TyFontaine

TyFontaine is a 21-year-old artist from the DMV and has a bright future ahead of him, evidenced by the projects he’s already put out and the talent he’s already showcased. TyFontaine has shown that rare ability to be able to rap and sing, and you can tell because of the swagger that comes out of his bars and the emotion that is embedded into his melodies. You can just feel the confidence and passion on every track. For a quick player comp, he reminds me a lot of Uzi and Thug with a sprinkle of Juice Wrld.

Ty had a pretty unique journey into rap, as while he was in high school, he worked at a sneaker store that had a studio in the back. He found himself recording his first song ever, “Precision,” which would later win him a contest and the track would be played on the radio for 2 weeks. Finding a passion for music, Ty dropped out of college to pursue his dreams. He would soon connect with producer SidePCE, from Internet Money via Instagram Live, and would eventually sign with the Taz Taylor-led collective and label. 

Ty’s unique sound and style can be attributed to his childhood, as he says he didn’t get into rap until about 4th or 5th grade. Before that, it was gospel and Mary J. Blige because that’s what his parents were listening to. He also listened to a lot of traditional island music as his mom was from the Bahamas. Basically, it was a mix of Calypso music, Mary J. Blige, Marvin Sapp, Usher, and Neyo. Lil Wayne was the first rapper he listened to, and then Key! who was and still is one of his favorite rappers. Today, he says Thugger is a huge influence on him, specifically projects like "Jeffrey", which inspired his “Beautiful Michi Girls” passion project. Brent Faiyaz and Future are two more artists he says he looks up to. 

You can hear the diverse style on a track like “Run It Up.” The different cadences and pitches made the track fun and reminded me a lot of Thug. The beat was simple (in a good way), and Ty glided over it with sweet melodies and catchy flows. The way Ty plays with cadence and pitch is what makes his music so fun and catchy. Take “Virtual World” for example, from just the intro you're expecting a regular mumble, staccato, and triplet track until he starts singing and switches it up. The chorus plays with different pitch levels and makes it fun to sing along. Overall, Ty always comes up with fun tracks that are high-energy and catchy as hell. The meshing of the singing and the rapping is always sick, and he always has amazing beat selection that compliments his style perfectly. 

Today, TyFontaine is an independent artist who cares a lot about his art and its expression in all facets of his life, including fashion. I think Ty has done an amazing job of showcasing his whole brand of high tide, or ‘Michio’. Everything he does embodies this sense of calmness and simplicity, and also, without being too corny, just being wavy. You can feel his charisma ooze into the music, especially through that beat selection I mentioned before. Whether it be funky basslines, big gliding synths, or stark percussion to keep the rhythm, Ty always keeps his vocals as the centerpiece of a myriad of instruments, almost like the orchestrator of a symphony. Keep your eyes and ears on him because you’ll be seeing a lot of him very soon. Check out his latest album, “WTF is P!NK” and let us know what you think!