Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982),[2] known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter and record producer from Los Angeles, California. He gained initial recognition for his guest appearance on fellow Los Angeles rapper YG's 2010 single "Toot It and Boot It", which entered the Billboard Hot 100. He signed with Atlantic Records in 2012, and Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang Entertainment the following year.[3]
Ty Dolla Sign | |
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 Griffin in 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Tyrone William Griffin Jr. |
| Also known as |
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| Born | April 13, 1982 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Discography | |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels |
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| Member of | |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | dollasignworld |
Griffin saw further mainstream recognition for his debut commercial extended play (EP), Beach House EP (2014). Its release was preceded by his 2013 single "Paranoid" (featuring B.o.B), which marked his first entry—at number 29—on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist. Its 2014 follow-up, "Or Nah" (featuring Wiz Khalifa and DJ Mustard, remixed with the Weeknd) was met with continued success and received sextuple platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His debut studio album, Free TC (2015), peaked at number 14 on the Billboard 200 and was supported by the platinum-certified singles "Blasé" (featuring Future and Rae Sremmurd) and "Saved" (featuring E-40). His second album, Beach House 3 (2017) peaked at number 11 on the Billboard 200, while his third album, Featuring Ty Dolla Sign (2020) peaked at number four. He has released the collaborative albums MihTy (2018) with Jeremih, Cheers to the Best Memories (2021) with Dvsn, and Vultures 1 and 2 (2024) with Kanye West—Vultures 1 became his first to debut atop the Billboard 200.[4]
Along with his own career, Griffin is known his frequent guest appearances on songs by other artists; these include the Billboard Hot 100-top 40 singles "Work from Home" by Fifth Harmony, "Swalla" by Jason Derulo, "Hot Girl Summer" by Megan Thee Stallion, "Hit Different" by SZA, "WusYaName" by Tyler, the Creator, and "Psycho" by Post Malone—the latter became his first to peak the chart and received diamond certification by the RIAA. Furthermore, Griffin has been credited with songwriting and production work for other artists, most notably on the singles "Loyal" (2013) by Chris Brown, "Post to Be" (2014) by Omarion, and "FourFiveSeconds" (2015) by Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney, among others. He has received five Grammy Award nominations.[5]
Early life
Tyrone William Griffin Jr. was born on April 13, 1982, in Los Angeles, California.[6][7] He is the son of musician Tyrone Griffin, a member of the band Lakeside.[8] He has said that through his father's involvement in Lakeside, he met singers like Earth, Wind & Fire and Prince as a child, which led to his love and interest for soul music.[9] Growing up in South Central Los Angeles, Griffin was a gang member, being part of the Bloods, while his brother was in the rival gang of the Crips.[10]
Career
2004–2011: Career beginnings
Griffin began his music career by learning how to play the bass guitar and later learned how to play drums, guitars, keyboards, and the MPC.[11] Griffin and his writing partner Kory began working together after meeting in New York City in 2004, forming the duo Ty & Kory.[12] The duo also made guest appearances on studio albums by other artists such as Sa-Ra Creative Partners and Black Milk. They also performed the song "U", which was featured on the latter's album Popular Demand (2007).[13] The duo signed a recording contract with Venus Brown's Buddah Brown Entertainment and subsequently released their debut mixtape, Raw & Bangin Mixtape Vol 2 (2008). Eventually, Ty & Kory had a falling out related to these ventures.
