Ty Dolla $ign (aka Ty$) has been around for some time, but people just didn't know it. He got his breakthrough as a writer and a producer for YG's track "Toot It And Boot It." From there, he has had his hands on everything with great success. He has released a plethora of mixtapes with his most successful being Beach House EP and Beach House 2 EP. Recently, Ty$ has been working on a full studio album, titled Free TC with the anticipation of a release in this year under Atlantic and Taylor Gang Records. In the meantime, Ty$ has released a track for the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie with Wiz Khalifa and Juicy J titled "Shell Shocked." However, his biggest splash may be in his newest released mixtape titled, Sign Language. With the combination of writing, producing, and his extensive musical background Ty$ brings something different, yet so familiar to the rap industry. In recent years, the amount of rappers who have had a singing background have dominated - Drake, A$AP Rocky, etc. However, Ty$ brings a grittiness to his singing that is lost in the trained voices of the others. This grittiness of his soulful hooks and bars brings something completely ensnaring from the first note. To a degree he sounds like a raspy version of Future with less auto tune - it's refreshing. Another thing that Ty$ does well - is pair his features perfectly with the subsequent tracks.
The first track titled 1)Intro Ft Jay 305 // NDK Ft Big Sean is a great track where a slow methodic beat and a soulful hook allows for Big Sean to contemplate in his verse about what his life is like and where it is going - including some shots at his past girlfriend. The second track 2)Dead Presidents Ft Juicy J & Rich Homie Quan was a little confusing from the title. I was anticipating a song similar to J. Cole's "Dead President's" tracks, which discussed the drastic search and hunger for money. However this track details how these artists are in strip clubs throwing "dead presidents" to the girls. An interesting take and change of pace from the past references to the "dead presidents." Track 3, 3)Lord Knows Ft Dom Kennedy & Rick Ross is one of my least favorite tracks on the mixtape, mainly because I am not a fan of either Dom Kennedy or Rick Ross. The saving grace is Ty$ verse and hook, where he discusses groupies and how they essentially are disgusting - its kind of comical some of the bars that he sings. The next track is one of the two tracks on the entire mixtape, which doesn't feature an additional artist, its title is 4)Stretch // She Better. The details of the song are pretty obvious once you start to listen to it, yet I think it shows Ty$ diversity. He can sing and rap to a harder song like "Lord Knows," then turn around and make a sexual R&B song like "Stretch // She Better." The fifth track, 5) Drank N Cranberries Ft Casey Veggies is one of the best examples of where the track matches the featured artist. The beat is an asymmetrical beat that fits perfectly with Casey Veggies approach and explains a night living in the rap life indulging in some spoils - psychedelic or not. The sixth track, 6) Like I Do Ft Yo Gotti & French Montana is my favorite track on the mixtape.
From the hook to the verses from Ty$, Yo Gotti & French, you are instantly hooked. The track gets stuck in your head and you just want to listen to it again. Ty$ takes advantage of Taylor Gang Records founder Wiz Khalifa in the seventh track titled 7) Issue. The track is an energetic beat from the beginning, where Ty$ and Wiz try to seduce their particular ladies into a night of expletive fun. The eighth track, 8) Missionary is the 2nd solo track and it follows the sexual theme that starts to prevail throughout the mixtape. After the super sexual previous tracks, Ty$ switches gears in 9) S*** I Hate Ft YG & Fabolous and gives another hard song that you will be singing the hook all day and then some. The tenth track, 10) Can't Stay Ft T.I. is another one of my favorite track from the mixtape and is a completely different track from what you would anticipate T.I. to be in - and it completely works. Definitely worth a listen. The last track has no singing or rapping from Ty$, but it was produced track from him and I love the beat - even with one of the artists singing over the phone.
Overall, I enjoyed this mixtape because that's what it is. The mixtape is full of featured artists and that is one of its downfalls. As Ty$ grows in popularity, I would like to see him show more of his solo abilities and not rely on the talents of others. Additonally, I would like to see themes of his songs to become more diverse. Granted the juxtapositions between "S*** I Hate" and "Issue" is a great change - too many of the songs rely on a sexual message. In the end, the mixtape is a great display of Ty$'s talents and everyone should give it a try. On the other hand, don't go into it to anticipate it to be absolutely amazing. The download link is below!!
FINAL GRADE: C+ / B-
No comments:
Post a Comment