Free TC

Free TC
Studio album by Ty Dolla Sign
Released November 13, 2015 (2015-11-13)
Recorded 2012–15
Genre
Length 72:34
Label
Producer
Ty Dolla Sign chronology
Beach House EP
(2014)
Free TC
(2015)
Campaign
(2016)
Singles from Free TC
  1. "Only Right"
    Released: May 26, 2015
  2. "Blasé"
    Released: June 26, 2015
  3. "When I See Ya"
    Released: September 14, 2015
  4. "Saved"
    Released: October 15, 2015
  5. "Solid"
    Released: October 22, 2015
  6. "Wavy"
    Released: January 16, 2016[1]

Free TC is the debut studio album by American recording artist Ty Dolla Sign. It was released on November 13, 2015, by Taylor Gang Entertainment and distributed by Atlantic Records.[2] As executive producers by Ty Dolla Sign and Wiz Khalifa enlisted a variety of collaborators; including DJ Mustard, DJ Spinz, Cardo, Johnny Juliano, R. Kelly, Kendrick Lamar, Brandy and Kanye West, among others.[3]

Free TC received generally positive reviews from critics. The album debuted at number 14 on the Billboard 200, selling 31,000 equivalent album units and 22,000 copies in the first week. Free TC was supported by six singles: "Only Right", "Blasé", "When I See Ya", "Saved", "Solid" and "Wavy".

Promotion

On October 13, 2015, while Ty is prepping for the release of Free TC, Ty released his sixth mixtape "Airplane Mode". On October 15, the album's final track listing was revealed through his SoundCloud account, in which Ty told his brother TC (to whom the album is dedicated) over the phone about each track and how they came up with it together.[4]

Singles

The album's lead single, "Only Right" was released on May 26, 2015. The song features guest vocals from American rappers YG, Joe Moses and TeeCee4800, with the production handled by Mike Free and DJ Mustard.[5]

The album's second single, "Blasé" was released on June 26, 2015. The song features guest vocals from a fellow recording artist Future and the southern hip hop group Rae Sremmurd, with the production handled by DJ Spinz.[6] "Blasé" was sent to radio and the song later charted on the Billboard Hot 100.[7]

The album's third single, "When I See Ya" was released on September 14, 2015. The song features guest vocals from American recording artist Fetty Wap, with the production handled by Cardo, Soundz, Wheezy and Johnny Juliano.[8]

The album's fourth single, "Saved" was released on October 15, 2015. The song features guest vocals from a fellow rapper E-40, with the production handled by DJ Mustard alongside Twice as Nice.[9] "Saved" was sent to radio and the song later charted on the Billboard Hot 100.[7]

The album's fifth single, "Solid" was released on October 22, 2015. The song features guest vocals from American R&B singer-songwriter Babyface, who also serves its production alongside Ty Dolla Sign and The Rascals on this track.[10]

The album's sixth single, "Wavy" was released on January 16, 2016. The song features guest vocals from a fellow rapper Joe Moses, with the production handled by DJ Mustard. The song is exclusively on the deluxe edition re-release for the album.[1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.1/10[11]
Metacritic76/100[12]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[13]
Consequence of SoundB[14]
Entertainment WeeklyA–[15]
Exclaim!7/10[16]
The Guardian[17]
HipHopDX4/5[18]
Pitchfork7.7/10[19]
Rolling Stone[20]
Spin7/10[21]
Tiny Mix Tapes3/5[22]

Free TC received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 76, based on 16 reviews.[12] David Jeffries of AllMusic said, "Numerous proven mixtapes help set Ty up for an easier introduction than most, but Free TC tops all expectations, as the man conquers the club, the bedroom, and the brain with this end-to-end stunner."[13] Brain Josephs of Consequence of Sound said, "For all of Free TC's turn-up nut-grabbing, it's the beating heart that ends up stealing the show."[14] Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly said, "Free TC could use some editing, but Ty has enough charm to carry bedroom jams, Cadillac bangers, and folk-funk experiments all at once."[15] In a positive review for Exclaim!, Calum Slingerland praised Ty's talent in composition and arrangement, writing "what could have easily been a 16-track collection of Griffin's ambition becoming his downfall is a worthwhile look at the multifaceted nature of his musical brain."[16] Claire Lobenfeld of Fact said, "This is not the moment where he will become a superstar, but it's a promising beginning to what should be a very long career."[23] Shirley Ju of HipHopDX said, "So, all in all, Ty delivers a light, layered debut, with more depth than we thought could be drawn out of the trap&B sound he helped usher into the mainstream."[18]

