like, the ninth version of the bridge, which is, like, just incredible.

A

I think starting with Cherry Bomb, but really on Flower Boy and then really on Igor. He just. He loves bridges. It's like.

B

Loves them.

A

He loves.

B

Talk about his love of bridges, but loves them.

A

Okay, so last one I'm gonna give you. Okay. This is an interesting one. So Tyler said that the minimalistic sound of Igor was inspired by something specific. Do you know? So he's talked about, like, letting the songs breathe, not trying to fill every single moment with vocals or stacking production. He just, like. He was inspired by something that was minimalistic and was like, oh, I need to take this idea into my music.

B

I believe he went to a friend's house, and the only Thing in the house was like a couch and like this super, like, amazing artistic sound system. And I believe he said something to the effect of, like, we have so much shit in our lives in our house that we don't need. And I wanted to kind of make a record that was representative.

A

Damn, Charles. Damn.

B

Come on. I love this record, bro. Come on.

A

So do you. Okay, I have a theory. He never says who this is, but I think it's pretty clear who it is. He also said the house is in Malibu.

B

Rick Rubin.

A

Rick Rubin.

B

I think it's Rick Rubin.

A

And he did that interview with Rick Rubin for Igor. So I think it's. I think it was Rick Rubin's house. Which Rick Rubin. Coming up, two episodes in a row.

B

Hey, it's. I will say, my barber did tell me a crazy story about being at Rick Rubin's house. I will not share it here. But I was just like, yeah, man, I'm glad you got, like, you got your life back. Like, he was like. He was like, yeah, man, it was a crazy day. Rick was not there.

A

Okay, all right, all right.

B

So where. Where does that stand? Point wise?

A

I'm fucked. Okay, so you have a seven point. 7.5. I have five. So I got some work to do.

B

Step it up, Cole. Step it up, Cole.

A

Okay, but the thing is. No, nevermind. I do this every time.

B

If we're being real, though, you're a bigger Tyler fan.

A

I know in his later career, it's a thing. I have a bad memory when it comes to facts like this.

B

So do I. Most of this stuff, I'm like. It's funny. I'm like. Most of the stuff I've read before I was covering this music still. And it's not until I read it again, I was like, oh, that was in my mind.

A

Well, I do so much like this kind of work for dissect. I think my brain just, like, retains only what it needs because, like, I did a season on Igor, but this was like, I don't know, four years ago now. So I'm just like. I obviously read everything about this album, but. Because then I'd turn around and do the same thing for another album right after that. It's just fucking. Okay. That was great. Let's go ahead and get into our nominations.

B

Yes.

A

All right, so remember, the goal of each episode of Last Long Standing is to determine the single best song Tyler Creator ever made. We're going to select the songs off of Igor that we think are in contention for Tyler's best. We're going to nominate three, and we'll force to choose one by the end of the episode. Charles, do you want to go first? I. Are you just going to get the one that I know you're going to pick out of the way, or where are you going first?

B

We're going to. We're going to lead up to that. I'm going to go to my pick that. I don't know if it's the best song in this album, but it damn, damn near might be my favorite song in the album, I think. Can you just. Before I even start, can you just play it? I just want to play a little bit, just to kind of like, situate myself.

A

Okay.

B

I love this song so much.

A

It's so good. Let me. Let me fast forward a little bit. One thing I love about this record is how understated his vocals are almost the entire time.

B

Dog, I was about to talk about that.

A

Okay.

B

It is an artist completely in control of their instrument, where early in Tyler's career, to me, a lot of times his vocal would be the star, which is good in the beginning of your career, but as you grow up and as you listen to more music, there are moments on, I think, in the rest of the record where I don't even know if understated is the right word, but his vocal almost sounds a little bit like bored, but in a purposeful way. And it's like, it's this four on the Floor beat. There's this groove. It's escalating, and it's taking you on a journey, but it's not in a rush to get there. This, to me, is, I think, but also Igor as a whole is a record about subtraction, where it's like, even though there are a lot of maximalist ideas in the record, there's a lot of different things he's doing. It's never overpowering. Like, when we talk about the bridge, that's a moment where I think in previous records, Tyler's trying to show off.

A

Yeah.

B

He loves bridges. And like, to me, in 2026, we've just had so many years when you. When a rapper or a singer, a producer wants to show off, they throw in this bridge. And I'm like, no, no. A bridge has a point.

A

Yeah.

B

It is there to transport you from one place to another. It is not a repository to show off, to jangle some keys to put all of the ideas that did not fit in the more normal structure of the song. And to me, why I love, I think, is I'm like, of course Tyler loves bridges, but he does it in such an effective way where it's so understated that every single time I listen to it, I hear new things. And I'm amazed by just how technically brilliant it is. But even the. I can. I can tell you. Not the hook, what you call refrain afterwards. I can. I can. I tell you. And his singing voice is so much more confident. He's so much more confident in his instrument. Like, do you like this record?

A

I love this record. There, you'll see. I'll do some honorable mentions at the end of the ones that I couldn't pick. I mean, half this record I could have. You know, you can make a case for half these songs, I think. I think is a perfectly valid nomination. Do you know the backstory of the song is pretty interesting? Do you know it at all? Okay, so he was saying that he, you know, his dad's Nigerian, and he started to get, like, look up, try to get more, I guess, in touch with this Nigerian side of himself. And he found Nigerian music, specifically from the 70s and 80s, and started looking at, like, photos of, like, old clubs people would go to during that time. And he said, I wanted to live in that moment for a day. So me, Solange and Frank Ocean flew to Italy. They didn't end up going to any clubs, but they made, I think, during the trip. And what's cool about the song is that there's two samples or there's one sample and one interpolation, both being from Nigerian dance songs from the 80s from the same year, actually, 1982. So the drum sample of the song comes from a song from his name. I don't know that. I'm not gonna pronounce this right, but Kono Tellis, Nigerian artist. The song's called get down from 1982, as he pulls the drums from here. So, I mean, it's so sick. Okay, so he pulls those drums and then he interpolates a song called Special lady by another Nigerian musician, BB Mascal. And here's what that sounds like. Think it's. It's so sick. So.

B

So it is. Cuz even to that point. And the reason I love the song so much is, you know, I love dancing. And you have elements on the song where he has the full skate.

A

Yeah.

B

For where it. It does feel like an 80s dance record. Call and response. We're all on the dance floor, there's a dj. And to me, for Tyler to get to a moment in his career where he can make a dance record.

A

Yeah, you can't this is like, kind of new territory for him. You can't really think of a song like, I think in his Pat. In his catalog to this point.

B

No. And it's to me for this to kind of be. Not the first time, but like, definitely like an early attempt at you trying to, like, you hear these Nigerian records. Because you also talked about, like listening to a lot of 80s music during the recording of this process to be able to synthesize that it works not only as a dance record, but it works as a Tyler dance record. If we go back to Cherry Bomb, he was trying a lot of rock infused elements on that, and that's a perfect example of when I feel like it wasn't completely there. He didn't have full mastery of it on this record. He's able to. There's records where he's sampling or interlating, interplaying, like Japanese city pop.

A

Yeah.

B

But he brings it into his world.

A

Yeah.

B

So I think is just. I was listening to it on the car right here. I was like, there's just something about the groove.

A

Yeah.

B

So fucking.

A

And he knows. Yeah, to your point. Like, he know he's at a point in his career artistically where he knows. Yeah. I don't need to do too much on this song. I can let the groove of it be the star. And when I come in, I'm just going to sound smooth and cool. And there's something he does that so many times on the record where the beat is feeling one way, like New Magic Wand, where it's like. It's so aggressive. And then he comes in just so opposite of that. It's again, that contrast of soft and hard. And he's just working. He just. It's. It just feels effortless.

B

I think I'm falling.

