Ty Dolla $ign names his five favourite hooks of all time
Singer and rapper Ty Dolla $ign has been a part of hip-hop for well over a decade and, akin to figures such as Bryson Tiller and Drake, brings some soul to rap music. The vocalist released two projects with Kanye West last year. However, he has worked with a range of artists over the years.
As part of Wiz Khalifa’s weed-loving crew, Taylor Gang, the singer worked extensively with Khalifa as well as his partner in crime, Snoop Dogg, who regularly drew comparisons between him and the late Nate Dogg.
Ty Dolla $ign carved out a sound for himself. However, his sound was very similar to Drake’s, and his melodic, hip-hop R&B fusion material was not able to overshadow the behemoth that was Drizzy.
His 2024 resurgence alongside Kanye was unexpected, to say the least, and reminded many that he was still active in the industry, as many rap fans had forgotten. Unfortunately, the Vultures album series was received poorly and despite the lead-up, they both failed to deliver for many hopefuls.
Although the discography of Ty Dolla $ign isn’t as shiny as that of Drake or The Weeknd, he is undeniably good at writing hooks and has some unfathomably catchy hits like ‘Or Nah’ and ‘Paranoid.’ That said, in an interview with Vevo, the ‘Spicy’ rhymer decided to name some of his favourite hooks and choruses of all time.
As the natural collaborator he is, the Beach House 3 creator didn’t just name tracks he has worked on as a lead artist but also thought about songs he had contributed to as a guest. As he pondered his vast discography, he stated, “The top five that I’ve worked on? Shit! ‘Fade’ by Kanye West, ‘Paranoid’ by Ty Dolla, ‘Or Nah’ by Ty Dolla, ‘Money Showers’ by Fat Joe and Remy Ma and ‘Work From Home’ by Fifth Harmony.”
He then delved into the details of how he made ‘Paranoid’ featuring B.o.B, the vocalist explained, “I made ‘Paranoid’ at my old crib in Hollywood just right there in the living. When I had first got the beat from Mustard, I probably did two other songs with the same beat, and I didn’t feel they were ‘it’, but when I did that song, it just gave me like a crazy energy!”
The singer then opened up about the creation of ‘Or Nah’, one of his most successful solo tracks of all time. “‘Or Nah’ was written at the written at the Record Plant studio in Hollywood. It was originally for Wiz Khalifa’s album. I had an EP about to drop. The Beach House EP and I needed seven bangers! So I was like, ‘Wiz I need that song!’ and he was like ‘For sure bro, don’t trip.'”
The song was a smash, and although it didn’t top the charts, it went six times platinum and sat alongside other classics, including the ‘Paranoid’ remix, which saw Trey Songz and French Montana jump on. Ty Dolla $ign’s music speaks to a certain age of rap music in the early 2010s, where pop-infused rap acts such as Kid Ink and Ty Dolla $ign sat atop the charts, but the pop-rap acts were often brushed aside for the more interesting, less commercial SoundCloud prodigies.
Ty Dolla $ign’s five favourite hooks of all time:
- Kanye West – ‘Fade’
- Ty Dolla $ign featuring B.o.B – ‘Paranoid’
- Ty Dolla $ign featuring Wiz Khalifa & DJ Mustard – ‘Or Nah’
- Fat Joe & Remy Ma featuring Ty Dolla $ign – ‘Money Showers’
- Fifth Harmony featuring Ty Dolla $ign – ‘Work From Home’