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 Griffin in 2018 | |
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| Born | Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (1982-04-13)April 13, 1982 (age 43) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
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| Years active | 2004–present |
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| Children | 1 |
| Website | dollasignworld |
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Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982),[1] known professionally asTy Dolla Sign (stylized asTy Dolla $ign orTy$), is an AmericanR&B singer, songwriter, rapper, musician, and record producer. Born and raised inLos Angeles, California, Griffin gained initial recognition for his guest appearance on rapperYG's 2010 single "Toot It and Boot It", which entered theBillboard Hot 100. He signed withAtlantic Records in 2012, andWiz Khalifa'sTaylor Gang Entertainment the following year.[3]
Griffin saw further mainstream recognition with his debut commercialextended play (EP),Beach House EP (2014). Its lead single, "Paranoid" (featuringB.o.B), marked his first entry on theBillboard Hot 100 as a lead artist—peaking within the chart's top 30—while its second single, "Or Nah" (featuring Wiz Khalifa andDJ Mustard, remixed withthe Weeknd), receivedsextuple platinum certification by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His debut studio album,Free TC (2015), peaked at number 14 on theBillboard 200 and was supported by the platinum-certified singles "Blasé" (featuringFuture andRae Sremmurd) and "Saved" (featuringE-40). His second album,Beach House 3 (2017), peaked at number 11 on theBillboard 200, while his third album,Featuring Ty Dolla Sign (2020), peaked at number four. He has released the collaborative albumsMihTy (2018) withJeremih,Cheers to the Best Memories (2021) withDvsn, and theVultures (2024) duology withKanye West—the latter'sfirst entry was Griffin's first project to debut atop theBillboard 200.[4]
Along with his own career, Griffin is known for his frequent guest appearances on songs by other artists; these include theBillboard Hot 100-top 40 singles "Work from Home" byFifth Harmony, "Swalla" byJason Derulo, "Hot Girl Summer" byMegan Thee Stallion, "Hit Different" bySZA, and "WusYaName" byTyler, the Creator, as well as thediamond-certified "Psycho" byPost Malone, which peaked the chart. Furthermore, Griffin has been credited withsongwriting and production work for other artists, most notably on the singles "Loyal" byChris Brown, "Post to Be" byOmarion, and "FourFiveSeconds" byRihanna, Kanye West andPaul McCartney. He has received sixGrammy Award nominations.[5]
Tyrone William Griffin Jr. was born on April 13, 1982, inLos Angeles, California,[6][7] to Phyllis Mitchell and musician Tyrone Griffin, a member of the bandLakeside.[8][9] He has said that through his father's involvement in Lakeside, he met the musical artistsEarth, Wind & Fire andPrince as a child, which led to his love and interest forsoul music.[10] Growing up inSouth Central Los Angeles, Griffin was agang member, being part of theBloods, while his brother was in the rival gang of theCrips.[11]
Griffin began his music career by learning how to play the bass guitar and later picking up drums, guitars, keyboards, and theAkai MPC music workstation.[12] Griffin and his writing partner Kory began working together after meeting inNew York City in 2004, forming the duo Ty & Kory.[13] The duo also madeguest appearances on albums by other artists such asSa-Ra Creative Partners andBlack Milk. They performed the song "U", which was featured on Black Milk's albumPopular Demand (2007).[14] The duo signed a recording contract withVenus Brown's Buddah Brown Entertainment and then released amixtape,Raw & Bangin Mixtape Vol 2 (2008). Ty & Kory had a falling out related to these ventures.
Griffin began working with Los Angeles-based rapperYG[15] which provided him with the mainstream success of YG's 2010 single "Toot It and Boot It",[16] which he co-performed and produced.[17] In 2011, Griffin released his first solo song, "All Star" (featuring Joe Moses; remixed featuringKid Ink) and his first solo mixtape,House on the Hill (2011). His follow up single, "My Cabana" (featuringYoung Jeezy) was ranked onComplex'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, andDJ Dahi.[20]
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In 2012, Griffin signed a recording contract withAtlantic Records.[21] He released his next mixtape, titledBeach House, on October 1, 2012.[22] He followed with the sequelBeach House 2 on July 1, 2013, with guest appearances fromToo Short,Wiz Khalifa,Juicy J, andKirko Bangz, among others.[23] Griffin signed a touring deal with Khalifa'sTaylor Gang Entertainment.[24] In mid-2013, he toured with Khalifa andASAP 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 fromB.o.B and production from DJ Mustard. The song was later announced to be the first single off his upcomingextended play (EP). On October 22, 2013, the Ethan Lader-directed music video for "Paranoid", premiered viaDiddy'sRevolt.[26][27] The single was a hit, peaking at number 29 on the USBillboard Hot 100 and eventually being certified Platinum by the RIAA.[28]
On January 7, 2014, Griffin released a second single titled "Or Nah" featuring Wiz Khalifa and DJ Mustard.[29] The song's production was handled by DJ Mustard and it contains asample ofTrillville's "Some Cut".[30][31] The music video was filmed during January 2014.[32] The single wasremixed featuring vocals from Canadian singerthe Weeknd and was later certified triple Platinum by the RIAA.