After the dispute, Griffin began working with Los Angeles-based rapper YG.[14] Griffin's initial claim to fame was with the success of YG's 2010 single "Toot It and Boot It",[15] which he co-performed and produced.[16] In 2011, Griffin released his first solo song, "All Star" (featuring Joe Moses; remixed featuring Kid Ink) and his debut mixtape, House on the Hill (2011).[17] His follow up single, "My Cabana" (featuring Young Jeezy) was ranked on Complex's Best 50 Songs of 2012 list at number 23.[18] Griffin co-founded and was a member of the production team D.R.U.G.$., alongside fellow music producers Chordz (or Chordz 3D) and G Casso, the latter of whom was murdered in 2011.[19] Other producers later joined D.R.U.G.$., including Nate 3D, Buddah Shampoo, Fuego, DJ Mustard, and DJ Dahi.[20]
2012–2014: Beach House mixtapes
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In 2012, Griffin signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records.[21] After signing with Atlantic, he released his first solo mixtape, titled Beach House, on October 1, 2012.[22] He followed with the mixtape's sequel, Beach House 2, on July 1, 2013. Beach House 2 features guest appearances from Too Short, Wiz Khalifa, Juicy J, and Kirko Bangz, among others.[23] The following day, it was revealed that Griffin signed a deal with Khalifa's Taylor Gang Entertainment.[24] In mid-2013, he toured with Khalifa and ASAP Rocky, among others, on the Under the Influence of Music 2 concert tour.[25]
On September 10, 2013, Griffin released a single, titled "Paranoid", which features a verse from B.o.B and production from DJ Mustard. The song was later announced to be the first single off his upcoming extended play (EP). On October 22, 2013, the Ethan Lader-directed music video for "Paranoid", premiered via Diddy's Revolt.[26][27] The single became highly popular, peaking at number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and eventually being certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[28]
On January 7, 2014, Griffin released his second single for his debut EP, titled "Or Nah" (featuring Wiz Khalifa and DJ Mustard).[29] The song's production was handled by DJ Mustard and it contains a sample of Trillville's "Some Cut".[30][31] The music video was filmed during January 2014.[32] The single was remixed featuring vocals from Canadian singer the Weeknd and was later certified triple platinum by the RIAA.
On January 21, 2014, Griffin released his major label debut project, Beach House EP. The EP features guest appearances from Casey Veggies, Wiz Khalifa, Twista, Jay Rock, Trey Songz, French Montana, Travis Scott, and Fredo Santana, while the production was primarily handled by Griffin himself, along with DJ Mustard,[33][34] Cardo, and Young Chop, among others. He stated that the EP would feature a new sound from him, and that it would be on a whole other level compared to his mixtapes.[34] Griffin described the EP as being a preview for his debut studio album, at the time due to be released during 2014.[35] The remix to "Paranoid", featuring Trey Songz, French Montana, and DJ Mustard, was also included on the EP.[36]
2014–2016: Free TC and Campaign
On February 23, 2014, Griffin revealed that his debut studio album would be titled Free TC, and would be released during the third quarter of 2014. He told Revolt, that he had already completed eight songs for the album and that he would be going on tour, namely Under the Influence 3, with Wiz Khalifa during 2014.[37] He was chosen for the 2014 XXL Freshman Class.[38] In May 2014, Griffin told The Fader, that he would release a mixtape, titled Sign Language, sometime during the next few months, which would then be followed by Free TC.[39] In August 2014, Griffin revealed that Jeremih, Wiz Khalifa, YG, Yo Gotti, and Jay 305, will be appearing on Sign Language.[40] On August 24, 2014, which happens to be the same day he released his mixtape Sign Language, Griffin told HotNewHipHop, that he has worked with Rihanna on a track from her then-upcoming album; the result was him having a songwriting credit on her 2015 hit single "FourFiveSeconds".[41]
While working on his debut album, Griffin appeared on Chris Brown and Tyga's Fan of a Fan: The Album, on the second track "Nothin' Like Me", as well as Big Sean's song "Play No Games" off of Dark Sky Paradise. On May 26, 2015, Griffin released the first single from Free TC, titled "Only Right", which features TeeCee4800, Joe Moses, and YG, and was produced by DJ Mustard. On June 26, 2015, he released the album's second single, titled "Blasé" (featuring Future and Rae Sremmurd), which would go on to receive platinum certification from the RIAA. A pre-order promotional single, "When I See Ya" (featuring Fetty Wap), was released in September 2015[42] and lead up to album's third single, "Saved" (featuring E-40), went on to be certified gold by the RIAA.
