Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982),[2] known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter and record producer from Los Angeles, California. He gained initial recognition for his guest appearance on fellow Los Angeles rapper YG's 2010 single "Toot It and Boot It", which entered the Billboard Hot 100. He signed with Atlantic Records in 2012, and Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang Entertainment the following year.[3]
Griffin began his music career by learning how to play the bass guitar and later learned how to play drums, guitars, keyboards, and the MPC.[11] Griffin and his writing partner Kory began working together after meeting in New York City in 2004, forming the duo Ty & Kory.[12] The duo also made guest appearances on studio albums by other artists such as Sa-Ra Creative Partners and Black Milk. They also performed the song "U", which was featured on the latter's album Popular Demand (2007).[13] The duo signed a recording contract with Venus Brown's Buddah Brown Entertainment and subsequently released their debut mixtape, Raw & Bangin Mixtape Vol 2 (2008). Eventually, Ty & Kory had a falling out related to these ventures.
After the dispute, Griffin began working with Los Angeles-based rapper YG.[14] Griffin's initial claim to fame was with the success of YG's 2010 single "Toot It and Boot It",[15] which he co-performed and produced.[16] In 2011, Griffin released his first solo song, "All Star" (featuring Joe Moses; remixed featuring Kid Ink) and his debut mixtape, House on the Hill (2011).[17] His follow up single, "My Cabana" (featuring Young Jeezy) was ranked on Complex's Best 50 Songs of 2012 list at number 23.[18] Griffin co-founded and was a member of the production team D.R.U.G.$., alongside fellow music producers Chordz (or Chordz 3D) and G Casso, the latter of whom was murdered in 2011.[19] Other producers later joined D.R.U.G.$., including Nate 3D, Buddah Shampoo, Fuego, DJ Mustard, and DJ Dahi.[20]
2012–2014: Beach House mixtapes
Griffin in November 2013
In 2012, Griffin signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records.[21] After signing with Atlantic, he released his first solo mixtape, titled Beach House, on October 1, 2012.[22] He followed with the mixtape's sequel, Beach House 2, on July 1, 2013. Beach House 2 features guest appearances from Too Short, Wiz Khalifa, Juicy J, and Kirko Bangz, among others.[23] The following day, it was revealed that Griffin signed a deal with Khalifa's Taylor Gang Entertainment.[24] In mid-2013, he toured with Khalifa and ASAP Rocky, among others, on the Under the Influence of Music 2 concert tour.[25]
On September 10, 2013, Griffin released a single, titled "Paranoid", which features a verse from B.o.B and production from DJ Mustard. The song was later announced to be the first single off his upcoming extended play (EP). On October 22, 2013, the Ethan Lader-directed music video for "Paranoid", premiered via Diddy's Revolt.[26][27] The single became highly popular, peaking at number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and eventually being certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[28]
On January 7, 2014, Griffin released his second single for his debut EP, titled "Or Nah" (featuring Wiz Khalifa and DJ Mustard).[29] The song's production was handled by DJ Mustard and it contains a sample of Trillville's "Some Cut".[30][31] The music video was filmed during January 2014.[32] The single was remixed featuring vocals from Canadian singer the Weeknd and was later certified triple platinum by the RIAA.