A

Well, what's. Also. And so on Igor, he does this a lot. Like. And on Twitter, after the album came out, he was really into, like, pointing out specific moments on the record that he loved. And he seemed like he was very intentionally creating singular moments and songs that weren't repeated to that point. What's cool about this? The choruses of this song, if you listen closely, they're never repeated the exact same. And it builds across the entire song. So I'm going to play all three hooks, sections of all three hooks. And notice how hook one is very understated. It's just Tyler kind of almost singing like what feels like a scratch take. I'll just play it here. He's like barely audible, you know. Okay, so we get that more understated. Version.

B

Okay.

A

The second iteration of it, we get Solange more in the foreground, and the vocals are doubled more consistently. You hear the difference, like, dynamically even.

B

You hear the screech in the back. They're like, yeah.

A

And then now for the third and final iteration at the very end of the song, even bigger. So to go from that first chorus, where it's very, like, almost inaudible, to then now at the very end of the song. So you're getting this dynamic arc across the entire thing. Like, this is just, like, really technically sound, like, big picture. Thinking about the progression of. Not just, I need to make this part really good and then I'll move on to the next part. Make that part really. No, I'm thinking actually across the entire thing dynamically. And it's just like, stuff like that. There's just little moments and details all throughout this record. We've talked a lot about this kind of phenomenon in, like A Frank Ocean Blonde. There's reasons we keep returning to An Igor More Than a Wolf, because there are these details. There are these. All these little special moments that our brain hasn't, like, can't predict because it's always kind of moving and there's so much information tastefully kind of planted so that we're just always entertained, always finding something new.

B

And what I would also say, though, is, you know, they say this about movies, which is. It's. It's going to be a dumb statement, but, like, movies are a visual medium, so if you can show something that's going to do something to the audience more than you just telling them. In the same way, music is an auditory experience. I think, in the past, Tyler, if you think about it, I think and it being about love and obsession and that building, that crescendo. Normally, I feel like Tyler would have said it, he would have rapped it. There would have been a texture where it's like, okay, he's showing the escalation through his voice. And to this. To your point, it's like, sonically, he's showing you the progression so you don't intuitively when it hits your ears. And emotionally, you feel it before you do intellectually. And that is what makes a great artist. Where it is like, okay, I do not have to. I can be subtle about this. I do not have to point to how dope this is. You understand it before, like, just in your soul before anything.

A

Yeah, perfect. I'm gonna bring Justin in here. Are you a fan of. I think. Because. I think. I think this album has Like, a good chance of maybe using your coach's challenge later in the episode. So I'm gonna get your take on all these songs.

C

Okay. Yeah, I. You know, Charles, you were bringing up, like,'80s dance songs, and to me, I was saying this to you yesterday, Cole. This feels like a roller skating rink jam to me a little bit, but, like, kind of like. I don't know, but with, like, a melancholy vibe mixed to it. It's. Yeah, I. I love this song. And. Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, it's gonna be hard to be tough coaches challenge on this one.

A

I'm gonna be very strategic this episode. I'll just say that because there's so many songs that need to make it to the finale in my mind, so. Okay. So let me go.

B

Are you.

A

Is that. You good?

B

Yeah, I'm good.

A

Where do I want to go first? Should I just get the big one out of the way? I gotta go. Gone, Gone thank you.

B

For the joy. Okay, so let's. Let's partner up on this because this

A

was also on your list too.

B

This is a perfect song.

A

This song, I was reminded, for whatever reason, I've always loved this song, but for this exercise at this time in my life or whatever it was, it was just like, oh, this is the song. Like, this is, like, fucking a masterpiece. This is one of his best songs. This could actually win at all, potentially. So I think I'm glad it was on your list because I was hoping that hopefully it gets into the finale from one of us. But I have, like, a thousand things to say about this song. My notes are. There's so much. Let's start with just like, Gone Gone the first half of the song. So this is a track 10. This is the classic. Two tracks in one. Tyler does on the track 10 thing. One of the things that I love about this album, specifically this song, it's a good example of it is. Oh, I guess we talked about it with. I think so. Gone Gone is based around a sample of the song called hey Girl by Colin Omori. Let's just play a clip here so we can hear it.

B

So.

A

It's beautiful. It's a great. You know, it's a great sample selection. But what he does so often on this record and beautifully on this song is that, you know, a lot of times in hip hop, it's like the sample becomes the centerpiece. You write the drums to it, and it kind of just loops. But on Igor, and he's been doing this entire career, but it really comes to fruition here. On Igor is he builds an entire world around the sample. You can tell it's all based. The production is based on the sample in the same key and borrowing elements of the sample and et cetera. But he creates so much original material around the sample that he can actually coming. The sample can kind of come and go dynamically where you're not just looping it, it just becomes a part of the. The texture that, like, in this instant, it just kind of comes in for the chorus, but then the verses and the bridge and stuff are all independent of the sample. And so he really builds a world around it and builds the Igor world around it. So that, to your point earlier, it feels of the world. It doesn't feel like a sample. It feels like something Tyler could have written. And so just to give you a taste of that world he builds around it. There's a section of the song that doesn't use the sample, and you can hear all the original elements that he. He composed. So no sample, but the guitar is playing a line that's similar to the sample. But this is all original production. Right. And so when the sample comes in and when it leaves, it's seamless and, like, it's just. It's just beautiful production. This is Tyler at his best, production wise. I think his singing on here is really bad and beautiful, which is like.

B

I actually think he's. He's singing on here is among his best.

A

You think so?

B

Not technically.

A

Okay. That's what I'm saying. Emotionally, I mean it in the most positive. This is coming from someone that cannot sing. I have a bass voice like Tyler's. I wish I can sing high and I can't. And I really admire the fact that he just fucking goes for it. And it works, like, it works beautifully and it feels genuine, which is the most important part.

B

Dog, Keep going, bro. Spin.

A

Okay, so this is also something that Tyler just didn't do as well until a flower boy. And especially Igor, which is. He matches. I mean, he's done this entire career. But a song like this, where you are. The production reflects the theme of the song so perfectly that it. Yeah. That it accentuates the emotion that you're conveying in the lyrics with the music. And so the song is all about, you know, gone, gone. His. It's a kind of a double entendre in terms of, like, he's saying, my love's gone, meaning this love of his life has left him for this girl. And his love for this person is dissipating because the next song is I don't love you anymore. Right. So he's kind of setting up this idea of the lover leaving and also his love dissipating. But it's also him accepting and finding beauty in the fact. Instead of being resentful. On a new magic wand earlier on the album, this is him coming to terms with, okay, this thing is over. I wanted it to be more than it was, but I'm now accepting the fact that at least I had it, you know? At least I experienced this really special thing. I mean, he says it, you know, clearly. He says, the bird gonna leave the nest. You're so chromatic. At least I had it instead of never. I mean, just that phrasing alone. At least I had it instead of never. It's just like, it speaks to something universal in terms of, like, beautiful moments of our lives that are fleeting, that can't be repeated. And instead of being resentful or bitter or depressed about it, you find beauty and acceptance in the fact that it. And just gratitude in it actually happening instead of never.

B

So, I mean, I even love when he. I know that love is all I got.

A

Like, last part is so beautiful.

B

When did we get that? I was like, oh. Because I never thought.

A

I know this is the. Yes.

B

Like, he would have a moment where I was like, oh, that is so beautiful because it is, like, so tender and so soft.

A

I know love.

B

And it's so funny where. When you look at Tyler's clothes and the evolution of where he would go between just the merch with the fucking cats and the tie dye to Gulf lafleur. Like, I'm. Like. He is an artist that visually loves texture. He loves, like, the cashmeres and the softness. And this, to me, is also a reflection of that world of, like, you could just feel. Feel that if, like, the. Like, the physical embodiment of this song would be that, like, soft cloth like, I was dog.

A

Do you know who sings the chorus? The weather is rain or shine. I know. I'm fine for now, unfortunately.

B

CeeLo.

