Tyler, The Creator, showed The Black Eyed Peas some love on July 1. The band is celebrating the 25th anniversary of their debut album, 1998's Behind the Front. Tyler says he credits that album for his start into bossa nova music, saying, "Thank you for helping shape my ear and getting me started to write words down" in a lengthy Tweet. However, he also called will.i.am, the de facto leader of the Black Eyed Peas, a "dipstick." So despite his appreciation for what BEP has done for his career, Tyler still took a silly potshot at the performance group's main guy.
Despite the slight dig, he also praises will.i.am for his ability to locate great samples for BEP music. Tyler says that will.i.am's ear is what led him to do the Sergio Mendes project years later. He's making a reference to Mendes' Timeless, which showcased will.i.am as a collaborator on the 2006 album. While he gives a nod to the music producer and artist, he still calls him a dipstick outright. So what happens when will.i.am finds the Tweet and responds to the rapper?
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Tyler, The Creator & The Black Eyed Peas Love/Hate
Will.i.am saw the Tweet and responded in kind, but only in kindness. "Thanks for the LOVE," he wrote to Tyler, The Creator. "I'm beyond proud of you... You're an amazing contribution to the world of music and all things creative..." He's also celebrating the anniversary of the album, which launched his career for the most part. However, Behind the Front only got to number 129 on the Billboard 200. It wasn't until Fergie came on and they released 2003's Elephunk that they became the hip-hop icons they are today.
As for Tyler, The Creator, he recently released Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale, in which new music from the album's cutting floor made it back into this deluxe version of Call Me If You Get Lost. New singles include "Dogtooth" and "Sorry Not Sorry." And this is not the first time Tyler has posted about will.i.am, with an apparent beef brewing way back in 2013 over an alleged bet between the two musical artists. However, based on the current Twitter back-and-forth, it looks like it's all water under the bridge...even if Tyler is still taking mini-jabs at the BEP legend.