On January 21, 2014, Griffin released his firstmajor label project,Beach House EP. The EP features guest appearances fromCasey Veggies, Wiz Khalifa,Twista,Jay Rock,Trey Songz,French Montana,Travis Scott, andFredo Santana, while the production was primarily handled by Griffin himself, along with DJ Mustard,[33][34]Cardo, andYoung Chop, among others.[34] Griffin described the EP as being a preview for his first major label studio album.[35] The remix to "Paranoid", featuring Trey Songz, French Montana, and DJ Mustard, was also included on the EP.[36]
On February 23, 2014, Griffin revealed that his first full-length major label album would be titledFree 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 ontour with Wiz Khalifa during 2014.[37] He was chosen for the 2014XXLFreshman Class.[38] In May 2014, Griffin toldThe Fader, that he would release a mixtape, titledSign Language, sometime during the next few months, which would then be followed byFree TC.[39] In August 2014, Griffin revealed thatJeremih, Wiz Khalifa, YG,Yo Gotti, and Jay 305, would be appearing onSign Language.[40] At the same time, Griffin was working withRihanna on her 2015 hit single "FourFiveSeconds", receiving writing credit.[41]
Griffin appeared onChris Brown andTyga'sFan of a Fan: The Album, on the second track "Nothin' Like Me", as well asBig Sean's song "Play No Games" off ofDark Sky Paradise. On May 26, 2015, Griffin released the first single fromFree TC, titled "Only Right", which features TeeCee4800, Joe Moses, and YG, and was produced byDJ Mustard. On June 26, 2015, he released the album's second single, titled "Blasé" (featuringFuture andRae Sremmurd), which would go on to receive Platinum certification. A pre-order promotional single, "When I See Ya" (featuringFetty Wap), was released in September 2015,[42] preceding album's third single, "Saved" (featuringE-40), which was certified Gold.
Griffin revealed that on October 13, 2015, exactly one month before his album came out, he would release a new mixtapeAirplane Mode.[43]Free TC was released on November 13, 2015, via Atlantic Records.[44] The album debuted at number 14 on theBillboard 200, with 31,000album-equivalent units and first-week sales of 22,000 copies in the United States.[45] In February 2016, Griffin guest featured onFifth Harmony's hit single "Work from Home", which peaked at number 4 on theBillboard Hot 100.[46][47] In June 2016, Griffin,Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa,Imagine Dragons,Logic, andX Ambassadors released the collaboration single "Sucker for Pain" for the motion picturesoundtrack forSuicide Squad.[48] In August 2016, Griffin andNick Jonas performed the song "Bacon" at the2016 MTV Video Music Awards, where Griffin also wonBest Collaboration for "Work from Home" with Fifth Harmony.[49] On September 23, 2016, Griffin released a project titledCampaign, which peaked at number 28 on theBillboard 200.[50]
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On June 19, 2016, Griffin announced that his next project followingCampaign would beBeach House 3 and that this installment would be an album rather than a mixtape.[51] The lead single "Love U Better" (featuring Lil Wayne andThe-Dream) was released July 10, 2017.[52] The second single "So Am I" (featuringDamian Marley andSkrillex) was released on September 1, 2017. The album was released on October 27, 2017, and debuted at number 11 on theBillboard 200.[53]
In February 2018, Griffin was featured onPost Malone's single "Psycho", which peaked at number one on theBillboard Hot 100.[54] In May 2018, he was featured onChristina Aguilera's single "Accelerate" along with2 Chainz, the first single from Aguilera's eighth albumLiberation.[citation needed] On June 1, he was featured on "All Mine" byKanye West on West's albumYe. On June 8, he was featured on "Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)" byKids See Ghosts, on theirself-titled album. On June 14, he was featured onBhad Bhabie's single "Trust Me". On June 16, he was featured on the song "Boss" fromBeyoncé andJay-Z's joint albumEverything Is Love. In 2018, he was featured onTinashe's single "Me So Bad" with French Montana, which had moderate success in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. He was also featured onDrake's album,Scorpion, on the song "After Dark". He also featured onLecrae's albumAll Things Work Together on the song "Blessings".
On October 26, 2018, Griffin and Jeremih released a collaborative album under the joint pseudonym MihTy (aportmanteau of both the artists' names) throughDef Jam Recordings and Atlantic Records, their respective labels. The duo'seponymous album was released to mild critical and commercial reception, and featured guest appearances from French Montana, Chris Brown, and Wiz Khalifa, andexecutive production fromHitmaka. The duo had released several singles throughout the fall season of 2018 in anticipation of the album's release and performed "The Light" onJimmy Kimmel Live! in the week leading up to the album's debut. The project included the singles "The Light" and "Goin Thru Some Thangs".
Griffin released an album preview in February 2019 (viaInstagram) featuring a new song produced byD.A. Got That Dope along with a verse from Tyga. On May 20, 2019, Griffin released the single "Purple Emoji" (featuringJ. Cole) as the intended first single. On August 9, 2019, he released another single titled "Hottest in the City" (featuring Juicy J andProject Pat). He later announced that his third studio album was originally calledTyrone (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, andSkrillex) as the official lead single to his third studio album.[56] On July 3, 2020, Griffin announced toBig Boy that his third studio album is calledDream House and would be released "sooner than you think".[57] The second single "Expensive" (featuringNicki Minaj) was released on August 28, 2020.[58] On October 14, Griffin revealed that he changed the album's title toFeaturing 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 includingKid 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" byAriana Grande for her sixth studio album,Positions on October 30, 2020.
On August 11, 2021, Griffin and Canadian R&B duoDvsn posted the artwork from a forthcoming collaborative album titledCheers to the Best Memories to their respective Instagram pages, captioned with the release date of August 20, 2021.[61][62] The album featuredRauw Alejandro and Griffin's longtime associate YG, as well as a posthumous guest appearance fromMac 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'sDonda and "Get Along Better" from Drake'sCertified Lover Boy.
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 fordistributors 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" (featuringBump 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 theBillboard 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.
On January 25, 2025, during an interview, Griffin revealed thatVultures 3 is "on the way" and his fourth solo album, titledTycoon will also be releasing soon.[68][69] On February 7, the initial lead single offTycoon (before being removed from the project), titled "Wheels Fall Off", was first teased with a behind the scenes music video shooting in Los Angeles where rappers Kanye West andthe Game were present,[70] it was later released through theYeezy website, with two different versions, labeled "WFO - 01" and "WFO - 02", and subsequently through streaming platforms, the song features West who also produced it, along with Kobe "BbyKobe" Hood andDarhyl Camper.[71][72]
Griffin's sound typically combinesR&B andhip-hop. 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 tobattle or some shit, they would just cream me. I don't really consider myself a rapper, I just happen to havebars, or something like that. I still sing man, I'm a singer, ya feel me?"[73]
He citedNate Dogg and Chris Brown as main influences for his musical style.[74][75] When asked about his influences, Griffin responded, "2Pac is my favorite artist of all time. I likedSlum Village a lot back then, likeJ 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 wholeRawkus Records scene, that's my type of shit." He continued, "I also like cats likePrince. Just like his production, he's kind of like the same thing as me. He sings, he produces, heplays 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."[76] In an interview he revealed thatKim Burrell was his absolute favorite vocalist, and thatBrandy was right there with her.[10]
Griffin has a daughter, Jailynn (born 2005).[39] He was in a relationship with Fifth Harmony memberLauren Jauregui from 2017 to 2019.[77][78]
In 2020, Griffin formally endorsed thepresidential campaign of rapper and frequent collaborator Kanye West.[81]
On December 10, 2018, it was revealed that Griffin was facing up to 15 years in jail in relation tococaine andmarijuana possession charges.[82] These charges resulted from a traffic stop inAtlanta,Georgia, wherein a car with multiple people, Griffin was the only one charged with the drugs due to him being in close proximity to them.[83] Later, all charges were dropped upon completion of a drug prevention program.[84]
Solo studio albums
Collaborative studio albums
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| 2022 | Entergalactic | Ky (voice) | Television special |
| 2026 | Rolling Loud | TBA | Filming |
| 2011 | Holland in da Hood | cameo | TV series |
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