A

Okay. But have some respect.

B

Whoa. That has less to do with artistic.

A

Oh, is there some shit about. Oh, I missed it, then we might

C

just want to cut this.

A

Oh, really?

C

It's that bad?

B

Oh, no, it's bad.

C

It's as bad as a.

B

Okay.

A

Oh, damn, that sucks. Okay.

B

That's why I didn't bring him up.

A

Well, the good thing that. Then you can't really tell it's him.

B

No, you can't.

A

Which is, I guess, a positive thing in this case.

B

Yes. But also There is. I want to bring this up a. To me, Tyler's humor is evolving as well, because he has a line on this. Felt like summer to my December. Was it my August? Shit, I don't remember.

A

Oh, right. Yeah.

B

When you hear that, it's not supposed to be funny, but it has kind of like that Wes Anderson humor to me, where it's like. It's just a little two bars that I'm like, it's cute, but not too cute. It's saying so much. And to me, it also loops back to a song like November, where to me, like, Tyler, he has these motifs. And to me, Tyler does understand so much of his world. Through the changing of the seasons, through temperature, whether it's hot, whether it's cold, whether he's wearing a Hawaiian shirt, like Como. It's like, I. Also, Gerard Carmichael says something that, like, I've listened to this song a lot, but it hit me differently this week when he says, I hate wasted potential. That shit crushes your spirit. It really does. It crushes your soul. To me, that could almost be the thing. Thesis statement for not only Tyler the Creator's career, but this era of his career of, like, living up to your potential. And that's just not musical potential and artistic potential. It is, like, your potential to be a realized human that is, like, not going to let the repression win, that wants to fully be yourself. And I was like, oh, man, that is such a perfect way to send us out.

A

Yeah.

B

On this album.

A

Yeah. And then I just have to point out, structurally, this song potentially could be such a mess because it's doing so. It's doing the thing that, like, Cherry Bomb was trying to do, where there's, like, there is a, you know, defined verse chorus. But then when we get to the bridge, it's a terminal climax in terms of, like, once we get to the bridge, it never returns to the chorus or the verse again. It just ends. Or in this case, it segues into another song eventually. But the bridge itself is beautiful. It's your classic Tyler Bridge. I think he said it was one of his favorite moments he's ever written. And it really takes. The song takes a turn here. It's still smooth transition, but he's modulating. This whole chord sequence is all modulating through different keys. So to my ear, this is him taking the lessons that he learned in A Flower Boy, where he was studying, you know, a song like God Bless the Child that he wrote Boredom to, which is a class, you know, a jazz standard that modulates, does the same kind of modulation thing. So in my ears, I'm like, oh, he's taking the. He's not now just, like, riding over someone else's chord progression. He's actually taking that same idea that he learned in a song, like a jazz standard like that, and implementing it in a bridge here. Totally original. And then the rapped verse, like, what I love about Igor is, like, when he does rap, it's perfect. Like, you could tell he saved the rap moments for the exact right times. Because one of my favorite sections of this entire album is the rap verse. And it is because it is so rare. So it's nothing special, but it's like

B

that part

A

just emotionally, you can hear kind of like that little bit of sadness in there, a little bit of, you know, dejection. But, like. And him coming to terms with this whole. How it all played out, but just like him reserving those moments to make them special. The rap moments, you know, and meeting the moment with a great. With, you know, just one single rap verse. And then my favorite part of this entire song, and maybe the entire album actually, is this part.

B

But I finally found peace, so.

A

Peace right here.

B

Let me do it over Everything.

A

And then it goes into the. The jarred karma. So that whole, like, let me do it over. Obviously, it sounds like he's saying he wants to do his takeover, but then what? Everything. And that just speaks to this entire relationship. Regrets, things I wish I could have done. And to your point about wasted potential, it segues right into that. Just. I don't know, there's something about that candid moment that just feels, like, perfect in terms of what it's emotionally expressing.

B

I mean, he even said it during. In interviews how he was kind of teaching himself. Cause obviously, obviously, Tyler, the creator, has asthma. He was teaching himself how to kind of, like, rewrap again in terms of just, like, how to deliver it.

A

So.

B

And he was saying he was deliberate about leaving a lot of, like, the breath work, where it's like, if you've ever seen, like, if you've ever been, like, a studio session or seen someone record, like, an engineer traditionally is going to take out breaths and stuff like that, and there's. That adds a level of texture because Tyler's not taking a lot of those moments out, right? So even though Igor is this record that is very, very polished, you have moments like that.

A

Oh, yeah, yeah.

B

That are. So you're just like. He's also finding beauty in the moments where we're in a studio, we're recording, like, there's Going to be parts instead of taking it out. If it fits the texture of the song, keep it in.

A

Yeah. Then we should just acknowledge. Unless he has anything more on like the Gone Gone. So then it bridges into. Thank you. And this is where I'm saying the song structure potentially could just feel chaotic, but this is where he really nails a complex structure that I think when you listen from start to finish to the song, even though it is kind of three songs in one, if you count the bridge as its own kind of world. Because when we get to. Thank you. After that transition I just played, for me, it just works somehow. Even though it is a totally new song,

B

I love it's.

A

And again, it's a. It's an interpolation. I'll play the. The original Source of a 1998 song called Fragile by Tetsuro Yamashita.

B

This song is incredible. Thank you for your love.

A

Thank you for the heart that's so beautiful.

B

They'll never be a long and lonely night again.

A

It's so beautiful. But then to the. What we already talked about, like the way he brings that into this world and makes it his own. Maintaining the emotional core of the sample of the interpolation, Singing it through the high pitched Igor voice, putting it over. Distorted. The same harmony, I think, as the original, but completely distorted. That fluttering synthesis in the background. Dude, this song is so good. It's so good.

B

Incredible. Yeah, dog. I'm so happy we both love this song.

A

Justin, where are you at on this song?

C

Very, very, very high. Should have brought this up when you're talking about the sample. One thing I wanted to shout out, this is just for the audience who might not know. Kolonomori was part of a great indie band in the early 2000 and tens called Smith Westerns. They put out a couple bangers then disappeared.

A

They're on Sub Pop, right?

C

They were. And then a couple of the members went on to form a band that I think some of the people in the audience might be familiar with. Whitney.

A

Oh, okay.

C

Shout out to. Shout out to Whitney. Shout out to Mac. Shout out to Julian. Cool guys. I've spent some time. So that's all I want to say. But this great song, Gray Sample, I don't know. I think it should and can go very far.

A

I think so.

B

All right, so you want to go to a quick break and then since we both picked. Gone. Gone.

A

You have one left. I have one left.

B

No, you have two left, don't you?

A

Oh, shit. I do.

B

Yeah. So why don't we go when we come back, you'll reveal your second nomination.

A

All right, let's do it. This episode is brought to you by Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing. If you saw the band when they played at the bar or stopped mid festival to look at the stars Then you're ready to embrace the haze With Hazy Little thing Citrusy smooth and easy to drink it pairs with nights that don't need a script Brewed with the purest ingredients for finest quality There's a reason it's America's best selling Hazy ipa Embrace the haze with Sierra Nevada Hazy Little thing Enjoy responsibly.

B

All right, Cole, what's your second nomination going to be?

A

All right, I'm going to go. This might be a curveball. Maybe. I don't know. It's actually the third. I was surprised. This is the third biggest song off of Igor. If we're just going by Spotify streams. Are we still friends?

B

Are we still friends? Can we be friends? Are you gonna have to sell me on this one?

A

Really?

B

No. I don't dislike it. It was not even on my short list.

A

Okay. Well, I think this is a song that's really hard to remove from the album.

B

Yeah.