On January 21, 2014, Griffin released his major label debut project, Beach House EP. The EP features guest appearances from Casey Veggies, Wiz Khalifa, Twista, Jay Rock, Trey Songz, French Montana, Travis Scott, and Fredo Santana, while the production was primarily handled by Griffin himself, along with DJ Mustard,[33][34]Cardo, and Young Chop, among others. He stated that the EP would feature a new sound from him, and that it would be on a whole other level compared to his mixtapes.[34] Griffin described the EP as being a preview for his debut studio album, at the time due to be released during 2014.[35] The remix to "Paranoid", featuring Trey Songz, French Montana, and DJ Mustard, was also included on the EP.[36]
2014–2016: Free TC and Campaign
Griffin in November 2014
On February 23, 2014, Griffin revealed that his debut studio album would be titled Free TC, and would be released during the third quarter of 2014. He told Revolt, that he had already completed eight songs for the album and that he would be going on tour, namely Under the Influence 3, with Wiz Khalifa during 2014.[37] He was chosen for the 2014 XXLFreshman Class.[38] In May 2014, Griffin told The Fader, that he would release a mixtape, titled Sign Language, sometime during the next few months, which would then be followed by Free TC.[39] In August 2014, Griffin revealed that Jeremih, Wiz Khalifa, YG, Yo Gotti, and Jay 305, will be appearing on Sign Language.[40] On August 24, 2014, which happens to be the same day he released his mixtape Sign Language, Griffin told HotNewHipHop, that he has worked with Rihanna on a track from her then-upcoming album; the result was him having a songwriting credit on her 2015 hit single "FourFiveSeconds".[41]
While working on his debut album, Griffin appeared on Chris Brown and Tyga's Fan of a Fan: The Album, on the second track "Nothin' Like Me", as well as Big Sean's song "Play No Games" off of Dark Sky Paradise. On May 26, 2015, Griffin released the first single from Free TC, titled "Only Right", which features TeeCee4800, Joe Moses, and YG, and was produced by DJ Mustard. On June 26, 2015, he released the album's second single, titled "Blasé" (featuring Future and Rae Sremmurd), which would go on to receive platinum certification from the RIAA. A pre-order promotional single, "When I See Ya" (featuring Fetty Wap), was released in September 2015[42] and lead up to album's third single, "Saved" (featuring E-40), went on to be certified gold by the RIAA.
Griffin revealed that on October 13, 2015, exactly one month before his album came out, he would release a new mixtape Airplane Mode.[43]Free TC was released on November 13, 2015, via Atlantic Records.[44] The album debuted at number 14 on the Billboard 200, with 31,000 equivalent album units and first-week sales of 22,000 copies in the United States.[45] In February 2016, Griffin guest featured on Fifth Harmony's hit single "Work from Home", which peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.[46][47] In June 2016, Griffin, Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, Imagine Dragons, Logic, and X Ambassadors released the collaboration single "Sucker for Pain" for the motion picture soundtrack for Suicide Squad.[48] In August 2016, Griffin and Nick Jonas performed the song "Bacon" at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, where Griffin also won Best Collaboration for "Work from Home" with Fifth Harmony.[49] On September 23, 2016, Griffin released a project titled Campaign, which peaked at number 28 on the Billboard 200.[50]
On June 19, 2016, Griffin announced that his next project following Campaign would be Beach House 3 and that this installment would be an album rather than a mixtape.[51] The lead single "Love U Better" (featuring Lil Wayne and The-Dream) was released July 10, 2017.[52] The second single "So Am I" (featuring Damian Marley and Skrillex) was released on September 1, 2017. The album was released on October 27, 2017, and debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200.[53]
On October 26, 2018, Griffin and Jeremih released a collaborative album under the joint pseudonym MihTy (a portmanteau of both the artists' names) through Def Jam Recordings and Atlantic Records, their respective labels. The duo's eponymous album was released to mild critical and commercial reception, and featured guest appearances from French Montana, Chris Brown, and Wiz Khalifa, and executive production from Hitmaka. The duo had released several singles throughout the fall season of 2018 in anticipation of the album's release and performed "The Light" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in the week leading up to the album's debut. The project included the singles "The Light" and "Goin Thru Some Thangs".