Jon Caramanica of The New York Times said, "Free TC--often exceptional, and easily one of the best R&B albums of this year--is elaborate in conception and execution but still feels off the cuff."[24] Rebecca Haithcoat of Pitchfork said, "His confidence is why he flies when he swings for the fences on his new album, Free TC."[19] Corbin Reiff of Rolling Stone said, "Free TC, dedicated to Dolla $ign's currently incarcerated brother, marries a diverse range of earworm-level hooks and genre-bridging rhythms to uncomfortably base themes."[20] Winston Cook-Wilson of Spin said, "The album is a dense, cinematic, always surprising and often moving album that sounds like it required the full three years that the L.A. crooner and producer spent chipping away at it to get right."[21] Lanre Bakare of The Guardian said, "[The] cameo-packed tracks fail to live up to the billing, often feeling too long and lacking the punch of Dolla $ign's previous output."[17] Brooklyn Russell of Tiny Mix Tapes said, "Despite looking to set the world on fire with Free TC, his debut, Dolla $ign spreads himself too thin and mostly stumbles over his own lofty ambitions."[22]

Year-end lists

Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Complex The Best Albums of 2015 25 [25]
HipHopDX The Top 25 Albums of 2015 No order [26]
The Hundreds Top 25 Albums of 2015 18 [27]
NPR 50 Favorite Albums of 2015 No order [28]
Noisey The Top 26 Overlooked Albums of 2015 No order [29]
The New York Times The Best Albums of 2015 by Jon Caramanica 4 [30]
New York Daily News Best of hip-hop albums: Class of 2015 10 [31]
Pigeons & Planes Best Albums of 2015 39 [32]
Rolling Stone 20 Best R&B Albums of 2015 10 [33]
Uproxx The 15 Best Rap Albums of 2015 14 [34]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number 14 on the Billboard 200, with 31,000 equivalent album units and first-week sales of 22,000 copies in the United States.[35]

Track listing

Standard version
No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "LA" (featuring Kendrick Lamar, Brandy and James Fauntleroy)
5:07
2. "Saved" (featuring E-40) 2:58
3. "Straight Up" (featuring Jagged Edge)
  • Pop Wansel
  • Flippa
  • Toro[a]
5:01
4. "Solid" (featuring Babyface)
  • Babyface
  • The Rascals
  • D'Mile[b]
  • Ty Dolla Sign[b]
4:19
5. "Horses in the Stable"  
3:06
6. "Know Ya" (featuring Trey Songz) 4:52
7. "Credit" (featuring Sevyn Streeter)
  • Griffin, Jr.
  • Emile II
  • Proby
  • Barrow
  • Kenneth Coby
  • Cychae Strahan
  • Brandon Hamlin
  • Devin Montgomery
6:11
8. "Miracle / Wherever" (featuring Big TC and D-Loc)
  • D'Mile
  • Nate 3D
  • Ty Dolla Sign
8:15
9. "Guard Down" (featuring Kanye West and Diddy)Hit-Boy 4:56
10. "Sitting Pretty" (featuring Wiz Khalifa)
3:26
11. "When I See Ya" (featuring Fetty Wap)
3:34
12. "Blasé" (featuring Future and Rae Sremmurd)
DJ Spinz 4:46
13. "Only Right" (featuring YG, Joe Moses and TeeCee4800)
3:10
14. "Bring It Out of Me"  
Stargate 3:45
15. "Actress" (featuring R. Kelly)
D'Mile 6:12
16. "Finale" (featuring Sa-Ra and PJ)
2:53
Total length:
72:34

