But on his forthcoming album Beach House 3, there wonвЂ™t be as much focus on TC after unwanted attention he received after GriffinвЂ™s debut shone a spotlight on him. вЂњIf he was out weвЂ™d probably be making songs together right here in the studio,вЂќ says Griffin. (TC is the subject of GriffinвЂ™s studio debut). A former Crip in jail on a murder charge, Big TC and his incarceration deeply affected Griffin and influenced much of his music. Throughout his rise, Griffin remained close with his brother, Big TC. Ty Dolla $ign: вЂGrowing up, if pops wasnвЂ™t into music and there were no instruments, I donвЂ™t know what the fuckI would have doneвЂ™ Photograph: Variety/REX/Shutterstock That led to his first glimpse of national success, on the track Toot It and Boot It. When that project fizzled out, Griffin set out releasing a variety of mixtapes and fostering a friendship with the Compton rapper YG. He then fell in with a manager, Venus Brown, who signed him as part of a duo dubbed Ty & Kory. In the early noughties, he moved from his native Los Angeles to New York City, living in Brooklyn and developed a friendship with 50 Cent, who was at the height of his fame. ItвЂ™s gradually coming, but I think in the next few years itвЂ™ll be some shit.вЂќ Now, Drake is on top, melodies are running the game and you have people like Bryson Tiller. There was heavy R&B and then it got weak when all of the hip-hop shit took over. вЂњI think itвЂ™s taking back over,вЂќ he explains. ItвЂ™s a genre the rapper still has a soft spot for. Along the way, he developed a love for classic R&B, including bands like Earth, Wind and Fire. I guess whatever youвЂ™re around is what you end up doing.вЂќДЇrom that early influence, Griffin learned to play bass, guitar, drums and keyboard as a teenager. вЂњIвЂ™d go to the studio with him or see his or his friendвЂ™s shows. вЂњGrowing up, if Pops wasnвЂ™t into music and there were no instruments, I donвЂ™t know what I would have done,вЂќ he says. GriffinвЂ™s interest in music has its roots in watching his father navigate the ins and outs of the business, having been introduced to production and performances at an early age. ItвЂ™s a quality that Griffin learned from his father, who was a member of the band Lakeside, best known for their 1980 hit Fantastic Voyage. IвЂ™m not like one of those artists who are like, вЂOh, it has to all be me.вЂ™вЂќ Everybody sings together at a concert and it should be the same thing in the studio. I do enjoy collaborating with people thatвЂ™s the best part of music. вЂњAs a producer, you make songs for everybody. вЂњAs a musician, you create and collaborate with everybody,вЂќ he says. He attributes his penchant for collaboration to the fact that he considers himself a musician first, producer second. вЂњIt wasnвЂ™t something that I planned on from the beginning, I guess it just happened naturally,вЂќ says Griffin, during a break from rehearsal sessions for his live show. HeвЂ™s become the go-to guest vocalist in hip-hop and R&B, surfacing on tracks from the biggest artists in music, from Kanye West and Big Sean to the bubblegum girl pop of Fifth Harmony and Zara Larsson. Unfortunately for Griffin, he probably changes the station more often than not. If itвЂ™s not a newer song IвЂ™m working on that week I donвЂ™t want to hear it because IвЂ™ve probably performed it a million times.вЂќ

вЂњTo be real with you, whenever IвЂ™m around my friends and one of my songs comes on, I always say I donвЂ™t want to hear my shit,вЂќ the artist born Tyrone William Griffin Jr says. L istening to the radio is a strange experience for Ty Dolla $ign.

Ty dolla ign interview