Ty Dolla Sign seems to be living up to his name. In the issue dated March 29, the Los Angeles rapper/singer/producer’s newest single, “Or Nah” (featuring Wiz Khalifa), debuts at No. 91 on the Billboard Hot 100, jumps 30-24 in its third week on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and has sold 54,000 units to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It’s his second current entry on the charts: His B.o.B-featuring breakout hit, “Paranoid,” spends a second week at No. 32 (after peaking at No. 29) on the Hot 100, remains at its peak (No. 9) on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It has sold 406,000 copies to date.
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“I knew it was going to cross over,” says Ty, 28, of “Paranoid.” “But I still can’t believe it sometimes — it’s just cool seeing the song’s growth.”
Remixes are part of the story: “Paranoid,” produced by DJ Mustard, has one with Trey Songz and French Montana. “Or Nah” has an unofficial remix featuring The Weeknd; Ty says another with Drake is on the way.
Ty (real name Tyrone Griffith) first met success by producing and appearing on YG’s breakout hit “Toot It and Boot It,” which hit No. 67 on the Hot 100 in 2010. He signed to Atlantic in 2012, released two mixtapes, “Beach House” and “Beach House 2,” then inked with Khalifa’s Taylor Gang, an Atlantic imprint, last year.
“Out of every other rap guy, Wiz is the most humble, down-to-earth guy, like me,” says Ty. “Who gives a f– about this fame shit? I hate those type of people.”
KBOS Fresno, Calif., has played “Paranoid” in excess of 2,000 times, 400 more than any other station, according to Nielsen BDS. “Ty Dolla Sign is one of our biggest success stories,” says station PD Tony Banks. “He’s a rapper, singer and songwriter — the trifecta.”
“I do a little bit of everything,” says Ty, who’s also written for Jennifer Lopez and Chris Brown. Ty heads out on his first headlining tour on April 29, and has begun recording a full-length debut, due later this year and tentatively titled “Free TC” — after his brother, who’s currently incarcerated. “I’m going to get all the money and get him a great lawyer — some 2014 Johnnie Cochran shit,” says Ty. “At the end of this music shit, what do we have? Family, and I’m definitely family first.”