Tyler, the Creator walked away with a big prize at the 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards, winning the inaugural Rock the Bells Cultural Influence Award.
As per Pitchfork, the rapper was presented with the award by LL Cool J and proceeded to gush about what music and his career means to him.
“Playboi Carti has a line where he says ‘bought my mama house off this mumblin shit’ and I always get teared up when he says that,” Tyler said. “This thing that’s a hobby or a pasttime or a passion for us, a lot of people in here, that shit kept us out of trouble. And it allowed us to change our family lives and friends’ lives.”
Tyler also made sure to acknowledge the hip hop artists that had inspired him along the way, shouting out some big names. “I definitely think that I’ve created my own path, but it’s people who allowed me to understand that I can do that, who laid the blueprint,” he explained.
He then thanked a list of his influences, including Q-Tip, André 3000, Chad Hugo, Pharrell, Kanye West, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, and Hype Williams.
He concluded by encouraging up-and-coming artists such as Baby Keem and Yung Bleu before sneaking in a crafty album plug. “Everyone keep thriving, keep doing your shit, and Call Me If You Get Lost out now.”
It wasn’t the only prize Tyler won at this year’s BET Hip Hop Awards. He also walked away with Album of the Year for Call Me If You Get Lost.
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He’ll be touring that album around Australia and New Zealand in July and August next year. It will be his first headline tour over here in eight years. Tickets can be found at Frontier Touring.
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Check out Tyler, the Creator’s acceptance speech:
