Where is Ty Dolla $ign? Keeping busy, to be sure. Working as a double agent for both the Hot Girls and City Boys squadrons. Adding the finishing touches to his upcoming album. The acclaimed singer recently sat down for a Spin Cover Story, where he proceeded to detail some of his upcoming endeavors and more.
Upon previewing the album for Kanye West, Ty Dolla found himself on the receiving end of some clutch advice; though many are quick to dismiss current-day Kanye's visionary status, lest we forget, the man has played a pivotal role in shaping classic albums. "I had a meeting one time with Kanye and played him the album," explains Ty. "He was like, “Bro, nah. You need to do what you do. Add more bass, add more drums. The real shit, that’s what no one else is doing.’ That conversation definitely inspired me and made me go back and go crazy with the live instruments.”
He also makes sure to pay homage to a musical legend on the cover, who also happens to be one of his primary influences, Kurt Cobain. "I got Kurt tatted on the back of my leg," reveals Ty. "The first time I ever actually loved a rock song was ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit,’ and then it made me go and listen to all of his shit. I wish he would have lived longer to really get off everything and I wonder what he would sound like right now. I definitely wanted to pay homage to Kurt because he’s the rock star of rock star."
It's unclear if or how Ty Dolla's upcoming album will honor Kurt's legacy, but it should be interesting to see nevertheless. One thing is for certain, the project will mark a new milestone for Dolla. "I stopped smoking weed. That was cool, to just completely just clear my head and write songs," he explains. "Before I would go straight in the booth and freestyle everything and sometimes on this one I wrote shit on my phone, or on a piece of paper, tried to map it out harder.”
Be sure to check out the full Ty Dolla $ign story over at Spin, and keep an eye out for his new album to surface later this year. Looking forward to this one?
[via Spin press release]