This is Ty's fourth album and it is a demonstration of passion. Most Hip-Hop artists (if Ty can so easily be labelled) have slipped and tripped on their own feet in recent years. Overhyped and lacking in true culture, the genre has become a sad production. Hip-Hop used to be a platform to expose and enlighten, nowadays it has become a boasting parade that lets only itself down. Ty understands the state of British Hip-Hop and has the leadership qualities to become Prime Minister of the genre.

'Special Kind Of Fool' shows us that Ty's production skills have turned razor sharp. Boosted by the artist's attention to detail and lyrical skill, the songs on this album have been grinded and crafted with his passion and recent life troubles (recently Ty discovered he has Diabetes) to create a very accomplished album.
Guest stars shine. Whether it is Soweto Kinch on jazzy saxophone in 'Wait' or the haunting vocals of Anthony Mills on 'I'm Leaving', each cameo plays a needed and well timed role in the album.

The stand out track is rightfully the first released single 'Emotions'. The song hits you with such a barrage of lyrical flow, beats and melody that one is reminded of Tupac in the 90's. The title is also apt as we get a sense of Ty's feelings towards the genre he cares so much about:

"Somebody better come up with some fresher ideas/
'cuz together, we're dying through collective diarrhea /
Somebody douse the flame/
It's like we're screaming fire but the truck never came/
This music used to bring the joy and the pain"

Ty sees what is wrong in his world and what needs to be done. This is the great defining quality in his latest album - For all the desperation he feels inside and sees around him, Ty knows what he is doing, where he wants to be and how to get there. He knows it will take hard work and brave decisions.

All of this means that Ty has taken a leaf out of the book of every great leader in history and offered the listener a most valuable thing. If you buy 'Special Kind Of Fool', Ty the musician will impress you, and Ty the budding leader of Hip-Hop will throw a little hope into the CD case for good measure.

'Special Kind of Fool' is released on BBE Records.
www.bbemusic.com/data.pl?artist=2238

Written by Ross Andrews