A

And so I don't know how far it can go on its own, but in the context of the album, this song works so fucking well. Just to get some of the maybe more technical stuff out of the way. Prominently samples Al Green's song called Dream. So it's a rare instance where Tyler doesn't do much to the sample. Like that sounds pretty close to what's on the record. Right. He eventually builds it out, but for whatever reason, it works in the world of Igor, where it doesn't feel like just a straight one to one sample, although at points it definitely is. But he does build the world around it eventually. The bridge of the song doesn't feature the sample at all, and it carries on its own. It has a really cool, swingy 6, 8 feel, which you don't really hear in hip hop too much. And what I love about the song is that one, he. It's a thing where he says, I don't need to fill the space of every single part of a song.

B

Yeah.

A

Where it's like there's half of this song Tyler's not even on. We get a Pharrell sample or a feature a little bit later in the song. But, you know, it feels almost like a freestyle at times where he's kind of just going off the cuff. But thematically, I think what resonates for me about the song is where the album ends, which is, you know, after the acceptance of Gone Gone, after the kind of shedding the relationship and I don't love you anymore. We get to this place where a lot of relationships end up, which is like, can we still be friends? Can something so special in our life, it seems like a tragedy to just have, have, have it be all or nothing.

B

Yeah.

A

And so there's always the temptation of like, can we be friends? Can we be in each other's lives and. And it's purely a friendship, or is the whatever chemistry between our lives and who we are as people, is it impossible for us to have that kind of relationship? Does it have to be all or nothing? And sometimes that is. It is all or nothing because there's just something between. It's that weird juxtaposition of where there's. There is chemistry, but there is also like severe oil and water effect, you

B

know, and can you. Can you still be friends when there's not only been hurt, but so much of the album is also about Tyler being at a point in his life after a flower boy that this love interest is not. So can Tyler be his full self and still be friends with someone who is living? He's at a different phase, which I find fascinating that once again, if you go back to Bastard Tyler, it's a weird thing. But like Bastard and Igor Almost Sister albums, where you go from Tyler being the one in therapy or like at least the one with Dr. TC to almost now he's a doctor TC is crazy.

A

Yeah. What I love about the song too is like, the theme is so unique. Like, what other songs capture this question, this dynamic, especially coming at the end of the album and having experienced the full trajectory of this relationship. I love songs that are about something that everyone has experienced, but is rarely articulated in art because it's really hard to articulate this thing. And he's pretty explicit about it. Are we still friends? Makes the theme very clear, but it's like I can't really think of other songs that are about exactly this phenomenon, which is very common, you know. And so it's Tyler kind of capturing something unique there. But this also does bring me to the most dissectable moment.

B

Okay. Oh, shit.

A

And we have a sponsor.

B

Hell yeah.

A

We got our first segment sponsor on lws.

B

Hell yeah.

A

So this most dissectable moment is brought to you by Sierra Nevada and their Hazy Little thing, which is. Which is America's best selling Hazy ipa. All about embracing the haze, being present, and leaning into the moments that matter and what better moment that matters most on Igor is the very last note of the album. I'm pretty sure I've laid this theme out to you, and I've definitely laid out this concept. You know, I think last Season on Last Song Standing and definitely in my season on Igor.

B

But guess what? I've had a lot of hazy IPAs, so it's like I don't even remember. Okay, so break it down for me.

A

But it is worth repeating because I think it is very. Again, it's the subtle mastery of Tyler, the creator, at this point and career in making five concept albums before Igor. And really understanding how to tell a story through music and through an album is expressed in this single note at the end of the album. So to set up the single note, I have to tell you a couple of things about the album itself. So the bass synth that starts Igor is some version of a distorted bass synth, appears in every single song, sometimes in songs that wouldn't. You would not think a bass, a distorted sound like that should be in. So it seemed very deliberate that he was placing it every. Every song. And importantly, that same bass synth both opens the album in the 23 second sustained synth that opens Igor's theme. And there's a similar synth that closes the album that is also sustained for like 10 or 15 seconds. And before I make the connection between the beginning and end, just remember track I think four of this album is just an interlude where Gerard Carmichael says, exactly what you run from, you end up chasing. And so over the course of the album, we experience this arrangement of emotions about this guy and this relationship. Ultimately, Tyler lands on this idea of gratitude, acceptance, and then at the very end, wanting a friendship or questioning whether he can be friends with this person. But the final line of the album repeats, can't say goodbye. Can't say goodbye. Can't say goodbye. So he leaves you on this kind of cliffhanger of like, okay, can they still be friends? And maybe as much as Tyler tried to be accepting and, you know, loving this experience for what it was, he does leave us with this idea of like, I can't say goodbye, ultimately. And so what's really cool about this, keeping in mind exactly what you run from, you end up chasing this idea of can't say goodbye and wanting to be friends and this. This idea of this looping cycle with this relationship. The final note of the album is this here, which I'll play for you now, which sounds a lot like the opening of the album, which is this here. And what I love about the contrast between the two synths, which are similar synths but with some slight variations. Igor Theme is more full, more energetic, where the last note of the album is a little more deflated.

C

Right.

A

Same synth sound, but there's an emotional contrast. And what's cool about this is that it works. The beginning note and the end note work on a technical music theory level. So the final note is a B flat, and the opening note of the album is an E flat. And so what this implies in music theory is the most common cadence in music, which is a 5:1 chord progression, which is a chord of extreme tension that is meant to set up a resolution to the home chord of the key. And so if these were fleshed out more than a single note, it would sound like this. This is the chords that they are implying. So it's a classic technically sound cadence, which means that the final note of Igor is the chord of tension that is resolved by the beginning note. So what we're hearing is essentially the end and beginning of the album is a technically sound musical loop where the end goes into the beginning. And if he. And thematically, it works, because if Tyler becomes friends with this guy, exactly what he was trying to run from, he ends up chasing again and the loop starts all over again, and he's caught in this cycle of falling in love again and experiencing the same endless cycle over and over again, which is, in my mind, fucking so cool. You know, I love this kind of thing. But the fact that it works musically, thematically, and this, it's not just an arbitrary loop. It actually fits the theme of the song and the theme of this idea of, like, if I'm still. If this person isn't in my life, and is it inevitable that I'm going to go through this cycle again? Are you dissected?

B

Not only am I dissected, I remember you breaking this down for me before. So similar to Igor.

A

Oh, yeah.

B

This is fucking circle, bro. I'm still as my mind is blown halfway through, I was like, damn. I remember when he broke this down the first time. Even the second time is still fucking good as fuck. Hell, yeah.

A

That's what I think. I get just as hyped. This might be like, the most hyped I've ever got when I discovered something on an album. And Tyler liked the tweet when I laid this theory out on Twitter first, and Tyler liked the tweet. So I think I'm not just making it up.

B

Hell, yeah.

A

So that was the most dissectable moment brought to your friends Brought to you by our friends at Sierra Nevada. Embrace the moments that matter with Hazy Little Thing by Sierra Nevada. Hazy, citrusy, smooth, Juicy, but not sweet. Hoppy, but not bitter. Hazy little thing. Enjoy responsibly. Are you going to be enjoying. We're recording this on the eve of the fourth of July. You're going to be enjoying some tasty beverages.

B

Oh, you already know. You know how I get down cold. I also just want to say, bro, I love Wicole getting his corporate bag. He's like, all right. I'm. He's like, all right. Brought to you by Sierra Nevada. I'm like, damn, Negro shade, you can

A

a little code switch in the corporate.

B

Hell, yeah. Every. That is one thing you do learn on podcasting. We all do have the ad read voice. All right. Brought to you by.

A

All right, so where are you going next on your nominee? Oh, I know where you're going.

B

You are.

A

There's only one. But there's only one place.

B

You make my earthquake. Oh, you make my earthquake. You make my earthquake? Oh, you make my earthquake. Oh, this song. You guys know I'm a creature of habit. I'm a basic bitch when it comes to my music fandom. Is the best pop song in Tyler's catalog. He finally got one better than See youe Again. Yeah.

A

Okay.

