Ty Dolla $ign On The Price Of Fame & Staying Out Of The Trunk

There’s a couple of things we know about California native Ty Dolla $ign from his DJ Mustard produced smash “Paranoid” feat. B.o.B. You know that two of his *ahem* ladies are in the club, they know about each other and they have similar taste in cars. But what you wouldn’t know about the Taylor Gang/Atlantic records signee is which R&B heartthrobs he’s written songs for, what beat he produced for his fellow Pu$haz Ink crew member YG and what his biggest purchase to date is. But you gone learn today.

Where Is Ty Dolla $ign From?

TUD: Lets start from the beginning. At first glance, someone would look at you and think trap-rhymes. Then you open your mouth and all these harmonies come out. Was that the plan from the door?

Ty Dolla $ign: I didn’t think of it all out like that… I was just making music and that’s what came out. I just happen to look like this and grow up like that. I’m just blessed man to be able to make this music and make a living off of it you know?

Well, since it plays such a heavy role in your music, let’s talk about your background. 

I grew up in LA, I’m the son of a musician, and my pops was in a group called “Lakeside.” So I basically learned from him and all his peoples. Then I just took it on [myself] to learn all the instruments and then I learned how to make beats. The first one that I ever made that got on was “Toot It And Boot It” joint for YG and I also sung the hook on that. That was my song at first but I gave it to him because he had the deal with Def jam and we all from the same crew Pushaz Ink. At that time DJ Mustard wasn’t even making beats, he was just watching [me] DJ and he was watching me make beats. I had this one sound that I was doing, like this club sound with the snaps and the 808’s and he asked me to keep on doing those. I said “Nah, I’m gon keep on doing mine.”  I was like “You do it.” So I gave him some sounds and he actually came through with this beat called “Patty Cake” that’s on YG’s mixtape. From there he ended up making “Rack City,” and other shit, and from there he took off. And now he’s one of the biggest producers. YG’s album just dropped, it’s the biggest shit coming out the west and everybody’s copying him, just like everybody copies Mustard, just like everybody copies me. We brought this whole little sound to the game and now it’s doing its thing and I’m just proud to be a part of it. We really helped bring back the West. Now you got like a whole bunch of people from the west getting on and it’s crazy. I’m just loving to see all this success.

You guys are definitely sh*tting gold these days… I think we want to see who’s coming next outta the camp. Any ideas?

We got this kid named RJ; he’s also from LA. He’s like the best nigga out coming from LA. He’s focused. He’s on YG’s album on this song called “Thank God Interlude.”  Also my little brother is on that, he’s the first one singing. He’s locked up in prison for a murder that he didn’t even do. And that’s the title of my album actually, it’s called “Free TC” and it’s dedicated to him actually. So he’s on the song with RJ on YG’s album so everybody should go check that out.

Going back to “Toot It And Boot It” track. I didn’t know you did it because Mustard actually shouts himself out in the beginning with his signature “Mustard On the Beat Hoe” phrase. Was that on purpose?

Yeah he says his name and stuff, but I used to just have Mustard get on my beats and yell cause I was trying to make him like the Fat Man Scoop… you know how Funkmaster Flex be screaming on sh*t? We didn’t have nothing like that coming out of L.A.… that DJ Khaled type sh*t, you know?  I was trying to get him on that sh*t but he was like “Nah, nah…” But finally he broke out his shell and started killing it. Now he’s doing it on his own.

So now he’s doing it own beats that he actually made?

Exactly.

So in all the songs you’ve been doing, you’ve gone away from traditional R&B structure and lyrics. What’s the process for you there?

I just be coming straight off the top of the head. For a long time I was writing regular R&B structured songs and they were cool. I got one off and it called ”Fumble” for Trey Songz. And that’s probably what got me my deal with Atlantic and that was more of a regular structured song that was still coming with some edge really after “Toot It And Boot It” went and I saw that everybody fucks with me talking reckless? I wanted to keep on doing that because it was like party music as far as what everybody feels at the club.  Like, everybody’s in the club, drunk and shit, or high, and trying to fuck someone, you feel me? So it’s like my songs are perfect for that moment in life and afterwards (laughs). I’m just trying to make the soundtrack for peoples lives you feel me? Like ten years from now when you put my sh*t on, you’ll be like “Damn, I remember that time… that sh*t was crazy!” (Laughs)

Do you think you’ll stretch out to life outside of the club?

