Interview: Ty Dolla $ign On His New Album, His Relationship With Music, TikTok & More
Undoubtedly one of the greatest hitmakers of the last decade, Ty Dolla $ign has the recipe for success. Having collaborated with every big name in the music industry, for Ty Dolla $ign, making music is as natural to him as breathing. He first gained recognition in 2010 for his feature and production on YG’s ‘Toot It and Boot It’, and shortly after, he signed a deal with Atlantic Records and was on his way to creating some of the most iconic songs of this decade. From ‘FourFiveSeconds’ to ‘Hot Girl Summer’ to ‘Blasé’ to ‘Or Nah’, Ty Dolla $ign has always held a spot at the top of the charts. Truly renowned for his place in R&B and known as the King of Features, Ty Dolla $ign makes effortlessly good music and his latest album, ‘Featuring Ty Dolla $ign’, recognises just that. LA based singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist dropped 25 tracks from his loaded album on Friday, saying that this project is for his fans who have been wanting an album like this from him for a long while. Having made chart toppers in multiple genres ranging from pop to rock, Ty Dolla $ign pays very special attention to every part of his music process, no matter how little or big, and that’s one of the reasons why he’s constantly on the radio.
On Tuesday morning, I sat down to chat with Ty Dolla $ign just 3 days before ‘Featuring Ty Dolla $ign’ was due to drop. Bubbly with excitement, we discussed the creation of his album, Post Malone, his creative process, Covid 19, his family, Tik Tok, his relationship with music and his advice for young aspiring artists. Read the full interview below.
Hey Ty Dolla $ign! (tries to contain excitement) how are you today?
I’m good, how’re you?
I’m good, thank you for asking. You’re due to drop your album in just a couple of days. Congratulations by the way.
Thank you.
How are you feeling right now?
It’s been a long time coming. I’m so ready for the people to hear it. It’s exciting.
Yeah, definitely. So before the album was called Dream House but then you just recently decided to change it to Featuring Ty Dolla Sign. What was the reason why you decided to change it especially so close to the release date?
Cause my fans wanted the album called Featuring Ty $ign. That’s what they love, and I’m doing this music for my fans. This is for you guys. I couldn’t do it without Team Dolla so I definitely pay attention to what you guys are talking about, what your needs are and this album is for you!
That’s awesome, that’s so great
Maybe Dream House will come later
Oh yes please give it to us later! (laughs) I was fortunate enough to listen to some tracks off the album. They’re definitely dance songs, club & party hits and they’re honestly perfect songs for the summer time which is awesome for us over on this side of the world because we’re entering the summer season. What’s one thing you hope fans will take away from this album?
Aw man, like, whoever’s listening, I hope there’s something for you on there and I’m sure there is. And um, I just want you to feel happy. I just want you to feel good. I just want you to catch the same energy that I put into it and hopefully that’s what will happen. I know that’s what will happen, for sure.
Definitely. What’s a song off the album you enjoyed creating the most and why?
I enjoyed creating ‘Your Turn’ the most. I made that song with one of my good friends, Tish Hyman, who’s been on all of my albums.. We’ve made the song ‘Horses In The Stable’ together, andddd she’s one of my favourite artists and writers. So, she brought this song to me bare, which is just guitar and I, uh, you know, I made it fit me. I added the rest of the instruments. It’s fully live. No metronome, no Ableton or none of that extra shit, you know what I mean. So, Dre Harris on drums, Ali on keys, then Dre, uh, I forgot to say his last name- it’s like Pinky, he’s on bass and we just went crazy. It just felt like I was born in the fucking, 60s or 70s. It’s like I got a chance to live that, be like a real rockstar which is full fucking live music.. no, you know, no sequencers. I’ve always wanted to do that since the beginning of my career, from just being a fan of my pops, cause, you know, he was in a 70s, 80s band. It was always dope watching them and I just wanted to show him I could do the same thing. So, shoutout to you pops! You inspired this one.
Do you think that’s where you got your love for music from, cause your dad was into music heavily?
Yeah, for sure. He introduced me to it and uh, yeah, I just kept it going and it’s definitely one of my biggest and my first love, for sure.
I watched your episode on Song Exploder on Netflix, congratulations on that too by the way.
Thank you.
It was really awesome to get some insight into your creative process and it seems like you have such a special and layered relationship with music. In your own words, how would you describe your connection to music?
For sure, fully connected. Um, I definitely (coughs) live to the connection of my heartbeat, it’s the same way I feel about music, you know, it’s a blessing for sure (coughs) to uh, to be that into it cause I feel like my knowledge from back then, I apply now in everything that I’ve learned up to this point and I put it into this album. I can’t wait for the people to hear it. (coughs)
Were there um-
Excuse me, I’m taking bong rips and shit
No, no that’s algood! (laughs)
(coughing)
As long as you got some water there or something to help you out (laughs)
Bet (coughs)
Were there any challenges that you faced while making this album or any other changes you had to make, especially with everything that’s been going on in the world?
I been telling this story of this song ‘Spicy’, that I’m gonna drop on Wednesday- don’t tell nobody cause uh, I’m not supposed to be telling you (Breanna: laughs) but it is featuring Post Malone (Breanna: oh wow!) and I was scared because like, we started this song awhile ago, and he kept on saying “yo, alright, ima send the verse on Friday, ima send it on Sunday cause I had this to do, alright ima send it on Friday again, ima send it this day, that day” and he never fucking sent this shit until recently. He just sent it and I’m so happy. He killed it. Shoutout to you Post. Yes…, at first, I thought he was on some bullshit (Breanna: laughs) but he came through like a real one does and he always has- you know, I saw him come up from ‘White Iverson’, when he was performing in the Bootsy Bellows here in LA and like, we were all excited and we did fucking uh, what’s that other shit in Austin.. South By Southwest! And just in his crowd there at South By Southwest to now seeing his crowd in stadiums, it’s amazing to see man, we love to see it. Shoutout to Post, shoutout to J Money for coming through.
That’s crazy. I’m glad you brought it up cause I remember you like just tweeted not long ago, tagging Post Malone and I was like ooo what’s that about aye (laughs)
(laughs) for real
You’ve already teased us with 3 tracks that you’ve dropped off the album. What’s your process when it comes to deciding which tracks to drop before you release a project?
Uhh, damn, you know, I just get with my team and like, I usually base it off of what I feel is everyone’s favourite song, without me saying anything, without having a conversation, just looking around the room like.. Now, I couldn’t really do it like I usually do it cause it’s Covid and I be having like Covid panic attacks and shit when there’s too many people around (laughs), so I like, basically just like my girl, my daughter, Dizzy, my homie Shawn Barron, my homie Keeper (unsure on the spelling of this name), uhh.. I would just like, play the tracks and just look at them. Like people wouldn’t think I’m looking at them, I’d have my glasses on and shit and I’ll see what song makes them react or if they happen to just start talking about it a couple days later, like, you know what I mean, then you know you got something. So that’s my process at the moment.
Okay, okay. You’re the king of collaborations which is what your album name recognises. You just know how to make a song perfect and turn it into a hit. What’s your favourite or most memorable song you’ve ever featured on if you could think of one.
Hmmmm, that’s a hard one, uh, cause I think the best is yet to come to be honest. Like, all these songs are great and shoutout to everybody that’s been apart of my journey and I’ve been apart of yours. Let’s just continue to keep digging to make the greatest sync song of all time. You know what I mean, like, ‘Don’t Worry Be Happy’, you know what I’m saying, like, I wanna make one of those. For when there’s no more Ty Dolla $ign- maybe I already have plenty of them but I wanna make one of those, you know what I’m saying. That’s my goal.
Yeah man I can’t wait for that man, I can’t wait.
Good.
I feel like you’ve literally collaborated with every great artist out there. Is there anyone out there from any genre that you want to work with and haven’t done so already?
Uhh, well, I thought about that question before I made this album and I think I’ve done it, and I’ve worked with the guy man and his name’s Ty Dolla $ign and he’s featured on my whole album (Breanna: laughs) and like you say, he’s one of the greatest collaborators of all the time, the king of R&B and no one’s fucking with him so shoutout to Ty Dolla $ign for being apart of my album.
You’re awesome man (laughs)
That’s love, thank you (laughs)
For the past decade you’ve consistently made chart toppers and you’ve put out hit after hit and that’s no easy feat. Do you ever feel pressure to keep up this level or excellence or is it the type of thing that’s organic, just comes to you sorta thing?
Uhh, it’s organic for sure. I don’t feel pressured, I just feel very blessed, very lucky and like thankful and grateful to be able to make music and at the same time, take care of my family and take care of business. It’s definitely a blessing and I appreciate it.
That’s awesome. The song ‘Ego Death’ is one of the tracks off the album you’ve already dropped that is quite different from the type of music you normally put out. What’s the story behind how this song came about cause the collaboration on this is crazy.
Thank you! Uh, Ego Death.. I was at this party and the DJ played this track and it was just the bassline, and it was called The Soul Track by Mythology. I looked it up, I tried to Shazam it, it wouldn’t work, I looked it up on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal and couldn’t find it. I looked on Youtube and I finally found it, and I went home, I sampled it, I put some drums to it.. I made the song, I didn’t like my drums. I found that one sample and was just looking through Instagram and Kanye was like “hold on, this train going by”, and I put that in there. I went to Chicago to work with Ye on this album he was making at the time called Yandhi and while making those songs, I threw in this song, I was like “yo, I need you to get on this though for my album” so I played it for him, just with the bassline, without the drums cause uh, I wasn’t really fucking with my drums and he loved it. Especially when he heard that sample of him, “hold on, this train going by”, he jumped out the chair, dying, laughing, grabbed the mic and added some parts and added his verse. And then I took it- also, his boy Boogs was there and Boogs added those drums that I kept and then I went back to LA, I linked up with Skrillex and he added his drums at the end, and then, Twigs, I linked up with her. We had linked up earlier in the year but then I called it for this one and I’m like “yo, I need you on this song”. And uh, she came through, knocked out her part and we did some other songs as well.. Uh, maybe I wasn’t supposed to say that but, you getting a lot for this interview (Breanna: (laughs) yeeeeea!). After she killed it, I went through just different versions and different versions until finally, Corona happened. I felt like, what better time to drop this song while everybody feels ego death cause there was no fucking- I don’t care how rich you are, fucking how whatever you are, there was no way for anyone to escape that shit like we were all at home and everybody had ego death. So it was the perfect time. Hopefully it resonated with everyone like it did for me and if not, then I’m sure you just late, you gotta hear that shit. Check out ‘Ego Death’ by Ty Dolla $ign, it’s a movie. Featuring Kanye West, Skrillex and FKA Twigs.
(laughs) helllll yea!
(laughs)
You know, you’re also a very versatile artist. Do you plan on releasing more music that shifts away from contemporary R&B and hip hop which is apart of what you’re known for?
Yeah for sure. I’ve already been nominated for Best Rock Song. I don’t remember if it was the Billboard Awards, if it was the American Music Awards, one of those.. I don’t remember what song either. But, you know, we been nominated for best rock, I been nominated for best dance at the Grammys. I been nominated for all kind of different genres like, so like, I already do that. Maybe it goes over people’s heads because on my album you get one sound but on this album I tried to like, give you a few different sounds. One of my songs ‘Slow’ is below 60 BPM, like a slow, classic R&B song alongside the other one ‘Everywhere’, which I got a chance to work with Poo Bear again and we made a fire R&B song. ‘Your Turn’ as well, which is my favourite song off the album. It’s myself, Musiq Soulchild, Tish Hyman and 6LACK. It’s the same thing, less than 60 BPM, all live music. Then you get the ‘Ego Death’, you get Nicki Minaj on ‘Expensive’, Post, there’s just so many different vibes, you get me and Quavo, me and Future, Young Thug. It’s gonna be crazy. I can’t wait for the people to hear it, for sure.
Yeah man it’s crazy. Not gonna lie, it’s real good.
Thank you so much.
I was just wondering, what are your thoughts on Tik Tok especially as it’s really blown up this year and it has quite an interesting relationship with music. I remember there being a viral dance to your chorus in Something New with Wiz Khalifa.