Griffin revealed that on October 13, 2015, exactly one month before his album came out, he would release a new mixtape Airplane Mode.[43] Free TC was released on November 13, 2015, via Atlantic Records.[44] The album debuted at number 14 on the Billboard 200, with 31,000 equivalent album units and first-week sales of 22,000 copies in the United States.[45] In February 2016, Griffin guest featured on Fifth Harmony's hit single "Work from Home", which peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.[46][47] In June 2016, Griffin, Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, Imagine Dragons, Logic, and X Ambassadors released the collaboration single "Sucker for Pain" for the motion picture soundtrack for Suicide Squad.[48] In August 2016, Griffin and Nick Jonas performed the song "Bacon" at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, where Griffin also won Best Collaboration for "Work from Home" with Fifth Harmony.[49] On September 23, 2016, Griffin released a project titled Campaign, which peaked at number 28 on the Billboard 200.[50]
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2016–2018: Beach House 3 and MihTy
On June 19, 2016, Griffin announced that his next project following Campaign would be Beach House 3 and that this installment would be an album rather than a mixtape.[51] The lead single "Love U Better" (featuring Lil Wayne and The-Dream) was released July 10, 2017.[52] The second single "So Am I" (featuring Damian Marley and Skrillex) was released on September 1, 2017. The album was released on October 27, 2017, and debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200.[53]
In February 2018, Griffin was featured on Post Malone's single "Psycho", which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.[54] In May 2018, he was featured on Christina Aguilera's single "Accelerate" along with 2 Chainz, the first single from Aguilera's eighth album Liberation.[citation needed] On June 1, he was featured on "All Mine" by Kanye West on West's album Ye. On June 8, he was featured on "Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)" by Kids See Ghosts, on their self-titled album. On June 14, he was featured on Bhad Bhabie's single "Trust Me". On June 16, he was featured on the song "Boss" from Beyoncé and Jay-Z's joint album Everything Is Love. In 2018, he was featured on Tinashe's single "Me So Bad" with French Montana, which had moderate success in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. He was also featured on Drake's album, Scorpion, on the song "After Dark". He also featured on Lecrae's album All Things Work Together on the song "Blessings".
On October 26, 2018, Griffin and Jeremih released a collaborative album under the joint pseudonym MihTy (a portmanteau of both the artists' names) through Def Jam Recordings and Atlantic Records, their respective labels. The duo's eponymous album was released to mild critical and commercial reception, and featured guest appearances from French Montana, Chris Brown, and Wiz Khalifa, and executive production from Hitmaka. The duo had released several singles throughout the fall season of 2018 in anticipation of the album's release and performed "The Light" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in the week leading up to the album's debut. The project included the singles "The Light" and "Goin Thru Some Thangs".
2019–2022: Featuring Ty Dolla Sign and Cheers to the Best Memories
Griffin released an album preview in February 2019 (via Instagram) featuring a new song produced by D.A. Got That Dope along with a verse from Tyga. On May 20, 2019, Griffin released the single "Purple Emoji" (featuring J. Cole) as the intended first single. On August 9, 2019, he released another single titled "Hottest in the City" (featuring Juicy J and Project Pat). He later announced that his third studio album was originally called Tyrone (named from his birth name) and was set to release fall 2019. However, he stated, "I had a meeting one time with Kanye, and played him the album, and he was like, 'Bro nah, you need to do what you do. Add more bass, add more drums, add more, the real shit, that's what no one else is doing. Be the best you, bring that shit all the way up to the forefront...That conversation definitely inspired me, and made me go back and go crazy with the live instruments".[55]
On July 1, 2020, Griffin released "Ego Death" (featuring Kanye West, FKA Twigs, and Skrillex) as the official lead single to his third studio album.[56] On July 3, 2020, Griffin announced to Big Boy that his third studio album is called Dream House and would be released "sooner than you think".[57] The second single "Expensive" (featuring Nicki Minaj) was released on August 28, 2020.[58] On October 14, Griffin revealed that he changed the album's title to Featuring Ty Dolla Sign, a reference to his work on other artists' projects and songs since his last release. He said the album title came from his gift of collaborating, and features many of his industry friends.[59]
Featuring Ty Dolla Sign was released on October 23, 2020. The album features artists including Kid Cudi, Post Malone, Kanye West, Anderson .Paak, Quavo, Lil Durk, Nicki Minaj, Big Sean, Jhené Aiko, Kehlani, Future, Musiq Soulchild, FKA Twigs, and Skrillex.[60] Griffin was also featured on the song "Safety Net" by Ariana Grande for her sixth studio album, Positions on October 30, 2020.
