Can Ty Dolla $ign finally be the star of his own show?

On Sunday (February 25), Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign narrowly edged out Yeat to maintain their dominance of the Billboard 200 for a second consecutive week with their collaboration Vultures 1 album. For Mr West, this feat marks the first time since 2011 Watch Throne that he was able to have multiple weeks at No. 1, while for Ty, it's the first No. 1 of any length on the chart in his career.

As Yeezy continues to post star-level numbers despite backlash over his many recent controversies, this is new territory for his veteran collaborator. After nine mixtapes, three collaborative EPs and two solo albums, Ty finally has a No. 1 album on his resume. With nearly 15 years in the game, it's a landmark win for Ty – but could it also be the start of something more for him as a solo star?

Throughout his career, Ty has proven himself to be the quintessential hook man, deftly elevating rap songs with his silky vocals and bravado bravado. His first assist came in 2010 when he helped Cali group YG with Def Jam's debut single “Toot It and Boot It”. The record peaked at No. 67 on the Hot 100 and No. 12 on the Rap Songs chart, eventually earning platinum status by the RIAA. After that early success, Ty showed that he could also be a solo threat as a mainstream artist, scoring his first Hot 100 top 40 single in 2013 with “Paranoid” alongside producer DJ Mustard and guest rapper BoB . The combination of Mustard and Dolla $ign wreaked havoc once again when they collaborated on the title track “Or Nah,” which reached No. 48 on the Hot 100 and saw The Weeknd and Wiz Khalifa join the remix. These singles were packaged on the excellent 2014 EP, Beach house – a hearty starter, featuring notable features from rookie-era Travis Scott and bubbly French Montana.

In the mid-2010s, Mustard dominated the radio and clubs with his intense West Coast production. Ty has been a huge beneficiary of this success, making features for Taylor Gang leader Wiz Khalifa, Travis Barker, Chris Brown, Big Sean and other hit makers. He even showed he could bring a spark to the pop side when linking up with acts like Fifth Harmony and Post Malone, with both records becoming top five hits on the Hot 100 and the latter becoming his first Hot 100-topper.

The West Coast crooner also continued to show promise on the solo side, notably on his debut album, Free TC, in 2015. When paired with singers like Brandy and James Fauntleroy (“LA”), Babyface (“Solid”), and Jagged Edge (“Straight Up”), Ty held his own and created memorable moments without getting carried away . featured artist. Then, when paired with rappers, Ty's swagger provided enough heat to stand alongside some of the toughest cats of the era, including Kendrick Lamar, Future and Kanye. Although it failed to top the Billboard 200, Free TC It shined on many year-end lists and cemented Ty as a formidable top performer.

But Ty started to lose a lot of weight, releasing one too many projects at a time. NEXT Free TC, dropped his mixtape campaign a year after its release and delivered its second album, Beach House 3, in 2017. That's three projects in two years. While BH3 had notable features including Lil Wayne, Pharrell and Future, failed to land Ty his first top 10 album on the Billboard 200, forcing him to quickly return to features. While he secured great co-stars on Kanye West's “Real Friends,” Drake's “Jaded,” and the Carters' “Boss,” instead of using that momentum to release a solo album, he teamed up with Jeremih. for their joint album Mihty in 2018. After landing a Hot 100 No. 1 with Post Malone on “Psycho” that year, it would be the perfect time for Ty to be a little more selfish and release an album on his own. But the reception to MihTy was mild, failing to gain momentum on the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 60.

Ty's last solo album came in 2020, Featuring Ty Dolla $ign, which earned the highest Billboard 200 debut of his career (No. 4), with a bloated 25-song effort. The glossy guest list was good, bringing in household names like Kanye, Nicki Minaj, Post Malone, and Kid Cudi, but it proved again that the less-is-more adage should focus more on Ty going forward. In 2021 another collaboration album with DVSN was released titled Best wishes for the best memories – which didn't move the needle for either party commercially, peaking at No. 139 on the BIllboard 200. The album was also panned by fans and critics, who craved more from the two revered acts.

But the door is still open for Ty to re-establish himself as a solo star after his release Vultures 1. The chart-topping LP features a masterclass performance from Ty Dolla $ign, doing what he does best — being the sidekick. With Kanye handling the production and being the featured artist, Ty colored between the lines and kept the songs solid despite Ye's radioactive raps. Tracks like “Burn” and “Back to Me” showed flashes of vintage Yeezy but are anchored by Ty's hooks and songwriting skills. While Mr. West was undoubtedly the mastermind, Ty's smoothness very much completed this project, which makes one wonder: What if Ty recorded his next solo album with Kanye as executive producer?

Or, to take things further, Ty can take a page out of Pusha T's book and have two producers helm his new album. He could tap his old friend DJ Mustard to do half the album, while Mr. West takes over the second half, giving fans a look back and forth since he's done his best work with both maestros. behind the scene. . Fans love him for his collaborations, but seeing more of Ty on the solo front could benefit him as a mainstream artist, considering there's some stagnation on the male side of R&B, with no definitive frontrunner right now.

While Ty has enjoyed a prolific career and will go on to become one of the most influential artists of this generation, he hasn't always needed to share the limelight. But if Ty finishes all three Vultures installments with Kanye (with 2 and 3 currently scheduled for March 5 and April 8, respectively), will push him even higher — and hopefully one day he can use the momentum to headline his carnival .