Ty Dolla $ign shows more maturity on his new mixtape, Beach House 3. But there's still room for summer sex jams.
Ty Dolla $ign shows more maturity on his new mixtape, Beach House 3. But there's still room for summer sex jams.
If Beach House 3, the latest instalment of Ty Dolla $ign's mixtape series, opened with a club-ready sex jam or ode to hip-hop hedonism, it wouldn't be a surprise.
The South Los Angeles singer has become this generation's answer to Nate Dogg, a go-to for those wanting to add adose of sleazy R&B cool to their grimy hip-hop anthems.
It's a formula that's made Ty Dolla $ign huge: already this year he's made 14 guest appearances and released three of his own singles, and now there's this, the follow-up to last year's excellent Campaign mixtape.
But Beach House 3 doesn't begin how you'd expect it to. Instead of the urban filth we're used to, there's space, and reflection. "Everybody wants to be famous," croons Ty Dolla over plucked guitar strings. "They want to make it overnight."
It's a sign of maturity that carries through the rest of the album, which serves as a warning about the trappings of fame.
"I can't trust nobody / All they want is my money," he sings on Don't Judge Me. On Lil Favourite, he's swapped late-night hookups for solo encounters: "I've been up all night / Have to focus on my life." On All the Time, he seems to promote monogamy: "I think about you all the time," he croons like a lovesick teenager.
If you've ever heard Or Nah, his 2014 single that remains one of the filthiest singles in recent memory, this new-found growth is a surprise.
Crucially, his songs remain immediately accessible. Beach House 3 is framed in the same way as the year's biggest rap releases: beats are expensive, widescreen affairs; there are guests spots from Future, Pharrell, Wiz Khalifa and Swae Lee; and in Dawsin's Breek, he's nailed an absolute banger, one that will be rattling car boots all summer.
Occasionally, there's still a smattering of the filth of old: On Droptop in the Rain, he uses a bizarre lyrical metaphor to compare sex to driving a topless car in poor weather. It's one of the album's weaker songs. Next time, let's hope he leaves that particular car in the garage - he clearly doesn't need it anymore.
Ty Dolla $ign - Beach House 3
Label: Atlantic Verdict: Plenty of $igns of maturity on third Beach House tape