On August 11, 2021, Griffin and Canadian R&B duo Dvsn posted the artwork from a forthcoming collaborative album titled Cheers to the Best Memories to their respective Instagram pages, captioned with the release date of August 20, 2021.[61][62] The album featured Rauw Alejandro and Griffin's longtime associate YG, as well as a posthumous guest appearance from Mac Miller, with whom Griffin had collaborated in the past.[63] The release preceded Griffin's appearances in the following two weeks on "Junya pt 2" from Kanye West's Donda and "Get Along Better" from Drake's Certified Lover Boy.
2023–present: ¥$ and Vultures trilogy
In October 2023, Griffin announced a collaborative project between him and frequent collaborator Kanye West via social media, accompanied by a "multi-stadium" listening event in the following month.[64] It was reported earlier in the month that he and West were shopping for distributors for the album, as West is an independent artist. The duo, referred to as "¥$", originally planned for a collaborative project in 2016.[65] The event failed to materialize, although their debut collaborative single under the recording outfit, "Vultures" (featuring Bump J) was released on November 22, 2023. The following day, a version of the song with an additional verse from Lil Durk was released.[66] Amidst numerous delays, Vultures 1, the first album of a planned trilogy, released on February 10, 2024.[67] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming West's eleventh and Griffin's first respective number one album on the chart in their careers.[4] After months of delays, Vultures 2 released on August 3, 2024.
Artistry
Griffin's sound typically combines R&B and hip hop music. When asked if he was a rapper, he stated, "People would call it rap, but I really don't feel like I rap. There's so many great rappers, like if we had to battle or some shit, they would just cream me. I don't really consider myself a rapper, I just happen to have bars, or something like that. I still sing man, I'm a singer, ya feel me?"[68]
He cited Nate Dogg and Chris Brown as main influences for his musical style.[69][70] When asked about his influences, Griffin responded, "2Pac is my favorite artist of all time. I liked Slum Village a lot back then, like J Dilla, he's one of my favorite producers and artists. I'm like a hip-hop head type of dude. Mos Def, Talib Kweli, that whole Rawkus Records scene, that's my type of shit." He continued, "I also like cats like Prince. Just like his production, he's kind of like the same thing as me. He sings, he produces, he plays all types of instruments. That's what I'm after. I wouldn't wear that type of clothes or wear my hair like that. [Laughs.] But as far as artistry, that's the same type of dude I am."[71] In an interview he revealed that Kim Burrell was his absolute favorite vocalist, and that Brandy was right there with her.[9]
Personal life
Griffin has a daughter, Jailynn (born 2005).[39] He was in a relationship with Fifth Harmony member Lauren Jauregui from 2017 to 2019.[72][73]
On December 10, 2018, it was revealed that Griffin was facing up to 15 years in jail in relation to cocaine and marijuana possession charges.[74] These charges resulted from a traffic stop in Atlanta, Georgia, where in a car with multiple people, Griffin was the only one charged with the drugs due to him being in close proximity to them.[75] Later, all charges were dropped upon completion of a drug prevention program.[76]
In 2020, Griffin formally endorsed the presidential campaign of fellow rapper and frequent collaborator Kanye West.[77]
Discography
Solo studio albums
- Free TC (2015)
- Beach House 3 (2017)
- Featuring Ty Dolla Sign (2020)
Collaborative studio albums
- MihTy (with Jeremih as MihTy) (2018)
- Cheers to the Best Memories (with Dvsn) (2021)
- Vultures 1 (with Kanye West as ¥$) (2024)
- Vultures 2 (with Kanye West as ¥$) (2024)
Filmography
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Entergalactic | Ky (voice) | Television special |
Awards and nominations
References
External links
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