Ty Dolla $ign has never been an overtly political artist. When it comes down to it, the majority of his songs still revolve around his rock star lifestyle, which hasn't changed on his new project, Campaign. However, since Free TC, his excellent 2015 debut album, he's made sure to include commentary on politics -- on that particular project, a critique of the prison-industrial complex -- within the skits on his albums where it may be less obvious in the music.
On his latest mixtape, Campaign, Ty once again lets his message speak through various voices that appear sporadically throughout the project. Whether it be the words of poet Nate Howard, which have appeared on the majority of his projects, or YG's more up-front thoughts on Donald Trump, Ty is making sure to comment on the issues that plague America leading up to this very important election, if only briefly. The record "No Justice," which features his imprisoned brother, Big TC, brings the music and the message together as the two protest the recent instances of police brutality against innocent black men in the U.S.
Click through the galleries to find some of the powerful messages Ty has included in the project. Stream Campaign in full here.
Nate Poetics
I'm Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton or is that one and the same?
Cause I don't know any politicians who's admitted that gang violence came from strange fruit, watch it hang
That's a brother that you loved on that street
If we don't kill him they gon' kill him...
Damn bullets don't got no name, we all getting slain.
And if we fighting each other, we all got stains.
It's election season, we all got names
- Nate Poetics ("$Intro")
Big TC
See the red lights behind his car
Only thing he thinking is this could be the end of me
Say officer, what's the problem?
It's like every time I turn around you people always messing with me
He say you look suspicious
And you fit the description of a call about a robbery
Then some more cops came
I keep my hands where they can see 'em, I know this could be the end of me
They say that
We all created equal but ain't nothing about us equal
You know that (You know that)
There can never be no justice when killing us is legal
Somebody's gotta take a stand
Sacrifice and be a man
Somebody's gotta take a stand, no, no
- Big TC ("No Justice")
YG
Fuck Trump n*gga, I don't fuck with that n*gga.
That's why I don't be respecting that n*gga, got no respect on that n*gga.
And for the other lady n*gga, she gotta fix the jail policies and everything
Because when niggas be going to jail, as of right now
Vote Hillary in before Donald Trump
I don't fuck with you Trump n*gga, you racist n*gga
You don't represent us right as Americans, we don't fuck with you
That's from the urban community, the 400 said so, fuck Trump.
If all votes count, I'm voting for Hillary, fuck it
- YG ("Hello")
No Justice
Seem like shit is getting worse before it's getting better
It's like the people got a curse, can't nobody stay together
I watch you gun my people down, plus we're killing off each other
Ain't no justice for the brothers
- Ty Dolla $ign & Big TC ("No Justice")
Campaign
Now it's a movement
A movement for any and everybody to get up and push with
Cause we all need that push. It get hard for all of us but we campaigning
We standing strong, we moving forward, we ain't backing down
The time is now like no other
Tell my sisters, my brothers, love one another
Be there for each other
It's easy to quit, say no, to turn the other cheek
Nah, we campaigning now, yeah, campaign
- Nate Poetics ("$Intro")