On November 13th, Ty Dolla $ign released his debut album, Free TC, named in honor of his brother who is behind bars. The record infuses all of the elements that make Ty shine — classic R&B runs, pop medleys, and west coast twerk vibes. I don’t want to sound like a hypebeast, but Free TC is definitely in my top ten for 2015.
It’s hard to define the album as hip-hop or R&B, because elements of both genres are present. Ty goes from featuring Kendrick Lamar black-struggle bars in the first track, “L.A.,” to “Know Ya,” a classic Metro Boomin production, and then transitions into an emotional ballad on “Credit.”
I’d be hard-pressed to find a genre Ty is unable to tap into.
In addition to the wealth of sounds on the album, Ty also keeps the content diverse. Throughout Free TC, he incorporates recorded conversations between him and his incarcerated brother. These interludes serve as a reminder that this album is bigger than a collection of turn-up songs, and is meant to serve as an indirect political and social message, detailing many of the struggles and effects of imprisonment.
On the other hand, the album suffers from classic sexism — though Ty is expertly able to make this theme sound sentimental. For example, the fifth track, “Horses in the Stable,” is high-key very misogynistic, as he describes women through analogies to horses. He sings, “You just another girl and this is just another night” before launching into the chorus, “horses in the stable/horses in the stable/that I can ride, oooh anytime.” But, Ty sings it with such passion that on the first listen, it sounds like an emotional ’90s R&B love song. Ty is so smooth and effortless that it almost makes the problematic content comedic.
Ty is remarkable, too, because he can go from “Horses in the Stable” to a song like “Credit,” where he reflects, “Girl, as strong as I am you’re my Venus/ And after a long day at work, you’re like a weekend.” So, just as you’re ready to throw in the towel, he brings you back in with poetic sweetness.
Clearly, Ty knows what he’s doing.
All things considered, I encourage everyone to give Free TC a listen! Sonically, it doesn’t disappoint, and I think there’s enough of both romance and party-anthem to balance out the patriarchal vibes.
Check it out here.
What’s your favorite song off of Free TC? Let us know in the comments below!
