Tyler, the Creator Accepts Cultural Influence Award at 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards

Tonight at the 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards, the inaugural Rock the Bells Cultural Influence Award was presented to Tyler, the Creator by LL Cool J. “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 pastime 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 talked about hip-hop’s importance in changing his life and acknowledged some of his influences. “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 said. He then thanked a short list of influences: Q-Tip, André 3000, Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes, Kanye West, Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, and Hype Williams.

He ended by looking out in the crowd and encouraged young artists, including Baby Keem and Yung Bleu. “Everyone keep thriving, keep doing your shit, and Call Me If You Get Lost out now.” Watch his speech below.

Call Me If You Get Lost, which came out earlier this year, also won Album of the Year at the show. Tyler will tour behind that album with Kali Uchis, Vince Staples, and Teezo in 2022. He recently joined Maxo Kream on the single “Big Persona.”

Read “5 Takeaways From Tyler, the Creator’s New Album Call Me If You Get Lost” over on the Pitch.