2019–2022: Featuring Ty Dolla Sign and Cheers to the Best Memories
Griffin released an album preview in February 2019 (via Instagram) featuring a new song produced by D.A. Got That Dope along with a verse from Tyga. On May 20, 2019, Griffin released the single "Purple Emoji" (featuring J. Cole) as the intended first single. On August 9, 2019, he released another single titled "Hottest in the City" (featuring Juicy J and Project Pat). He later announced that his third studio album was originally called Tyrone (named from his birth name) and was set to release fall 2019. However, he stated, "I had a meeting one time with Kanye, and played him the album, and he was like, 'Bro nah, you need to do what you do. Add more bass, add more drums, add more, the real shit, that's what no one else is doing. Be the best you, bring that shit all the way up to the forefront...That conversation definitely inspired me, and made me go back and go crazy with the live instruments".[55]
On July 1, 2020, Griffin released "Ego Death" (featuring Kanye West, FKA Twigs, and Skrillex) as the official lead single to his third studio album.[56] On July 3, 2020, Griffin announced to Big Boy that his third studio album is called Dream House and would be released "sooner than you think".[57] The second single "Expensive" (featuring Nicki Minaj) was released on August 28, 2020.[58] On October 14, Griffin revealed that he changed the album's title to Featuring Ty Dolla Sign, a reference to his work on other artists' projects and songs since his last release. He said the album title came from his gift of collaborating, and features many of his industry friends.[59]
On August 11, 2021, Griffin and Canadian R&B duo Dvsn posted the artwork from a forthcoming collaborative album titled Cheers to the Best Memories to their respective Instagram pages, captioned with the release date of August 20, 2021.[61][62] The album featured Rauw Alejandro and Griffin's longtime associate YG, as well as a posthumous guest appearance from Mac Miller, with whom Griffin had collaborated in the past.[63] The release preceded Griffin's appearances in the following two weeks on "Junya pt 2" from Kanye West's Donda and "Get Along Better" from Drake's Certified Lover Boy.
In October 2023, Griffin announced a collaborative project between him and frequent collaborator Kanye West via social media, accompanied by a "multi-stadium" listening event in the following month.[64] It was reported earlier in the month that he and West were shopping for distributors for the album, as West is an independent artist. The duo, referred to as "¥$", originally planned for a collaborative project in 2016.[65] The event failed to materialize, although their debut collaborative single under the recording outfit, "Vultures" (featuring Bump J) was released on November 22, 2023. The following day, a version of the song with an additional verse from Lil Durk was released.[66] Amidst numerous delays, Vultures 1, the first album of a planned trilogy, released on February 10, 2024.[67] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming West's eleventh and Griffin's first respective number one album on the chart in their careers.[4] After months of delays, Vultures 2 released on August 3, 2024.
Artistry
Griffin performing in March 2018
Griffin's sound typically combines R&B and hip-hop. When asked if he was a rapper, he stated, "People would call it rap, but I really don't feel like I rap. There's so many great rappers, like if we had to battle or some shit, they would just cream me. I don't really consider myself a rapper, I just happen to have bars, or something like that. I still sing man, I'm a singer, ya feel me?"[68]
He cited Nate Dogg and Chris Brown as main influences for his musical style.[69][70] When asked about his influences, Griffin responded, "2Pac is my favorite artist of all time. I liked Slum Village a lot back then, like J Dilla, he's one of my favorite producers and artists. I'm like a hip-hop head type of dude. Mos Def, Talib Kweli, that whole Rawkus Records scene, that's my type of shit." He continued, "I also like cats like Prince. Just like his production, he's kind of like the same thing as me. He sings, he produces, he plays all types of instruments. That's what I'm after. I wouldn't wear that type of clothes or wear my hair like that. [Laughs.] But as far as artistry, that's the same type of dude I am."[71] In an interview he revealed that Kim Burrell was his absolute favorite vocalist, and that Brandy was right there with her.[9]
Personal life
Griffin has a daughter, Jailynn (born 2005).[39] He was in a relationship with Fifth Harmony member Lauren Jauregui from 2017 to 2019.[72][73]
On December 10, 2018, it was revealed that Griffin was facing up to 15 years in jail in relation to cocaine and marijuana possession charges.[74] These charges resulted from a traffic stop in Atlanta, Georgia, where in a car with multiple people, Griffin was the only one charged with the drugs due to him being in close proximity to them.[75] Later, all charges were dropped upon completion of a drug prevention program.[76]
In 2020, Griffin formally endorsed the presidential campaign of fellow rapper and frequent collaborator Kanye West.[77]
Cameron Jibril Thomaz, better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor and entrepreneur. He signed with the local independent label Rostrum Records to release his debut studio album, Show and Prove (2006). His contract entered a short-lived joint venture with Warner Bros. Records the following year. His Eurodance-influenced 2008 single, "Say Yeah" received urban radio airplay and entered both the Rhythmic Top 40 and Hot Rap Songs charts, becoming his first minor hit.
Lyrica Nasha Anderson is an American R&B singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of singer and former Ikette Lyrica Garrett. Anderson has appeared on the VH1 reality show Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood.
