Nowadays, Tyler, the Creator is one of the premier rappers working today. He’s built a strong core audience at a gradual pace, eventually boosting him into hit-maker status. A deeply personal song such as “Like Him” could go viral without him ever having to pander for numbers. He’s always been distinctly himself.
Tyler’s quest towards radio and hits starts with his 2019 smash “EARFQUAKE” with Playboi Carti and Charlie Wilson. It included all of his idiosyncrasies but was too addictively catchy to ignore.
However, originally, the song seems like it would’ve been a lot more tame if the artists he originally reached out to came on board. In a 2019 interview with GQ, Tyler, the Creator opened up about DJ Khaled being bitter about coming second to IGOR.
Tyler, the Creator Recalls How Rihanna and Justin Bieber Rejected ‘Earfquake’
However, he also knew that Khaled had the clout to pull artists like Justin Bieber and Rihanna into his orbit. But when Tyler reached out, he got swift denials at the time.
Initially, the song was supposed to be for Bieber, but he didn’t want it. Then, he just wanted background vocals— still nothing. The same went for Rihanna. Ultimately, it left Tyler a bit dejected.
“It’s just, like, ‘Trust me, bro,‘” Tyler, the Creator pleaded at the time. “I know this isn’t your type of thing, but I know that this end result will be a good idea if you just let me cook. That’s the one thing I can’t crack. I don’t know what the f*** it is. To just trust me on little s*** like that. It’s still a learning curve. I’ve figured everything else out thus far. It might take long. It might be next week, it might be another three years.”
This desire to conquer radio is ironic, given how music has slowly shifted away from radio over the years. With streaming services as the primary means for all things art nowadays, it seems counterintuitive to be so driven towards the medium. However, it all stems from a bit of personal nostalgia for Tyler, the Creator.
Tyler praised the radio industry for making music more accessible
“A lot of my favorite artists I heard for the first time because of the radio. I first heard ‘Maureen’ by Sade on the radio. Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite, his first album, co-written by Leon Ware. I first heard that on the radio,” Tyler, the Creator explained in a 2018 interview. “I first heard ‘Tape You’ by N.E.R.D., my favorite band in the world, one of my favorite songs ever, on the radio. And that’s how I got introduced to that, and that shaped everything for me, so.”
“It’s still a piece of me that not only wants to be on the radio,” he added. “But it’s probably some 11-year-old in the middle of f***ing nowhere who might hear a song, look me up, get introduced to a whole world—and that could change everything he’s into for the rest of his life.’
The post Tyler, the Creator Tried To Get Two Superstar Pop Singers for His Hit Song ‘Earfquake’ but They Declined appeared first on VICE.