Notes

Charts

Chart (2015) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[36] 87
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[37] 132
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[38] 45
French Albums (SNEP)[39] 159
UK Albums (OCC)[40] 93
US Billboard 200[41] 14
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[42] 4

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label
United Kingdom November 12, 2015 Atlantic
United States[43][44] November 13, 2015
March 25, 2016 (Deluxe version)
April 20, 2016 Vinyl[45]

References

  1. 1 2 "Wavy (feat. Joe Moses) – Single". iTunes Store. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  2. "Ty Dolla $ign Announces "Free TC" Release Date With Cover Art". hotnewhiphop. 2015-09-10. Retrieved 2015-10-30.
  3. "Ty Dolla $ign on Twitter". Twitter. 2015-10-09. Retrieved 2015-10-30.
  4. "Ty Dolla $ign Reveals Official Tracklist For "Free TC"". hotnewhiphop. 2015-10-15. Retrieved 2015-10-30.
  5. Rose Lilah (May 15, 2015). "Ty Dolla $ign – Only Right Feat. YG, Joe Moses & TeeCee4800 (Prod. By DJ Mustard)". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  6. "Ty Dolla $ign f. Future & Rae Sremmurd – "Blasé"". HipHopDX. June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  7. 1 2 "Ty Dolla $ign – Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  8. "Ty Dolla $ign – When I See Ya Feat. Fetty Wap (Prod. By Cardo & Johhny Juliano)". hotnewhiphop. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  9. James Grebey (October 16, 2015). "Ty Dolla $ign Drops New Single and Stellar 'Free TC' Track List". Spin. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  10. Rose Lilah (October 23, 2015). "Ty Dolla $ign – Solid Feat. Babyface". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
  11. "Free TC by Ty Dolla $ign reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  12. 1 2 "Reviews for Free TC by Ty Dolla $ign". Metacritic. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  13. 1 2 David Jeffries. "Free TC – Ty Dolla $ign". AllMusic. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  14. 1 2 Brian Josephs (November 18, 2015). "Ty Dolla $ign – Free TC". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  15. 1 2 Kyle Anderson (November 6, 2015). "'Free TC' by Ty Dolla $ign: EW review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  16. 1 2 Calum Slingerland (November 25, 2015). "Ty Dolla $ign – Free TC". Exclaim!. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  17. 1 2 Lanre Bakare (November 12, 2015). "Ty Dolla $ign: Free TC review – lofty ideas on LA rapper's debut". The Guardian. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  18. 1 2 Shirley Ju (November 18, 2015). "Ty Dolla $ign – Free TC". HipHopDX. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  19. 1 2 Haithcoat, Rebecca (16 November 2015). "Ty Dolla $ign: Free TC". Pitchfork. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
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  22. 1 2 Brooklyn Russell. "Ty Dolla $ign – Free TC". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
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  25. "The Best Albums of 2015". Complex. December 1, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  26. "The Top 25 Albums Of 2015". HipHopDX. December 23, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  27. "Top 25 Albums of 2015". The Hundreds. December 28, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  28. "NPR Music's 50 Favorite Albums Of 2015". NPR. December 7, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  29. "The Top 26 Overlooked Albums of 2015". Noisey. December 23, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  30. "The Best Albums of 2015". The New York Times. December 9, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  31. "Best of hip-hop albums: Class of 2015". New York Daily News. December 15, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  32. "Best Albums of 2015". Pigeons & Planes. December 15, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  33. "20 Best R&B Albums of 2015". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  34. "The Smoking Section Ranks The 15 Best Rap Albums Of 2015". Uproxx. December 23, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  35. "Hip Hop Album Sales: Jeezy, Logic & Ty Dolla $ign". HipHopDX. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  36. Ryan, Gavin (November 21, 2015). "ARIA Albums: Justin Bieber Beats One Direction to No 1". Noise11. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
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  39. "Lescharts.com – Ty Dolla $ign – Free TC". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 22, 2015.
  40. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 21, 2015.
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  44. "Free TC (Deluxe) by Ty Dolla $ign on iTunes". iTunes. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
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