‘Song Exploder’ Episode 4: What inspired Ty Dolla $ign to dedicate debut album to his brother who was jailed?
Rapper Ty Dolla $ign featured in the fourth episode of Netflix’s brand new documentary series where he talked about the very first single from his 2015 debut album, ‘Free TC’. The new Netflix series, ‘Song Exploder’, is an adaptation of an independent popular podcast with the same name. Podcast host Hrishikesh Hirway returned in the same role seeking answers behind the emotions, stories and ideas of biggest hits. In the fourth episode, the 38-year-old record producer got nostalgic as he talked about his first album. Speaking to the host, Ty said that ‘Free TC’ is based on his young brother, Gabrieal, also known as Big TC, who got locked up for a murder he did not commit at the tender age of 18.
The episode went into the detail of his first single, 'LA', from the debut album. The song also featured hip-hop giant Kendrick Lamar, Brandy and James Fauntleroy. The rapper gave an ode to his city, his journey, his struggles and his life in the song. Ty also revealed in the interview that his first album is entirely dedicated to his brother. According to the rapper, the album focuses on getting his brother out of jail. The artiste said: “The one thing about the music is that it doesn’t matter what the f**k you think you are. No matter what race, what sexuality, any of that sh*t. The music is going to bring everybody together and make you want to f**king give a hug, shed a tear, n****a and share the situation together, you know. And, that’s what we did with this project.”
While breaking down the song, Ty also spoke about how he got all the collaborations on this song. He elaborated on the production process, creating the catchy hook and how he got MTV VJ Nate Howard, who is also a poet, to get the spoken word done which we hear at the very beginning of the song. You can check out the official audio of the song ‘LA’ right here: