GRUNGECAKE TEAM
Ty Dolla $ign joins Zane Lowe in-studio on Apple Music 1 to discuss new song ‘Motion’. He tells Apple Music about the origin of the uptempo track and reveals that he has tons of new music on the way, including an EP, mixtape, and album ready to go. He also discusses craft and process, shares his thoughts on AI (“we’ll murder them any day”) and how the technology will impact the creation of music, staying versatile as an artist, and more.
Ty Dolla $ign tells Apple Music about new song ‘Motion’
This one will just make you move automatic right when it come on. Really since ‘Free TC’, I had a dance song on there, my first album, so I’ve always been into that bag. And right now, this just was one of the hottest ones that was on my hard drive. I was like, “It’s time for this one, Summertime.” Different tempos, but doing my kind of music, just having fun.
Ty Dolla $ign tells Apple Music he has an EP, mixtape, and album ready to release
I got an EP ready, I got a mix tape ready, I got an album ready, I got another type of genre album ready. I’m ready, so now it’s about spacing it out and properly timing everything the right way. I’ll be dropping hella new music and I’m excited for it.
Ty Dolla $ign tells Apple Music he writes as many as seven songs a day
I feel like me personally, on a good day, I’ll make seven songs a day, five to seven songs. And all of them aren’t the greatest. Or all of them aren’t on point to the time, you know what I mean? In my notes on my phone, I have this log of just basically all of my songs. And sometimes when I just go into that and click one that I forgot about, it’ll work like that.
Ty Dolla $ign tells Apple Music how he writes lyrics
Either we make a beat or a producer makes a beat and words will come to me right when I hear the beat. Or I’ll hear the beat and I’ll be like, “That’s dope, but next. Oh, that one. Here’s some words.” Or if I just hear the beat and the words don’t come automatic, I’ll pull out my notes and I have a lot of concepts, basically. Just say me and you have a conversation or whatever may be going on in life, I write down whatever I feel like could be a dope song idea. And sometimes I’ll just scroll through that and, “Oh, that fits perfect for this beat.” And then the melody will come and then the rest of the words are coming.
Ty Dolla $ign on his thoughts on AI and how the technology will impact music creation
I know it’s coming and I’ve played with a couple of those little AI things. One of the homies created one and we got to just sit there and watch him make a whole song in two minutes. He’s like, “Watch this.” He goes through some melodies, picks one. Changes the bass sound, changes a lead sound. Goes through some drums, changes a couple sounds, bam, you got the beat. Then he’s like, “All right, I want it to be a song about da, da, da and I wanted to be inspired by this person.” Got the lyrics. Then he can’t even sing, he just hums whatever into the thing, presses some different effects. One of the effects was a T-Pain effect. This effect, this effect, gets the vocal sounding right. Then goes to another screen, does a cover like he’s going to drop a cover for the song while the song is still playing. Bam, you got the whole project. I think the song that the AI came up with was trash and we’ll murder them any day, but it’s definitely coming, man. I feel like people are always just trying to come up with something to make life easier.
Ty Dolla $ign on being a versatile artists and hopping between genres
I just enjoy making music, man, and the challenge of putting together whatever puzzle they put in front of me, whether it be 140 bpm or a slow R&B jam.
Ty Dolla $ign on how he decides to agree to requests for features
A lot of times I’m like, “Yo, send me the song.” And if I love it, then do it in my own studio.
Ty Dolla $ign on approaching the 10-year anniversary of ‘Beach House 2′
I haven’t listened to ‘Beach House 2’. I’m not going to lie. Nah, but it’s been huge… definitely a celebration and shout out to everybody that was with me then, the ones that are still with me now from that team and all the new people I’ve met that have just been here for this journey. And it’s still going, we’re still going… it was more so back then, that trying to get people to hear it or just to be noticed, knowing you make good music and all your homies around you are telling you this is crazy. But then to get the people to feel it, that was also the time of just meeting my first publicist, my first managers, my first everything and just seeing how the game works. And now I’m more seasoned and I kind of know what to do once I get a record.
Ty Dolla $ign on the skateboarding accident that left his hospitalised
I still skate, I never stop. Me and my homie, Deshaun Jordan, who’s legendary skating right now, shout out to my brother, we were over in Canoga Park at the homie skate park. We were playing pool. You know I get down in pool as well, so we were playing pool. The homie had mad confidence that day and he wanted to bet me big. So I bet him. The first three games, I’m not going to lie, I let him win. I swept his ass. I got that money and then I went to drop in. I was looking back, as you could see on the video, and then I dropped in, just not even paying attention. And when I dropped in, the board went from up under me and I smacked the back of my skull onto the ramp. But luckily… I had my hair in the bun that day and I had my hoodie up, so I think my hair saved me for sure. I was knocked out for about two minutes. Shout out to Bellagie and Deshawn for making sure I was good and getting me to the hospital. Same night I came out to the forum and did a concert with Mario.They didn’t even discharge me, man. The guy came in and said I was good. “Mild concussion, but you’re going to be straight. Just come back in a few days.” So I got up and left, went and did the concert and everything was good. I love what I do, man. What can I say?
