Lil Yachty recently took a moment on the Gram to give flowers to Tyler, The Creator, calling him one of the most important mentors in his career.
“Last leg of this tour for me and I just want to take the time to thank you for your friendship, thanking you for giving me the praises i needed to push me on and holding me accountable when i do some / ignorant sh*t,” Yachty wrote. “All in all, i’m grateful.”
He continued, “1 of the few mentors i have, always held me accountable, always challenged me. Forever grateful. Young men need mentors. Need a line of proper guidance. Thanks Tyyytyyy.”
Yachty had been opening for Tyler on the Chromakopia tour across North America, where he says that guidance and encouragement have meant the world to him.
But outside of the tour gratitude, Yachty was caught in a different spotlight after a snippet of a song he previewed on Twitch sparked backlash. The line “Put my knee up on her neck, I went George Floyd” immediately drew criticism.
Former NBA player Stephen Jackson, who was close to Floyd, blasted the lyric in a now-deleted post on the Gram, calling it “demeaning.” Jackson said, “Don’t ever say his name, bro. None of y’all knew G. Nothing about him.”
Jackson later revealed on his Gram Story that he and Yachty connected directly and both apologized. “I took my post down about Yachty because I’m emotional about George. I apologized to him. We spoke and he apologized as well,” Jackson shared. “I salute him. Not a lot of people like to own up to when they [expletive] up.”
Through it all, Yachty’s message of gratitude toward Tyler stood out. The Atlanta star made it clear that mentorship, accountability, and guidance are vital for young men navigating life and the industry.