6 MONTHS AGO
Ty Dolla $ign began recording his “Beach House” EP in September. He’d already released two free mixtapes, “Beach House” (2012) and “Beach House 2” (2013), since inking a deal with Atlantic in 2012, but wanted to further introduce himself to listeners. “Not enough people knew about me yet,” he says. “I wanted to get people prepared for the actual full-length.” VP of marketing Brian Dackowski says, “We like to do EPs on the artist-development front to get people accustomed to an artist.” After “Beach House 2” single “Paranoid” (featuring Joe Moses) received airplay on KPWR Los Angeles in July, Ty and the label decided to revisit it on the EP, swapping Moses for B.o.B.
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1-4 MONTHS AGO
GET THIS WEEK’S ISSUE HERE OR SUBSCRIBE TO BILLBOARD HEREAtlantic serviced the revamped single to mixshows beginning in September, followed by rhythmic (Oct. 9) and R&B/hip-hop (Nov. 11) stations. Meanwhile, the video debuted on Revolt TV on Oct. 22. Ty announced the track list and release date on Dec. 11, earning press from such hip-hop websites as XXLmag.com. Key live gigs also helped ignite buzz, most notably KPWR’s Cali Christmas concert on Dec. 14. Ty also performed “Paranoid” on AXS TV’s “SKEE Live” on Dec. 19. An iTunes pre-order launched Jan. 7, with three instant downloads, including the “Paranoid” remix featuring Trey Songz, French Montana and DJ Mustard, which made its radio debut on KPWR on Jan. 13.
RELEASE WEEK
Atlantic coordinated an exclusive stream of the EP with HotNewHipHop.com on Jan. 17. The stream was reblogged on sites including Stereogum and Complex. Ty celebrated release day (Jan. 21) with a performance at Los Angeles’ Supper Club with help from guests Trey Songz and Wiz Khalifa, before jetting to his first New York gig, WQHT’s “Who’s Next” showcase, the next day. “That show was crazy — everybody showed up and knew all of the words,” Ty recalls. He premiered the video for “Never Be the Same” on Jan. 23 before landing two big TV looks: performing “Paranoid” with B.o.B on BET’s “106 & Park” (Jan. 24) and again on “The Arsenio Hall Show” with DJ Mustard (Jan. 28).
NEXT UP
Ty began recording his full-length in January, with hopes to release it in late 2014. “We’re going to spend the next few months just really locked into recording,” Dackowski says. He adds that Ty has a few tour offers on the table but nothing is confirmed, except for a spring-break show with Wiz Khalifa on South Padre Island in Texas on March 15, followed by South by Southwest. Ty has also been producing for other artists, including upcoming tracks for Chris Brown and Jennifer Lopez, and Atlantic has helped him link up with labelmates in the studio. “The team at Atlantic has shown me such love,” Ty says. “It’s the greatest position I could be in. We’re just vibing.”