Ever since Tyler The Creator first showed up on the scene, the influence he took from Pharrell was both obvious and undeniable. It didn’t take long for the two to connect in real life, and ever since, they’ve shared a fruitful creative chemistry, with Pharrell playing mentor and Tyler the eager protégé. They’ve made music together, teamed up on a Louis Vuitton capsule collection, and now, Tyler plays a role in Pharrell’s upcoming Lego animation biopic, Piece By Piece, dropping in to release a verse on the song “Virginia Boy Remix.”
Co-produced by both artists — so you should have a pretty good idea of how it sounds even before pressing “play” — “Virginia Boy Remix” features smooth-flowing, freestyle storytelling, relating the two iconoclasts’ experiences growing up so similarly on opposite coasts. The vibe resembles nothing so much as Golden Era A Tribe Called Quest, and if these two decided they want to do a whole project in this style… I’m in. One hundred percent.
For what it’s worth, Pharrell could use a new musical partner, as he is currently embroiled in a legal dispute with former The Neptunes bandmate Chad Hugo over the production duo’s name. Maybe give us some hope that things will turn out a little better for our heroes.
You can listen to the “Virginia Boy” remix above.