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah! On my album, I’m doing that already. I’m doing more sh*t that makes you feel good… and makes you want to spend money.

So how are the ladies really treating Ty? Find out on the next page!

I’m single, I have a daughter… and I’m single. (Laughs)

Has the sudden rush of women been a big adjustment?

No adjustment, I’m used to this. It ain’t like I just started getting b*tches, I always been having women. So it’s nothing new, there is like a lot of new ones around and I don’t really like to f*ck with corny ass b*tches like that though. I might one-night em or whatever, but they’re not like, around. You know?

So describe the kind of women that gets to stick around.

The ones that have been here.

So is the motto ‘no new chicks’?

There’s definitely new chicks and there’s definitely new people around but I don’t leave them around to kick it. I definitely keep the circle small.

How’s your circle adjusting to the new fame?

Everybody’s cool with it. For instance, my daughter, like when I pick her up from school, all the kids mob, wanting to get autographs and pictures. When I’m not there they’re like “Oh Ty Dolla Signs’s your dad? Tell him I said hi!” And she’ll ask me, “Why do they tell me that??” (Laughs)  But I tell her, this is how it is but you’re not in school to talk about me. Make sure you just do your work. She’s cool with it though.

How’s the relationship with her mother? Is she cool, too?

It’s actually better now because I was able to pay off all my child support. So we’re a lot cooler now. (Laughs) You now what I mean? I’ve been getting money for awhile, you know? I’ve had other deals and stuff and I brought cars and all that kind of weirdo sh*t back then. So this time, I’ve actually just been stacking and stacking and stacking and stacking. And like the child support? That sh*t was f*cking thirty-five racks bro. So that was big and I just fu*king paid that sh*t all the way off man. So that’s the biggest thing I brought so far. (Laughs)

Damn…

Thirty-five racks bro… they put penalties and shit from not paying.

How old is your daughter?? 

She’s nine. Yeah dog, it was crazy. But I’ve heard there’s niggas out there with $200,000 in child support due. So I’m lucky and God is great. I know not a lot of people get to do it.

 So what’s next for you? How do we get those racks back?

I’m working on the album right now. Like I said it’s called “Free TC” I’m about, eight songs in. I’m working on other peoples stuff, I got a couple joints on YGs album that just dropped. I’m excited about that to see how well it does. the “Beach House EP” is still out, I’m gonna shoot a couple more videos for that. I got Beach House the tour coming up, its already doing good on sales and every show I’m doing is just getting bigger and bigger. So it’s just amazing. I feel lucky, but I know what I’m doing while I’m lucky. So it’s just perfect and I’m really going to seize the moment.

What do we call this style of music that bringing in all this success for you?

It’s definitely R&B, I’m definitely singing… umm, its Hip-Hop though. But I mean, if you’re talking to RZA, he’s gonna say its R&B. (Laughs)

But it’s also not Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Trey Songz, traditional either.

Nah, it’s like that real n*gga R&B, you feel me? It’s that real sh*t. But now Chris Brown just did one of my songs…  the “Loyal” song? I wrote that first verse and that hook. I shot him the alley-oop and he came in with the second verse and dunked it. And now we got that song “Loyal” out. He’s been coming with the sound too and the whole style of just talking that real sh*t. And I think they always wanted to. Dudes like him, Trey Songz, they’re just like me you know what I’m saying?  We’re out here doing our sh*t you know? I’m sure they wanted to say all this shit but the labels be holding them back because they want them to be this clean-cut R&B dude. But… you know, we out here turned up! (Laughs) I’m not messing it up, it’s just like Hip-Hop man. There’s different people, you don’t have to copy every R&B dude, you can be original. I’m gon be original. I’m not ‘gon let nobody tell me to f*cking… write like this and sing like this and dress like that and lose weight. F*ck that. (Laughs)

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