The discography of American rapper Wiz Khalifa consists of seven studio albums, one compilation album, one soundtrack album, three extended plays (EP), two collaborative albums, 84 singles, seventeen promotional singles, twenty-one mixtapes, and 82 music videos. After signing to the Pittsburgh-based independent label Rostrum Records as a teenager, Khalifa released his first mixtape Prince of the City: Welcome to Pistolvania, and his first studio album, Show and Prove (2006). Following the release of Show and Prove, Warner Bros. Records signed Khalifa in 2007 as part of a joint deal with Rostrum. At Warner, Khalifa released the singles "Youngin' on His Grind" and "Say Yeah". The latter became his first song to appear on a Billboard chart, peaking at number 20 on the US Hot Rap Songs. Disagreements with Warner over the release of a purported major-label debut album led Khalifa to part ways with the label, and release his second studio album Deal or No Deal in 2009 on Rostrum Records alone.
Taylor Gang Entertainment is an American entertainment company. Co-founded by rapper Wiz Khalifa in 2008, it operates as an independent record label, music management, music production and film company based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The record label is home to artists such as Wiz Khalifa, Berner, and Juicy J who serves as A&R for the label. TM88 is a producer for the label. The company is currently headquartered at ID Labs in Pittsburgh.
Sonny Corey Uwaezuoke, better known by his stage name Sonny Digital, is an American record producer, rapper, and DJ. He first saw recognition for his production work on YC's 2011 single "Racks", which peaked within the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100. Throughout the following decade, he was credited on a string of commercially successful hip hop and trap singles including ILoveMakonnen's "Tuesday", Future's "Same Damn Time", 50 Cent's "I'm the Man", 2 Chainz's "Birthday Song", and Travis Scott's "Stargazing". Uwaezuoke has also produced for XXL Magazine's Freshman Hip Hop Cyphers in 2017 and 2018, and pursued a lukewarmly-received career as a recording artist.
Kevin Lee "Chevy" Woods is an American rapper and songwriter from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is best known for his affiliation with hometown native rapper Wiz Khalifa, having signed to his Taylor Gang record label as among its first signees in the late 2000s. Woods made his first major appearance on Khalifa's 2011 song "Taylor Gang," which received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). He has released the collaborative project The Cookout (2011) with Khalifa, as well as his Gangland mixtape series.
Dijon Isaiah McFarlane, known professionally as Mustard, is an American record producer and DJ. A frequent collaborator of fellow California-based artists YG and Ty Dolla Sign, he began his career producing singles and albums for both rappers, and has since done so for other prominent acts in hip hop and R&B. He first saw recognition for his work on Tyga's 2011 single "Rack City".
Blacc Hollywood is the fifth studio album by American rapper Wiz Khalifa. It was released in the UK on August 18, 2014 and in the US a day later, by Rostrum Records and Atlantic Records. The album features guest appearances from Ty Dolla $ign, Juicy J, Project Pat, Curren$y, Ghost Loft, Chevy Woods, and Nicki Minaj, among others. The album was supported by two official singles: "We Dem Boyz" and "You and Your Friends".
"Paranoid" is a song by American singer Ty Dolla $ign featuring American rapper B.o.B, released on September 10, 2013 as the first single from the former's debut EP, Beach House EP (2014). Written by the artists alongside producer DJ Mustard, "Paranoid" is a hip hop song that lyrically describes being in fear of getting caught cheating.
Beach House EP is the debut extended play (EP) by American singer Ty Dolla Sign. It was released on January 21, 2014, by Atlantic Records. Ty mostly produced through the entirety of this EP, alongside the variety of the other record producers such as DJ Mustard, D'Mile and Young Chop, among others. The EP features guest appearances from Wiz Khalifa, B.o.B, French Montana, Trey Songz, Twista, Jay Rock, Travis Scott and Fredo Santana, among others. The EP was supported by three singles: "Paranoid" featuring B.o.B, "Or Nah" featuring Wiz Khalifa and DJ Mustard, and the remix to the first single entitled "Paranoid (Remix)".
