For over a decade now UK hip hop stalwart Ty has been quietly working, steadily churning out tunes and slowly building himself a reputation as one of the leaders of a new wave of intelligent leftfield MCs. Respect levels reached an all time high in 2003 after the release of his stunning second album
Upwards, which gained him a nomination for one of the highest honours in the British music world, the Mercury prize, as well as a legion of fans worldwide. And it’s not hard to see why, with his soulful mix of hip hop, dancehall, garage, funk and soul coupled with clever, humorous rhymes showing a refreshing depth and intelligence that is sometimes lacking in the world of hip hop today.
In his latest release
Closer, Ty has taken his music to a new level with a list of collaborators that include the likes of Speech from Arrested Development, Bahamadia and De La Soul, further reinforcing his reputation as one of the most talented and diverse hip hop artists to date.
With the release of his third album
Closer rapidly approaching, Lifelounge caught up with the man behind the rhymes for a chat about all things Ty.
DK: Closer is a stunningly produced soulful album, how satisfied are you with the results?TY: Yeah, I'm very satisfied with the end result. We worked towards getting it right and with each project we get better at doing that.
DK: How do you go about writing your music, do you generally set out with a clear image of what you want to do in mind, or do you sort of feel your way through writing?TY: There’s not usually a clear idea of what I want to say, but I have a clear idea of what I don't want to do, i.e. sleepy music, or over complicated drums or too many layers in sound. I wanted this to be harder hitting but subtle.
DK: Do you approach writing and producing with a holistic view of an album in mind, or do you set about creating each track on a purely individual basis?TY: Each track is its own project! I never start out with it all in mind I let the purpose and meaning find me, as far as the words are concerned.
DK: Both Closer and Upwards have an incredibly uplifting feel to them, where does your inspiration and positive outlook come from given that we’re not necessarily living in the most positive of times?TY: The positive outlook comes from being fortunate enough to have a job that allows you to see the good in people. Through hip hop I meet such amazing people (the fans). They let me know that we’re doing it right and that's why its warm, because the response has been warm.
DK: What do you think of the worldwide hip hop scene and the new forms of hip hop such as grime, crunk, baile funk that have been becoming more and more exposed over the last couple of years? TY: Like Outkast said on the track “Hollywood Divorce’ from the Idlewild album, I think the mainstream pick up on a music style, abuse it, then throw it away. Period.
DK: How did you get into hip hop in the first place? TY: I got into hip hop by watching others do it. I'm inspired by artists that transcend material gain from their art. Jaydee (Jdilla) was one the greatest hip hop artists ever, and those that know, know that hip hop changed the day he died.
DK: Your lyricism is incredibly sophisticated and articulate compared to a lot of other MC’s out there, do you have an overall underlying message that you’re trying to convey?TY: Not really! My lyrics and style are a reflection of me as a person. Part geek, part street, part nerd, part revolutionary…
DK: How did you hook up with artists like De La Soul and Speech to collaborate on the album?TY: We all hooked up as artists with respect for each other’s music. All the artists personally wanted to be on this record and do these songs with me. No managers were involved in any of the collaborations.
DK: Did you find there was quite a large contrast between your style and theirs, particularly between the UK and USA perspectives?TY: There is a common bond between us artists nowadays. The mainstream music circles make it hard for real music to be celebrated so artists are finding themselves looking for similar music to champion.
DK: Are there any other artists you would like to collaborate with in the future?TY: I want to make songs and it doesn't really matter who’s on them it only really matters whether the songs work or not, although Bahamadia and Zion give me goose bumps still to this day. They are excellent examples of song content and style as opposed to just empty features.
DK: How do you feel you have progressed, or changed as an artist between the albums Awkward and Closer?
TY:I think I have progressed musically and lyrically. My approach to making music has completely changed. I rap inside the beat rather than just over it.
DK: You have quite a unique style, and while it falls under the umbrella of hip hop, there are definite elements of funk and soul in there, do you intentionally aim for your music to defy clear definition when you are in the midst of producing tracks?TY:Absolutely! Hip hop’s supposed to be different. I remember listening to artists when I was younger, and wanting to know who did the original samples.
DK: Do you have any conscious ideas of a direction that you seem to be heading in, or do you feel that you’re just naturally moving forward artistically?TY: Artistically I'm heading towards controlling the music as much as possible. That's what works best for Ty at this moment.
DK: Any plans to tour Australia in the near future?TY: Everytime I try and get to Australia someone pulls out. I'm jinxed! I have had this happen about six times now so I'm a bit fed up with it. I would love to come to Australia for a month and do New Zealand as well. I loved New Zealand, so I can only imagine what Australia has to offer