B

Because for Tyler to land this plane, a pop song where he is singing and trying to hit high notes. Working with Charlie Wilson, the Legend, and has Playboi Carti on one show. The grand irony of this is that when Igor was dropping, I was still working at Rolling Stone. And I remember documenting how Tyler and DJ Khaled were in a battle to see who would go number one. And what's so funny about Igor is that Tyler's doing the DJ Khaled thing, where it's like you're taking a bunch of artists and putting them on one song. But with Tyler, there is artistic intent behind it, and with DJ Khaled, he's just trying to make the biggest grandiose song possible. And to me, Earthquake is a perfect example of an artist seeing what makes Charlie Wilson special, seeing what makes Playboi Carti special, and then seeing what he can add to the mix. And you get this moment of just pure fucking alchemy. And I know Earthquake can feel like the basic pick, but I don't ever want. I always want to reward artists for doing something that seems simple. A good pop song is so good that people think it's easy to make because it has that feeling of, like a nursery rhyme. You've already heard a thousand times before. And we've heard Earthquake so many times already. But I still remember going back and listening to it to the first time I was like, damn, Tyler made this. Cause it's just so. It's structurally, it's perfect. Obviously he's doing what he did on Flower Boy, which is employing other more technically gifted singers to help him along. But Charlie's not doing all of the heavy lifting like Tyler is going for it. And I just also have to say, Playboi Carti's verse is a top 10 verse of the 21st century.

A

Wait, what? Really?

B

Is this a hot take? Justin, is this a hot take?

C

Yeah, it's a little bit of a hot take.

B

Wait, really?

C

The 21st century?

B

Yes. Body Heroes. I'll give up out of my doors. He's like, barely saying words because you're all right. Can I break it down? Why Playboi Carti's verse on this is so masterful.

A

Okay.

B

Because we get to a point with rap where you feel like you've heard everything and what ends up happening is like, hey, you know, the Mumble rap soundcloud generation or whatever. But what that moniker does is it strips away how genius a verse like this is, which is. It is. It is incoherent on purpose, where it's not about what Playboy Carti is saying. It is about how he is saying is just like the. It's a pure distillation of what makes hip hop one of the greatest art forms of modern music. Which is like you are using rhyme and how it hits your ear to make you feel something. And because it's like post lyrical. Yeah, it is the height of absurdist art to me. This is the. And I think that's why Tyler had been wanting to work with Playboi Carti. When you hear Playboi Carti, you were just like, oh, it sounds so dumb and easy. But you try to it, right? You try to rap like this and you're going to sound like a idiot. You're like the squawks and the baby murmurs or whatever and takes away from the genius of them. Like, I got Body Rose is like quite literally one of the most cliche opening bars ever. There are so many rappers who have rapped about Derrick Rose before, but the way he says it and it hits

A

your ear, you're like, bop.

B

What? It's just. Yes, I think this is one of the greatest verses of the 21st century because it is an artist kind of getting to me what was like at that point, the final frontier of rap. We are so past lyrics at this point. Just going to make you feel what are essentially like, there are words to

A

this, but, like, they're secondary.

B

They're secondary.

A

Maybe thirdary or whatever. Well, what I love about Earthquake is that it is Tyler's biggest song. And where, like, a song like See youe Again is huge and it's, you know, idiosyncratic. Like we talked about last episode. Earthquake is really weird for. So weird for a hit song. For a song as I think it has like 2 billion streams on. On Spotify or something. Like, for a song this big, it's. It's just weird. Like, there's not really. Tyler doesn't have a rap verse on it. He's singing in a voice. I mean, I think what ends up on the record are his scratch vocals that he was. He was trying to get Justin Bieber this song. He was trying to get Rihanna this song. Both rejected it. And so what we hear, I think, is what he said is the. Just the rough draft version of him just trying to like, get the melody off. But there's something special about that unrefined, not thinking people will ever hear this. So it's maybe something more naturally came out where he wasn't really, like, trying that hard, quote, unquote. But you can tell that it's also like really good writing for as few lyrics as it does have. And you could tell he was trying to write a quote, unquote pop song because the lyrics are really, like, tight. Because you make my earthquake riding around you'll be shaking me up. So earthquake and shaking it's making my heart break. Also tying this. This motif of shaking. An earthquake. And then even the post chorus where it's just don't leave it's my fault Fault playing on fault lines where it's like, it's all very simple. But, you know, this is what pop music does all the time. Where it's like. The lyrics are usually pretty damn good in terms of, like, staying consistent with a relatively simple idea, but just hitting it perfectly and consistently and so.

B

But even that. Talking about the fall, I like what he does. Don't leave. Oh yeah, yeah oh, yeah that just that jagged yeah. Like when you see an earthquake and it splits the asphalt and it just. It's like little stuff like that is just so. But to make a song called Earthquake, but once again, to make it this tender and this delicate, yeah, just shows you just like the high and low, the soft and the hard of the record. And as Someone who's a. Who's a fan of pop music like Justin Bieber or Rihanna. The reason why this would not have been a hit if he had given it to someone like Justin Bieber is that Justin Bieber is like, Swag to me is a great record that he dropped last year. But Justin Bieber is a very linear artist. He can be weird and he's talented in his own way. But for Earthquake to work and to be sold as a record, it can't be a linear record. It can't just be even Tyler singing, because it's just like a rough scratch vocal. Like, there are certain songs that sound like the artist is singing a karaoke version of a song that already exists, where it's like they're not hitting every single note, they're straining a little bit, but that's that weird texture. And that weird part of the song is what makes it scanned out from other pop songs. If it's just Rihanna or Justin Bieber because they're better singers than Tyler, they don't have to think about it assholistically.

A

Yeah.

B

But for this to work, this has to be a world. This has to be Igor's world. It has to be Tyler's world. And the reason, like, oh, people, like, of course you're gonna pick Earthquake, but I'm like, don't. Just because something is popular does not mean that it's easy. And this is not an easy record to land. I wouldn't be surprised if this was one of the more difficult records to fully, fully get to where it is.

A

Yeah. I mean, it reminds me of, like, Nirvana, to be honest. Like, in terms of, like, to your point, like, Smells Like Teen Spirit, one of the biggest songs ever, is fundamentally a pop song. Like, it's a kind of a, like, technically sound pop song, but it is a pop song that only Nirvana could have sold.

B

Yes.

A

And so if you gave those same elements the same melodies, like, you can recognize the catchiness of Smells Like Teen Spirits chorus. We can all recognize that it doesn't sound pop in the same way that Earthquake, to me, doesn't sound pop. And to your point, like, it probably wouldn't have worked. That's why it wouldn't have worked in a Bieber or a Rihanna, because it's fundamentally sound, but in a way that is idiosyncratic. And so, like, if you strip this song to the core, it's still going to work on a piano and just, you know, playing melody in the same way. If you strip Smells Like Teen Spirit down to its Core. That's why I like pop songs. The most fundamentally sound pop songs can always be played on an acoustic guitar and just sung because the structure, the musical structure and the underpinning, like chord progression and melody are just sound. Earthquake has that, but the production, the vocal timbres, the features, all of these things are what makes it unique. And it. So it just strikes that perfect balance of like, we've never heard anything like this before, but it has enough familiarity in the soundness of. Of it being pops pop structure that we accept it, if that makes sense. It can be accepted by, like, my

B

mom, you know, or Tyler, I think, described the record at one point as like, being as influenced by Pusha T as Stevie Wonder. And Earthquake is a perfect example of that. People are always surprised that Pusha T wrote the Ba ba ba ba ba. I'm loving it. But you're like, there's a reason why Kanye wants to work with Pusha T or Pharrell wants to work with Pusha T. Where even though Pusha T has a distinct rapping voice, when you listen to clips records, you're like, no, this is a master of song structure. And Earthquake is a moment where I'm like, oh, no. Tyler becomes. He goes where Pusha T doesn't want to go, where it's like, oh, no, I'm going to be Stevie and I'm going to be Pusha T. I have the ability to rap, but I don't need to. I could just show you that I've mastered song structure. I know how to make a pop song.

