Ty on Special Kind of Fool: ‘Everything on this album starts with me’

Hip hop artist Ty has been an integral part of the UK musical scene for more than a decade. His achievements over that time include three critically acclaimed albums, a Mercury nomination, and a diverse name-check of musical collaborations that range from indie front man Damon Albarn to De La Soul and Estelle. Ty’s forthright lyrical style coupled with his trademark effervescent humour has won him fans across the globe, and respect from both within and outside the hip hop world.

Special Kind of Fool is Ty’s fourth studio album. It’s the story of an artist who has set his compass and boldly followed his own musical path, despite the challenges. The album’s elegant medley of genres – classic funk, 80’s synth pop, soul, electro – set against hip hop drum patterns, reflect s Ty’s determination to live outside the box and create original, emotive music.

When Catch a Vibe met up with Ty he was just wrapping up a TV interview in Central London and preparing for a video shoot for his new single. We sat down with him to talk about contemporary UK hip hop, being a responsible artist and living with diabetes.

Catch a Vibe: What inspired the title Special Kind of Fool?
Ty: I really like the term because it’s multi-directional. I think I’ve always had that type of position in the music game where people want to laugh at you because

you’re not doing the trademark thing but actually, you’re not as stupid as you look. With the first three albums: Awkward, Upwards, then Closer, I was optimistic. On this album, I’m real. I’m acknowledging that I might be considered an idiot musically for doing hip hop or for doing black music or for being a part of the European contingent that still wants to make truthful music – as that’s seen as a stupid thing to do now. The right thing to do is to try and sing with Simon Cowell or to try and make some Euro Trance music. So I’m saying I’m a fool because I’m not going to do that.

CAV: What are the key themes on the album?
Ty: The key themes are reality, disappointment, depression, hope, faith and strength of character. At the end of the day, everything’s a test. Testing the strength of your resolve. The album is uplifting but in order for it to be uplifting you have to listen to the whole record. I don’t feel like 12 songs, each of them uplifting, would be truthful. I need to make a record for everyday people, people driving to work, or listening to their iPods who just need to know that someone feels as rubbish as they do, but that someone is going to make it through the day. This is for you.

CAV: How does your interest in constructing and composing music affect how you work in the studio?
Ty: It’s crazy. I am so driven to make music and to get it right. With most artists and MCs it’s all about writing the right lyrics for the right song, getting the right hook or getting someone to sing. To me it’s about getting the right layer, finding the right drum sounds, getting the right things underneath that you’ll never hear in the music. Some songs don’t need keyboard bass notes, sometimes it needs to be a live bass, sometimes it needs to be synth bass. I’m circling through all of these options, everyday. I’m the producer and the MC. Everything on this album starts with me and then I work with someone else to flesh out the ideas.

CAV: In 2008 you said: ‘Hip Hop in Britain deserves the cold shoulder for not pushing forward.’ What would you say about the UK hip hop scene now?
Ty: I would say I feel more connected to hip hop music than ever before. I think social networking has been really great in enabling artists to be able to speak amongst themselves in a way we couldn’t do before. I’ve made those statements because I needed to distinguish myself, to avoid being lumped in with a bunch of people. I want to affiliate myself with people who are sincere about expressing themselves through hip hop, not the people that just want chart positions but the people that want to make the best music.

CAV: How are radio stations responding to the new single Emotions? Considering they’re very mainstream and limited in their playlists.
Ty: I don’t care. This album’s for the people. The music’s for the people. The DJs that jump on it? Good for them. But this isn’t for them. I made this record because I saw there were too many factors that distracted people from actually making good music. Artists are worrying about playlists but the people who construct playlists are sometimes people who don’t even like music. So you’re trying to please someone who doesn’t even like what you do.

CAV: Do you feel a responsibility to make positive hip hop music?
Ty: I’m responsible to myself; I’m responsible for my words. I have kids in my life that will check online to see what I’m saying. I don’t see the point in trying to protect my kids and not protecting other children. I’m not adding to the poison, and there’s definitely poison out there. It’s not so much the music but the ethos behind it, the trail it leaves. The problem with poisonous music is you have to look at the end result. You have to look at ten years later, what it does to the people who listen to it. I’m not contributing to you feeling like you must stab that boy. I’m trying to make healthy musical strides.

CAV: In 2006 you discovered you had diabetes. What impact did that have on your life?
Ty: The thing about diabetes is you have to accept that forever more you’ll have to take something to stay alive. It’s depressing. And it can distract you, make you feel that you don’t want to do anything, you don’t want to talk to anyone, you just want to curl up and not move around too much. The album took longer to make because I would have spells where I didn’t want to turn the machine on. I lost the enthusiasm. Because I orchestrate every step of my music, if I stop making beats, there’ll be no more music from me. If I don’t find that snare, that kick, the album won’t get finished. Having diabetes affected my get up and go. A lot. But I got through it. I learned how to deal with it.

CAV: Do you feel you know how to live with it now?
Ty: Yeah, it took a while. You have to adjust to it.You have to get used to the idea that you’re not going to die next week.  Nobody can tell you what it feels like, it’s like something’s living inside you. If you don’t eat correctly or you don’t have enough energy at a certain point, you start to shake. Or you start to have moments where you panic and it’s only visible to you. It can make you a little bit short tempered. I had to relearn myself; learn a whole new system of listening to my body.

In my environment I have people that are losing parents, losing children, having children, losing jobs, gaining jobs it’s not just about going to college, having a boyfriend or girlfriend. I had to cover all that on the album, update the audience and say, ‘I know you view people like myself in a certain way, well actually let’s talk about your mortgage. Is it fixed rate? Cos mine’s not.’ It’s about being able to update the dialogue between me and the audience.’

Ty’s new album is out on 19 April 2010. Read our review of Special Kind of Fool

Buy the full single Emotions on Itunes

3 Responses to “Ty on Special Kind of Fool: ‘Everything on this album starts with me’”

• Ty’s album is for me an album that I’m so glad I waited for, his beats and rhymes are unlike any other UK rapper’s. He rhymes as if he’s in his prime, like he has nothing to prove only the music to be heard and taken in. The songs are extremly emotional and hard hitting this is because Ty puts his heart and his soul in all of his songs. He rhymes like Dilated Peoples Rakka, they both rhyme in meaning to what they say, unlike most rappers nowadays who rhyme each word at the end of a sentence. Keep up the good work Ty. 5 star album

  Jamie says
  May 2, 2010 at 2:12 pm

• I LOVE the new album – it really does keep things real – with a fabulous sense of humour – ot’s music that has huge depth and layers with as the interviewer points out references to so much much more than one strand. It’s international yet could only have been made in England, London and by TY who is so right in remaining individual and yes idiosyncratic – ie a special kind o ffool – but actually very very wise. We are so looking forward to welcoming hm to African Essence (SUNDAY 4 April on http://www.resonancefm.com – 104.4fm between 7-8pm UK time and TUESDAY 6 April http://www.africaninternetradio.com between 8-9pm UK time

  And congratulations CatchaVibe – as always right on point and well ahead with such an insightful interviewBless DJ Debbie

  Debbie Golt says
  April 4, 2010 at 3:42 pm

• Great interview. Always get good value from Ty and the questions were good too. Absolutely agree with what he said about playlists and those who make them.

  Shalom x

  Tolita says
  March 17, 2010 at 4:01 pm