In celebration of the 15th anniversary of Pharrell’s debut album In My Mind, Tyler, the Creator took to Twitter on Sunday to reflect on the project.
“‘In My Mind’ turns 15 today. Came out around the time of this photo,” Tyler wrote alongside a picture of his 15-year-old self. “Was at Hawthorne High summer school and man I cant articulate what it means/ did for me. I made Odd Future that summer and set out to be where I am now before 10th grade began. Very important piece of art to me.”
It isn’t the first time Tyler has expressed how Pharrell’s debut LP has impacted his life. Back in 2016, on the 10th anniversary of In My Mind, Tyler shared on Instagram a photo of his vinyl copy of the album with a lengthy note.
“Being 15 black not really ‘interested’ in what the majority of my peers were into, it made me feel safe,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “I was optimistic, always daydreaming and setting goals so I felt you were directly speaking to me.” The post ends with Tyler saying, “I’m now a young entrepreneur all because I believed you when I said I could be… I never had brothers, uncles or my father around so thank you for being the male figure I gravitated to. Allowing me to embrace being different and trusting my ideas.”
In My Mind featured appearances from Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, Charlie Wilson, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Pusha-T, and others.
Tyler’s sixth studio album Call Me If You Get Lost, which was released back in June, debuted at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200.
