Between
Beach House III and this, his third proper full-length,
Ty Dolla $ign continued to collect hits as a supporting vocalist as he does the women and jewelry he flaunts in his songs, reaching some of his highest highs with
Post Malone's "Psycho,"
Khalid's "OTW," and
Megan Thee Stallion's "Hot Girl Summer." Clearly still far from settling into middle age by cutting raunchy soul-blues sides for
Malaco like the second coming of
Marvin Sease, he fine-tunes his methods on
Featuring Ty Dolla $ign.
Ty's wordplay can still crush that of most commercial rappers, his profane harmonies remain unrivaled, and he has album assembly down to a science. It's a testament to his vision and do-it-all ability that he can work with roughly 50 fellow producers and guest artists and line up the results for an hour-long set with tracks that flow forth like they're being decanted. Moreover, this is a strong reaffirmation of his eagerness to adapt to any set of collaborators. There's something special about each instance when he links with fellow Californians, such as the downcast if neatly unfurling "Track 6" (with
Anderson .Paak and
Thundercat) and the rolling "Real Life" (one of three tracks co-produced by onetime
Ty pupil
Mustard). In the second of these,
Ty summarizes the harsh and surreal aspects of his existence with a chorus that only he could sing with such matter-of-fact grace. While the thought of a strictly West Coast-made
Ty project is tantalizing, the artist's wanderlust is insatiable and usually rewarding, whether he unites with
Nicki Minaj on "Expensive" or effectively forms a one-off quartet with secret weapon
Tish Hyman,
Musiq Soulchild, and
6LACK on "Your Turn," a soul-searching retreat from pleasure-seeking and rumbling 808s. Continuity is also maintained by a couple appearances from
Ty's brother
TC, who offers motivation in the intro and later provides an update on his incarceration (a life sentence for a crime he claims he did not commit). ~ Andy Kellman