Yeahhh, that was wild because that song came out 2 years previous and it ended up getting life again and uh, going another times platinum just off of that Tik Tok. So shoutout to everyone that was out with your families making that Tik Tok. I definitely saw yall and it felt good that yall even be listening to my music, especially at a time like that when it’s just you and family cause that’s when you know you got a real gem, you know what I’m saying, if you could play it around the family, then you got a real one, you know, so I felt good about it. Shoutout to Wiz for having me on that song, Hitmaka, uh, whoever was apart of that song, much love to you.
Since I’m sure you’ve collaborated with every type of person that’s out there, have you ever had situations where you’ve had difficulty collaborating with someone because maybe they work completely different to you or you guys are complete opposites. I ask this because in my experiences working with other people, there can be clashes so I was just wondering what it’s like for you.
Uh, I haven’t really had a clash with an artist, ever, unless they were just wack. I’m tryna think like who did I not come through for…
Like do you just naturally work easily with others, like, you can just adapt quite well
I just feel like if you’re dope and like, you’re a real artist then we’re gonna make a dope song. There’s been people like that I’ve worked with several that you can like, just look up everyone and then be like oh, they’re completely different kinda people, completely different kinda artist but like, I just know what frequency is required for me on the song, you know what I mean. So, I don’t care like it has a lot to do with personality sometimes, sometimes we could be two total different people but the music, is like- for the people we came together and we made some shit work, you know? And I feel like that’s what music does to begin with. Like, when you hear it, like, me and you are probably not the same and like, the next ten people that hear the song that we name are complete opposites, completely different, from way different places, a whole different everything about them but music will all bring us together and we vibe out as one. Music is better than liquor. Music is better than weed. Music is better than all that shit, you know what I’m saying (laughs)
Yeah, that’s facts.
Yeah!
You’re like wildly successful in the music industry. Do you have any advice for young people out there who are trying to do what you do and make a successful career out of music?
Yes. My advice is uh, is do you. Find your sound. Find what you can um, what you can give to us that no one else can, you know what I mean. And we will all appreciate that. You know, just look at like, the history of it. Once Ty Dolla $ign came like, you never heard nothing like him. You might’ve compared him to a couple different people but you never heard nothing like it and that’s why it works because it’s not like anything else. The first time I heard Khalid who’s one of my favourite artists, he doesn’t sound like anyone else! You know what I mean? He’s like, yeah, such a unique voice and that’s such a dope thing about him that we’re all gonna fall in love with you know. Young Thug, another one. There’s nothing like it. For me, that’s the best. You do have a lot of artists that come and go that sound like the last number 1 hit because it keeps on working and working and working, but it’s best when you just come up with that new shit. Like, SZA- like I could name so many different people and like, I think that’s the most important.
So I got one last question for you. What’s one lesson you would take away from 2020?
One important lesson that I would take away… that I’ve always known, that I think a lot of other people learn is family over everything, man. It’s been great- the one great thing from this whole quarantine thing is being able to just hang out with the people that matter you know, which is family and like, really getting to just have those conversations and spend that time, which for me- I don’t know about everyone else but I’m like constantly working, constantly on the go, constantly travelling, which is fun and a blessing as well and like, I love it, I’m not complaining but to be able to spend time with family, it just felt like wow, I actually can smile again for real, I can actually like laugh again, I can actually feel like a human, you know what I’m saying and not a fucking robot, you know what I mean? Again, I’m not complaining. I’m just saying like, it’s been great to just be around family and the people that I love and I hope everybody else feels the same.
Yeah definitely that is super important. Well, thank you so much for talking to me. It’s been such an honour chatting to you and getting the chance to ask you about your art and I’m such a fan of your music
Aw man, thanks
And I can’t wait to see all the moves you make in the future.
Aw thank you so much and thank you for your time. It’s been an honour as well and shoutout to everybody listening and ah, shit. Much love!
Interview: Breanna Tugaga-Rogers
About The Writer:
Breanna is a 21 year old uni student who was born in Australia and raised in South Auckland. Half New Zealand European and half Samoan, Breanna is undergoing a Bachelor of Arts, double-majoring in Communications and Sociology. Currently residing in Auckland, Breanna loves hip hop, rap, RnB music and enjoys watching TV shows, movies, travelling, going to concerts and keeping in touch with the latest of pop culture. Breanna especially enjoys writing and using it as an outlet to talk her sh*t. Breanna loves to always integrate her worldview, her background and her experiences into her writing and values your feedback