Free TC is the debut studio album by American singer Ty Dolla Sign. It was released on November 13, 2015, by Atlantic Records. As executive producers, Ty Dolla Sign and Wiz Khalifa enlisted a variety of collaborators; including DJ Mustard, DJ Spinz, Cardo, Johnny Juliano, Kendrick Lamar, Brandy, Rae Sremmurd, E-40, Future, and Kanye West, among others.
"Or Nah" is a song by American singer Ty Dolla $ign featuring American rapper Wiz Khalifa and American record producer DJ Mustard. Written alongside Lemmie Crockem and Mike Free, the latter of whom produced the song with DJ Mustard, the song was released on January 7, 2014, as the second single from the former's debut EP Beach House EP. The song has since peaked at number 48 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. On April 29, 2014, it officially impacted rhythmic contemporary radio in the United States. The song samples the signature "bed squeaking" from the 2004 hit single "Some Cut".
Dimitri Leslie Roger, known professionally as Rich the Kid, is an American rapper and songwriter. After a number of independent mixtapes, he signed with Interscope Records in 2017 to release his debut studio album, The World Is Yours (2018). Supported by the singles "New Freezer" and "Plug Walk", the album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. His second and third studio albums, The World Is Yours 2 (2019) and Boss Man (2020) peaked at numbers four and 24 on the chart, respectively. He has also released the collaborative mixtapes Nobody Safe (2020) with YoungBoy Never Broke Again, and Trust Fund Babies (2021) with Lil Wayne. Furthermore, he founded the record label Rich Forever Music in 2016, through which he has signed rappers Famous Dex and Jay Critch.
"You and Your Friends" is a song by American rapper Wiz Khalifa featuring fellow American rapper Snoop Dogg and American singer Ty Dolla Sign from the former's fifth studio album Blacc Hollywood (2014). It was released on July 22, 2014 by Rostrum and Atlantic Records as the album's second official single. It was produced by DJ Mustard and Mike Free and is a bonus track on the deluxe version of Blacc Hollywood.
The discography of American singer Ty Dolla Sign consists of three studio albums, two extended plays (EP), seven mixtapes and forty-four singles.
"Shell Shocked" is a song by American musicians Juicy J, Wiz Khalifa, and Ty Dolla $ign featuring fellow American musicians Kill the Noise and Madsonik, released on July 22, 2014 for the film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The song also features vocals from American singer-songwriter Moxie Raia, who was only credited as an artist in the film's credits. The song was written by all artists involved alongside Seann Bowe.
"Sucker for Pain" is a song by American rappers Lil Wayne and Wiz Khalifa and American rock band Imagine Dragons with fellow American rapper Logic and American singer Ty Dolla $ign featuring fellow American band X Ambassadors. The song was released as a single for the motion picture soundtrack for Suicide Squad (2016) on June 24, 2016, by Atlantic Records. On the same day, the official music video was uploaded to Atlantic Records' YouTube channel.
Campaign is a commercial mixtape by American singer Ty Dolla Sign. It was released on September 23, 2016, by Atlantic Records. The mixtape was supported by three singles: the title track, "No Justice", and "Zaddy". The mixtape is a recurring theme expressing the views of Ty Dolla Sign and his friends and family on the presidential campaigns of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
"Something New" is a song by American rapper Wiz Khalifa, featuring American singer and Taylor Gang label mate Ty Dolla Sign for his sixth studio album Rolling Papers 2 (2018). It was released for digital download on August 11, 2017 by Atlantic Records as the album's lead single. It was produced by Ayo N Keyz along with Hitmaka and Floyd "A1" Bentley. It heavily samples Zapp's 1986 single "Computer Love". The song experienced a resurgence in popularity in 2020 due to its usage on TikTok.
Beach House 3 is the second studio album by American singer Ty Dolla Sign. It was released on October 27, 2017, by Atlantic Records. The album serves as the third installment in his Beach House series. It features guest appearances from Pharrell Williams, Lil Wayne, Tory Lanez, The-Dream, YG, Future, Swae Lee, Wiz Khalifa, Damian Marley, and Lauren Jauregui, among others. The album's production was handled by Mike Will Made It, DJ Mustard, Skrillex, Mike Dean, Apex Martin, MariiBeatz, Dun Deal and James Royo, among others.
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