A

So it's also like producer, him being. Doing the Kanye thing where it's like, yeah, I'm going to grab a Carti. I'm the only person in the world that probably hears Carti on this. But it's going to work. It's going to work, and it's going to be so strange, but, like, beautiful. And that's, again, it's just one of the many things that makes this song really unique. Justin, are you high on Earthquake? How are we feeling about Earthquake?

C

Yeah, I. Look, you're gonna be hard pressed for me to find a. Find a song on this album that I'm. That I'm pretty high on.

A

That's actually a good exercise because if we were trying to critique Igor and find its lowest moments, where would we go? Because I only have one song that I don't. I wouldn't say I dislike it, but it's the one song I'm like, I kind of don't want to hear this right now. And that's Puppet, which I know a lot of people love Puppet, so I might be alone in this, but that's the only moment on the album for me personally that I would ever, ever even think about reaching for the skip.

B

I don't. I'm with you on Puppet. A Boy Is a Gun isn't my favorite record.

A

Oh, really? I thought you would like that record, cuz it's more traditional. No, don't make that face.

B

That is that. I like Tyler singing on this. When he does the that when he tries to do the falsetto, I'm like, all right, go. For real. You're not doing this.

A

Justin, do you have any low moments on the album?

C

Low moments? You know, to your point, Puppet is something that I feel like when I'm not listening to the record, I'm like, I really like Puppet. And then when it gets there, it's like it doesn't quite live up to what's around it.

A

Yeah.

C

I don't know, man.

A

Like, it's kind of perfect.

B

This is the. This is a rare album where even if you don't like a song, and this is why short albums are great. If you can pull them off. Taking a song off this album wouldn't make it better. You might not like the song, but it's just like there's certain, like, Tyler records in the past where it's like, no, you could have taken this off the record and it would have been better. Like, I'm not gonna be an asshole on this album, on this episode. Because I'm just like, Even if A Boy Is a Gun is not my favorite song, if you take it off the record, it's taking away something.

A

Yeah.

B

And that speaks to how well intentioned this is as a project.

A

Yeah. 12 songs, one one of being so really? 11 songs, 39 minutes, 46 seconds. Like, kind of. Kind of perfect. We need more albums like this. Let me just say, we need more movies.

B

We need more TV shows that are like this. Make your statement. Get in, get out. Don't be cute about it.

C

Okay, so yet Charles famously thinks Illmatic is pretty mid.

B

All right. Don't do that to me. It's just not for me. Illmatic is just not for me. It's a great record. It's a classic record. Niggas can get mad at me. What do you want?

A

This is what I love about you, because you have the guts to say something like that.

B

Here's the thing. And you know, I'm a say this shit because I was like, I Was on the Midnight Boys, right? And we're talking about Supergirl flopping like Charles C. You're smiling over there. Did it all. Why are you so happy? Did it. And I'm like, y' all don't really want my real opinion. Because if you want my real opinion, I'm like, dog, I like what? I like ass. I'm not a. I'm not afraid to say it. Be shit like, Tyler, the creator be talking shit just because he. Richard got change. I'll let him do it. I am not rich, and I don't got change. But shit, I'm gonna talk my shit, too.

A

All right, so you're out of nominations. This is my final, right?

B

I already know where you go going.

A

Say it then.

B

New Magic Wand.

A

Yeah, Tyler. Okay, so Tyler did his own album bracket after Igor, so it doesn't count. Call me if you get lost or anything after that. New Magic Wand was his last song standing.

B

This is a song that I tried this go around. I'm like, yo, this is a fan favorite, bro. You are gonna listen to this song until you get it, till you understand. And I'm like, couldn't get there.

A

That's okay. So this is, like, really? Because this would be a song that I think you would like. To me, this is in the darker, more aggressive, minor key, crunchy sound that you've traditionally picked on this song exercise. So far, I don't like. What is it about it that doesn't really work for you? If you can explain.

B

Reminds me of another song that I like more. Send it up off Yeezus.

A

Okay.

B

Where to me. New Magic Wand. Like, I get what, like, listening to it this time, I'm like, oh, no, no, no. I get why people love this song. If you see Tyler live, that's the thing. Are just gonna. It is. It is him taking that mosh pit energy that he. That was very much part of his early career and just perfecting it into pure pop magic.

A

Yeah.

B

I just think that the song doesn't go far enough. I think, like, in terms of, like, that grungy. In your fucking face. Disgusting feeling. Like there's something about it where I'm like, oh, this is like the. Like, the palatable version. Like, this is the. This is a version of, like, that crunchy shit where you're just like, you want.

A

So you just wanted to go. I want to go harder. Well, if you saw it live, I'll just say it goes. It gets there for sure. Well, that's one of the interesting things about the song to Me. And why I like it is because where. If you heard this, sometimes you gotta

B

close the door to open a window.

A

Like, the predictable, simple thing would be to come in super aggressive. But Tyler doesn't do that. He does it. What he does on this album, a lot. And he comes in so understated, more melodic than you would ever think.

B

I will say I love his. This right here, this part,

A

dude.

B

But even before that, his delivery, his voice sounds so good on this record.

A

And what I love about it, because what you don't like about is what kind of why I love it is that he. The song really only reaches its highest high one time, and it's at the very end. And so where you think he would go, there's a spot in the song where you think he would go really high. And what he does is the opposite. He does. He goes lower. And so structurally, it's really interesting because where it should peak, he drops into this bridge. And he totally transforms the song. New chord progression, same drum beat. But what this allows him to do is build the song back up. And so when you get to this moment, this is where the real peak comes. 2 minutes and 20 seconds into the song. All those synths in the background. I love this song.

B

Here's the thing. The more we talk about it, the more I am like, damn, this is a banger. This is a banger.

A

You need to experience it live.

B

You will never get me to go to Tyler Karen concert.

A

Even if I. If I took you together, that would be so fun.

B

Oh, if we were going on, like, honestly, that sounds like a great comedy.

A

We should go to Camp Flogno together.

B

Hell no. Hell no, bro. I'm 33.

A

I'm 10 years older than you.

B

Dude, no. Fuck, no. But honestly, that. That would be a great comedy. You and I just spent the whole day together.

A

Okay, let me just shout out a couple more things I like about new magic. 1. I love the theme. New Magic Wand being this play on a Photoshop make. Make this girl disappear. So this guy, this. This girl that's in the picture with this other guy is also a gun, which is revealed on the next song, A Boy is a Gun. So it's essentially this murder mystery fantasy that Igor is having when he just wants this boy to himself and wants this girl out of the picture. So structurally, thematically, conceptually, really works perfectly placed in the track listing. I mean, I just think. I just love the musicality of it all. Like the bridge that we. That Please don't leave me, and then it's stacking with, like, magic. Like magic. And then the woman coming in. You can make me leave, like, all these layers, like, really coming to a head. About a minute into the track, I already kind of outlined the structure of it. I just think it's so unique in its catalog. There's not really, like a chorus or anything. It's kind of just one piece that kind of continually evolves almost like, through composed, and ends on a super big climax that I cannot take the live version of it out of my head. So maybe that's part of the reason why I love this song so much, is that when you see that last climax that I pointed out live. Oh, my God. There's. I've never. I vividly remember experiencing that on the Call Me if youf Get Lost tour. Because the Igor tour he did in, like, smaller theaters. Still, Call Me if youf Get Lost was his first arena tour.

B

Yeah.

A

And you got that full sound system for the first time. And hearing that outro on a full sound system, it was the last song he played, too. And it was just one of the most cathartic, visceral experiences I've had at a live show.

