Tyler, the Creator Finally Shares the Story Behind His ‘WUSYANAME’ NBA YoungBoy Collaboration: Watch

Season 2 of the Interval Presents podcast Rap Radar kicks off Thursday with guest Tyler, The Creator.

In a preview snippet shared exclusively with Billboard, the Call Me If You Get Lost rapper chopped it up with co-hosts Elliott Wilson and Brian ‘B.Dot’ Miller, doubling down on his previously professed love for NBA YoungBoy. “He’s such a sweetheart,” Tyler begins, before switching gears and sharing that the “WUSYANAME” collaborators went out for ice cream and vintage car shopping.

While in the past, Tyler hadn’t divulged how the collaboration actually came to be, he shares the brief but sweet backstory with Wilson and Miller.

During the sit down, Tyler explains that he sent YoungBoy the initial song idea and received a verse back within one day. “When I made [‘WUSYANAME’], I just knew I wanted that Louisiana drawl, tone, accent over that loop,” he recounts. “I asked him like, ‘Yo, I kind of got this idea. Want to do this?’ Not only did he deliver for me and sounded great, he asked me ‘Is this OK? Is it good?'”

Tyler, the Creator on Rap Radar S2
Tyler, the Creator on Rap Radar S2

Tyler was impressed with YoungBoy’s focus, sharing that many rappers “just punch in and can’t even stay on f—ing topic of a song. He not only stayed on topic, he just sounded so great.”

The Call Me If You Get Lost collaboration took many fans off-guard, considering their vastly different sounds and images, something Tyler said he found funny. “With my musical knowledge and how much I love it, it’s not that shocking,” he says. “But at surface level, I guess people wouldn’t expect someone like me to even want to associate with a YoungBoy. But I love that s–t. He’s a sweetheart, man.”

“WUSYANAME” debuted at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the highest charting cut from the album. It also became a top 10 record on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, peaking at No. 6.

Watch the Rap Radar clip below.

Neena Rouhani

Billboard