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Today marks an important day in music history as Pharrell's legendary In My Mind album turns 10 years old. In celebration of the anniversary, Tyler, the Creator issued a statement on the album and the impact it had on him. Look below to read what Tyler had to say, and click here to stream the classic album.
WOW. ITS BEEN TEN YEARS. 3650 DAYS SINCE THE ALBUM THAT SHAPED ME WAS RELEASED. IN MY MIND BY PHARRELL WILLIAMS. I WAS 15 YEARS OLD, ATTENDING SUMMER SCHOOL AT HAWTHORNE HIGH, SPENDING MOST OF MY NIGHTS TRYING TO FIND ANY SNIPPETS OF THE ALBUM ON VARIOUS GERMAN SITES. I WAS WHAT YOU WOULD CALL A FANATIC, HOARDING ANY AND EVERY MAGAZINE I COULD FIND WITH THE NEPTUNES OR ANYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH THEM. KNOWING EVERY PRODUCTION BY THE TWO, KNOWING EVERY PIECE FROM EVERY SEASON OF BBC/ICE CREAM BLAH BLAH. I STILL HAVE VHS TAPES OF EVERY TV APPEARANCE 2002-2005. BUT AFTER A BUNCH OF PUSHBACKS, IN MY MIND WAS FINALLY RELEASED JULY 25TH 2006. THIS ALBUM RANGES IN DIFFERENT STYLES AND SOUNDS, AND I BELIEVE THATS WHY I GRAVITATED TO IT SO MUCH. THE FACT THAT YOU DIDNT GET STUCK ON ONE SOUND AND LET A "COHESIVE" WALL BLOCK YOUR CREATIVITY, MIGHT BE WHY I ALLOW MY ALBUMS TO RANGE IN STYLES NOW THAT I THINK ABOUT IT. THE UPRIGHT BASSLINE ON "CAN I HAVE IT LIKE THAT" OR THE BUCKETS ON "HOW DOES IT FEEL". OFF THE WALL IS MY FAVORITE MJ ALBUM AND YOU NAILED THAT FEELING WITH "NUMBER ONE". I STILL TO THIS DAY DONT THINK I CAN MAKE A SONG BETTER THAN "THAT GIRL". AND YES "I REALLY LIKE YOU GIRL" IS EASILY THE BEST SONG ON THIS ALBUM. YOU KILLED IT WITH YOUR BEST TIMBERLAKE IMPERSONATION, AND THE STEVIE HARMONICA? WOW. HOURS WERE SPENT LURKING MYSPACE PAGES, STARING AT PHOTOS OF MY MUSES WHILE THIS SONG PLAYED IN THE BACKGROUND ( WHO KNEW THAT SOMEONE COULD BE MORE ATTRACTIVE BASED ON A CERTAIN PROGRESSION?). THE CLUSTER OF THINGS I WAS INTRODUCED TO BECAUSE OF THIS ALBUM WAS EYE OPENING. HERMES, ENZOS, CIPRIANI, RICHARD MILLE, WHAT SUNSEEKER MEANS, THE LIST GOES ON! THIS ALBUM ALSO INCLUDES "RASPY SHIT" WHICH IS THE WORST SONG IN YOUR DISCOGRAPHY I HATE THAT SONG SO MUCH I REALLY WISH IT DIDNT EXIST YOU ARE SO GROSS FOR THAT DUDE ( BUT MADE IT UP WITH THE PREQUEL MIXTAPE, SO I FORGIVE YOU). BUT THE SONG THAT REALLY HIT ME WAS "YOU CAN DO IT TOO". THE JAZZ CADENCE WITH THAT SADE-ISH BASSLINE THAT REMINDS ME WHY I LOVE SOUND, THE STRING PAD WITH CHORDS THAT YOU CLAIM ONLY Q-TIP, YOU AND I LIKE, THE JAMIE CULLUM OUTRO, UHHGGG!. BEING 15, BLACK, NOT REALLY "INTERESTED" IN WHAT THE MAJORITY OF MY PEERS WERE INTO, IT MADE ME FEEL SOME TYPE OF WAY. I WAS AN OPTIMISTIC KID, ALWAYS DAYDREAMING AND SETTING GOALS SO I FELT YOU WERE DIRECTLY SPEAKING TO ME. "I WAS IN MARCHING BAND, I WAS A SKATEBOARDER" I MEAN COME ON! I REMEMBER WHEN I MET CLANCY, AND HE WAS TELLING ME HOW JIMMY IOVINE AT INTERSCOPE THOUGHT THIS ALBUM WAS A COMPLETE FUCKING FAILURE AND HOW IT DIDNT "WORK". BUT SEE, IT DID, IT JUST DIDNT WORK ON THE KIDS HE WAS LOOKING AT. YOU KNOW, THE ONES WHO FREQUENT THE MALL, USED THE POPULAR SLANG, LISTENED TO WHAT EVER WAS THROWN AT THEM AND DRESSED IN WHAT EVER CLOTHING THAT WAS TRENDING AT THE TIME. NOT SAYING ANYTHING IS WRONG WITH THAT, BUT OF COURSE THIS WOULDNT WORK ON THEM, EVERYTHING YOU DID WAS FOR THE ECLECTIC. BUT YOU KNOW WHO IT DID HIT: YOUNG TYLER. THAT SONG SPECIFICALLY MADE ME FEEL SAFE, AND IS WHY I CREATED ODD FUTURE THAT SAME SUMMER. I WAS ACTUALLY NAIVE ENOUGH TO BELIEVE YOU AND THINK I COULD HAVE ANY CAR I WANTED, ANY TYPES OF STONES, MARRY WHO I WANT, MAKE THE MUSIC I WANTED TO AND DO ALL THESE AMAZING THINGS BY JUST BEING WHO I AM. WHERE I GREW UP, NIGGAS GET STUCK AND NEVER MAKE IT OUT. JAIL, DEAD, SHIT JOBS, STILL HANGING OUT AT THE SAME SPOTS, NOT REALLY GROWING OUT. IT SEEMS TO ME AT LEAST, AT A CERTAIN AGE, IDEAS AND ORIGINAL THOUGHTS ARE NO LONGER A THING. I THANK THE UNIVERSE THAT I GOT OUT AND DIDNT FALL INTO THAT CYCLE. 10 YEARS LATER, I AM NOW A MAN WHO HAS FOUND SUCCESS IN MANY THINGS, RUNNING BUSINESSES, A YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR, ALL BECAUSE I BELIEVED YOU WHEN YOU SAID I COULD. I MEAN, YOU WERE THE FIRST PERSON I CONTACTED WHEN I PULLED OFF THAT MCLAREN DEALERSHIP! ( THE PHOTO I HAVE OF YOU SITTING IN THAT CAR MADE EVERYTHING COME FULL CIRCLE). THIS IS GETTING LONG SO UHHH, HAPPY BIRTHDAY IMM. I NEVER HAD MY FATHER AROUND, NO UNCLES, NO BROTHERS, NOTHING, SO THANK YOU FOR BEING MY ROLE MODEL AND THE MALE FIGURE I GRAVITATED TO. ALLOWING ME TO EMBRACE BEING DIFFERENT AND TRUSTING MY IDEAS, I LOVE YOU, THANK YOU. "NO INCISION TO THE VISION"