B

Is this a Dirty Mac anthem? I feel like Tyler Creator makes a lot of Dirty Mac and anthems. He always wants somebody else's partner. Like, every single time. I'm like, nigga, dog, go find you tired of Creator, Go find somebody else. He always writes songs about thirsting after somebody who take him, bro. Like, dog, we don't do that. I mean, I can't talk, but.

A

All right, that's another podcast. That's another culture exchange, I think. Okay, but that's my last nomination. Let me just shout out some honorable mentions. Okay.

B

Honorable mentions. We already listed, like, three words.

A

The album Igor's Theme was really close for me. Nominate what? In this exercise, it's hard because that's

B

what I was going to say.

A

I love it. It's perfect. It's a perfect album opener. But in this exercise, I don't think it could get far. I think was on my short list. Earthquake is on my short list. I love Running out of Time. Boy is a Gum was on my short list. I love what's Good. It's the same kind of energy as New Magic Wand. Not as popular, but I like what's

B

Good more than I like New Magic Wand.

A

I can see that. I can see that. But that's, like, half the album. I literally didn't shout out, like, two songs, so actually just one song. This album's perfect. Okay. Are we ready for the last song standing?

B

Yo, let's do it. Because this is gonna be. This is gonna be interesting.

A

We gotta be strategic here. I think we can't fuck this up. So we're gonna now select our final song. Our last song standing from Igor, that's gonna be advanced to the finale. In that finale will be a royal rumble. All the songs will duke it out until we've named the last song standing Tyler, the creator's best song. You won the quiz, so you get first pick. I don't think we're gonna. Well, actually, maybe not assume. Where are you going? Do you have a. An obvious winner here? Or be strategic. I'm just telling you, we gotta get. We gotta get the right songs on the board.

B

All right, so it's not gonna be. I think. I think in my heart is what I like. Just like. Because I love dancing and. Yeah, that song.

A

I love that song. But I can't see it getting far.

B

I can't see it getting far. So it's between Earthquake Earthquake and Gone Gone. Thank you. To me. Gone Gone. Thank you. Just needs to. To be there.

A

But it was our only song that overlaps. This is where you. So are you passionate about Earthquake getting far? Because I'm going to tell you I'm not. I'm not picking Earthquake.

B

So what. What if we both know that Gone Gone. Thank you. Is going like one of us is going to pick it. What would you. What would your song.

A

Well, this is your bet that you

B

need to make because you nominated.

A

So essentially, you can force me into picking Gongan. Thank you. By picking Earthquake. Or you can pick Gongan. Thank you. Because you think New Magic Wand. Are we still friends? Are we still friends? I'll just tell you. Probably doesn't really have a shot.

B

So yours is in between New Magic Wand and Gone Gone.

A

And yours is between Earthquake and Gone Gone. So this is where the strategy comes in. And we also might think about Justin's we do have coaches challenge. We could.

B

There is just. In terms of. Just like I'm no longer a music writer because I podcast five times a week, but if you were to make a Tyler creator list, Earthquake has to go on. It's a record where we won't talk about how competitive I think it could be very, very competitive. And I think for just the enjoyment of the season, you got a per Earthquake there.

A

So you got an earthquake.

B

And I know New Magic Wand is a fan favorite, but Gone Gone is man. Fuck it. I'm you. Wait. Justin can pick Earthquake. Justin, I will I will ask you this because also music editor Earthquake has to be like. It's like people are gonna look at this shit and be like, guys, what happened?

A

That's why you gotta pick it.

B

But I want Gone, Gone.

C

I can't promise what I'm gonna do.

A

Ah, interesting. I like this.

B

Yeah. Fuck, yeah. I'm picking Gone, Gone. I don't care.

A

You just nailed your coffin, man.

B

I'm picking Gone, Gone.

A

Earthquake is on your back. It's a depending on you.

B

So here's the thing. I'm a go with my heart. Like it? No. Because I see all the songs that I have. Singles, singles, singles. Nah. I gotta go with, like. I gotta show people that. It's like, this is the moment for me where Tyler, like, before this. I like, Tyler's rapping. Tyler was. I didn't need to get to, like, call me if you get lost and be like, oh, Tyler got bars. I'm like, have y' all heard French? Have y' all heard Yonkers? Have you heard, like, this can rap. But Gone, Gone. Thank you to me, is when he finally perfects the thing that I've been waiting for, which is this, like, damn. A lot of your more emotional songs, they have that Wes Anderson thing about them. They're just too cute. They're just like. It's just like one spoonful too much of sugar. And this was the perfect cup of coffee. Have to go with Congon. Thank you.

A

Damn. Okay, you're. You're. I had a strategy, and you've ruined my strategy.

B

I know I did. I know I did.

A

Okay, so it's New Magic Wand. Well, New Magic Wand, or. Or, I mean, I could. I could pick Earthquake, but I think New Magic Wand needs to go. So I'm picking New Magic Wand.

B

Fucking pick New Magic Wand.

A

And, Justin, this is gonna. Now interesting conversation for you, I feel like, because, I mean, it's.

C

So. I guess this calls into question the purpose of the coach's challenge. Is the coach's challenge to get in a song that I really, like, feel strongly about? Is it to basically be like, the

A

referee, the editorial gay guys?

B

But also, we're not doing a fan vote this year. So, like, you're also part of you is speaking for the fan.

C

Yeah. And I kind of feel like my hand's being forced here a little bit, which I don't feel like, as the referee, that should be the case.

A

Well, to be fair, I was gonna. If it played out like I was planning, I was hoping you'd pick Earthquake. I was gonna pick New magic wand. And I think you probably would have been happy to choose Gone Gone.

C

I would have been. I mean, Gone Gone. And thank you is my top two, three Tyler the creator song for me, maybe number one. It's to me that's the song off the album is the one that should go the furthest. If I were picking for me, I might go with something else, like, I think or I really like I think.

A

Yeah.

C

A couple other songs. But staying true to the purpose of the role, being the referee, speaking for the fans, making sure you guys don't fuck up.

A

This is very, very befitting of your managerial role.

C

I know, I know. I'm going to use the coaches challenge today.

A

We need some sound effect, but Kevin put some sound effect in there, like a coach's whistle or something.

C

Coach's challenge is going to earthquake.

A

Hell, yeah. I think that's the right choice. Although I'm a little bit bitter that you got to pick Gone Gone.

B

No, because here's the thing.

A

I was trying to gift it to Justin.

B

You have been on me, bro. You were like, look at your list. It's so basic. Blah, blah, blah. And I had to tell you, I'm like, no, dog. I like other Tyler songs. It's just this is the moment where he finally. I'm like, all right, you got one, bro.

C

I got to point out, though, I only get one coach's challenge for the season.

A

Yeah.

C

Now, I mean, look, if something really gets fucked up, like, we're going to have to sit here and have a conversation. Conversation.

A

Yeah.

C

But that means that you guys are on your own.

A

You guys, if you guys do something

C

really silly for the rest of the season, like, I'm not. I can't clean it up.

B

I will tell you when we get to, like, the features and shit. There's one song that he does that I. That, like, I'm like, bro, I'm trying to get this as far as possible.

A

There's one song that keeps coming up in the comments of now that we're rolling out the episodes that is a B side. I don't. I don't want to say it yet, but it is in serious content. By just the amount of comments, it really surprised me. There is one song that is a B side that has maybe more votes than I've seen so far. Is not on. Yeah. So I think that episode is going to be an important one. Okay, so next up, we got call me if you get lost. You like that album?

B

Yeah.

A

Okay.

B

Love that album. Once again, like, I feel like everybody Was like, yo. Like. Because here's the thing. Tyler started rapping over other people's beats. I mean, he. He had been doing that since on Future, but he took a break and then like, yeah. So it took that for people to be like, oh, my gosh. Tyler's at the pop out. I'm like, tyler's a good rapper. Tyler knows he's a good rapper. I like, that was just the record where I was just like, okay, we can finally enjoy this.

A

Earthquake. That's a good earthquake. At the pop out. Getting. Do you remember the response that it got from the crowd? He got the loudest pop at the pop out with Earthquake, which is reaffirming the coach's challenge in my head, because you could tell in that moment how big that song is, how beloved that song is.

B

I don't think the distance between in terms of popularity, like, obviously, now it's different. Kendrick is here. It's not like Tyler is here.

A

Like, Tyler is doing a year of Kendrick.

B

Yeah, it is just like, if I'm being honest, Kendrick is more of a traditional archetype of rap, where it's like, the fact that Tyler is almost as pop.

A

It's pretty. Yeah.

B

Or I'd say this. I think culturally, Tyler might be just as popular if you take in the totality of odd future, the camp flog naw, the TV shows and everything. I just think musically, Kedrick is, like, a little bit over. But at the pop out, it was a moment where I was like, well,

A

Kendrick can make a Luthor, and that's the difference. You know, that's really what it is.

B

Yes. But here's the thing. I don't know if, like, I think Tyler wants to make a Luther, and he can. He just doesn't want to do it for himself. Like, I think, like, when he's making a pop song, he just can't help himself and be like, but what if it was just a little weird? And Kendrick's like, hey, yo, I got kids to feed.

A

Fuck it.

B

Here's one for y'. All.

A

All right, we'll see you next time.

B

All right. All right. We are back, dog. We have been. I would say that LBs boys have been the mindful boys on. On these cultural exchanges. We're growing. I'm growing up. You know, you're on your own journey. I, for this coaches challenge, gave you an anime film on Netflix. Tell me, what'd you think?

A

You are two for two on the cultural exchange so far.

B

Really?

A

Yeah. This was great. It's so good, and I love so this is my first anime I saw that was like an, I guess, adult anime. There's categories for these things. But I've been watching Ghibli.

B

Yeah.

A

Which is more children oriented. This is very much. I guess I could show this to my daughters, but like, it's a little more mature in its themes, I would say.

B

Yeah.

A

And so experiencing that side of anime for the first time was really cool because there's moments of it where you kind of forget it's an anime in terms of like.

B

Because they're using a. An animation technology called rotoscoping, which I usually don't like. You can like, what would you've probably seen? Like rotoscoping and stuff. Like A Scanner Darkly, if you remember.

A

Oh, yeah.

B

But. But yeah. For those that don't know, this is basically the story of like two childhood friends who are. Who run track. And then basically one of them is kind of born, I would say, with kind of an innate talent. And one of them has to struggle. And it kind of. In a very interesting way, you think the story is going. You think you have where the story is going. And it definitely ping pongs.

A

Yeah. Thematically, it's just like. I think you mentioned it earlier as being a little more. Not something you'd see in American culture as much. But I really liked the philosophical kind of underpinning of it where it was almost like the privilege of taking a talent for granted versus someone trying to earn what the other person has. And you're really kind of stuck between. Yeah. What is. Is it less about the thing itself, which in this case is running really fast, or is it about, you know, the work to get there? Like, what is the actual. What's the value? Because you have this super talented, naturally born fast runner who doesn't see the value in his own talent. And then it's juxtaposed with someone that wants everything that that guy naturally just has. Yeah. And you don't know what. Which one is like truly valuable. You know what I mean? So just like just the premise of it was super interesting. And then to see it play out. Yeah. And like taking the narrative twists.

B

And there's also an. There's an older gentleman who's also. Who is like, this is going to be one of his last races. And he's always kind of been like the second or third guy to someone who was just a generational talent. So you have these different generations who are all basically discussing not only what does it mean because there's an art to running. So it's like, why do you run? Why do you compete? Do you want to compete because you want to be number one? Do you want to compete because you want to be faster than the next guy? Do you want to run because you want to beat your own personal goal? And I like, that's what I love about it. Where to me, a lot of sports in the American imagination isn't often as interested in. I'm like, to compete. Everybody's not competing for the same thing. If you take basketball, some people do want to win, like, a finals trophy. They want to win finals mpp, or they want to do this or that. But some people are just in a competition with themselves, right? Or they're in a competition with the person next to them or a competition with someone on the bench. And it's like.

A

Or their past or their past.

B

What are they running from? What are they running to? And to me, that is what's so interesting. There's another. There's another foundational kind of like sports manga called Ping Pong. I've heard about that one that is exactly, like, has a very, very similar type of trajectory between being born with talent, taking it for granted, and what you need to do to reclaim that, and someone who was looking at someone born with the talent and is like, I'm going to need to work 10 times harder to get there. So it's a different level of focus and appreciation, but also, what do you lose in having those blinders on? And, like, I didn't realize it until talking to you right now, but why I think it's so fitting to put on a Tyler season is, to me, like, Tyler's trajectory as an artist is kind of that, where it's like someone slowly but surely running their race. And there were bigger artists than him at every single turn, but him just, like, having this focus of, like, all right, Justin Bieber or Rihanna's not gonna take my record. Fine. I'm gonna sing it.

A

Yeah.

B

Oh, fine. You guys don't think I can rap? All right, I got DJ drama. I'm gonna show you I could do my own Gangster girls. And slowly but surely becoming the artist that he wants to become.

A

Yeah. Beautiful. Okay, so I'm gonna do more extra credit, though. Cause I'm like. I'm, like, fully bought into the anime world. So I know you're not supposed to give me, like, a cultural exchange. This time it's my turn to give you something. But if you're just give me a short list of maybe a couple of films I want to check out from now until the next episode.

B

Putting me.

A

Do you have a favorite of all time or are you going to. Or. Or saving that?

B

Like, if I was to give you one that is, like, now, this one would be wonky because I just watched it this year. This is like, to me, like, it's a foundational piece and it's short. It's called Angel's Egg. Not a lot of dialogue at all. It is pure, just like. And it's like, not a lot of story to me. It's like, I love me.

A

I love films like that.

B

So it's literally like. It's like a Yeezus where it's like anime heads love it, but if I was to give it to a normie, they would be like, what the fuck? Yeah, what the fuck is this?

A

So don't watch it with my daughters.

B

I. This is one that will give them nightmares. I would not watch Angels.

A

Okay. All right, so I'm gonna. I think this fits the theme of what we've been doing so far. So I'm gonna give you another book that I read multiple times when I was in my twenties. It is by one of my favorite authors, Cormac McCarthy.

B

Okay.

A

It's a. Essentially, it's a play, actually. It's called the Sunset Limited. It's very short. You could read it in one or two sittings because it's supposed to be an hour long play and it's just dialogue and it takes place in just one room. So the premise of the story is. Justin, are you familiar with the Sunset limited or Cormac McCarthy at all?

C

I'm familiar with Cormac McCarthy. I've never read the Sunset Limit.

A

Okay. So the premise is a white intellectual attempts to kill himself by jumping into an oncoming subway train. The Sunset Limited. And a black former prisoner saves his life. Yeah. And the conversation. The play is a conversation between them in this black man's apartment. And I don't want to tell you anything more than that, but essentially. Let me just leave it there because, like, essentially each. Each of the two characters are representing something that I think. And the. The conversation that they had essentially with the black man trying to talk this white man into why life is worth living.

B

Yeah.

A

Plays out and ultimately comes to a interesting resolution, quote, unquote. So I'll just leave it there. Have you. Are you familiar with this at all or.

B

No, but I'm super fucking. I'm super fucking excited.

A

They did make a. They did make an HBO version of it where Tommy Lee plays the white guy and Samuel plays the black guy.

B

Should I watch that after I read it, or will it ruin it?

A

No, if you read it first, it's fine to watch it.

B

Okay.

A

The book is better, obviously, but it's. I mean, they're both great actors and the text is really rich, so, like, it's a. It's an interesting watch.

B

Oh, fucking. Yeah. Let's fucking go.

C

All right.

B

Y' all late.