Ever since his Virtual World EP was released this past March, DMV rapper TyFontaine has continually shown the world that he is a star in the making. Last night he released his sophomore album, We Ain’t The Same, and this project only solidifies this message further. Throughout We Ain’t The Same, TyFontaine blends energizing, honest lyrics with hard-hitting, melodic production from Internet Money legends Nick Mira, Taz Taylor, and OkTanner, just to name a few. Lately, Ty has been exploring a variety of sounds, and especially did so in his freshman album, 1800, which came out a mere month after Virtual World. I am extremely pleased to say that TyFontaine appears to have developed his sound to the point where he can make a large body of work that maintains a consistent sound without becoming repetitive. In my opinion, this is one of the hallmark traits that separates true musicians who will last in this industry from hitmakers who fall off.
In a similar way to Message, the song he kicked off the Internet Money album B4 THE STORM with, TyFontaine brings sucker-punch energy to the first track of his sophomore album with Activities. This track set the precedent for the rest of the album: that you better not be caught unprepared when Ty comes around, because he’s prepared for anything and everything.
Only a couple tracks later, Ty brings a similar energy to the track Off the Lot. The production on this song was something I was particularly impressed with. A soothing piano melody and soft background singing opens the track, but it doesn’t take long for the heavy-hitting kicks and 808s to come in. Shortly after this point, Ty begins the hook. The words “hold on, wait” accent the chorus halfway through, as Ty pauses what he is saying. They grab your attention immediately in a very good way that leaves you wondering what’s about to happen. Half a second later, Ty comes back with the second half of the hook, and that suspense is relieved. This is something that was very well executed, and made Off the Lot easily one of my favorite songs off the album.
On the 7th track, Mixed Emotions, Coi Leray hops on for a feature. This track instantly became a highlight for me within a matter of seconds. TyFontaine opens the track with a blend of singing and melodic rapping over a steel drum beat before Coi Leray comes in. Coi brought a particularly unique energy to the project that I found very enjoyable. The two worked extremely well together, and the way their voices flowed off of each other showed just how talented each of these young stars are. The song overflows with positive vibes that you can’t help but smile to. I hope to see this duo return with more songs together in the future.
We begin the second half of the album with Delectable, one of the lead singles for the project. Within the first 10 seconds of the song, we can hear TyFontaine say, “MICHI,” clarifying to the listener that this is the other side of TyFontaine’s overall sound. When he is creating as MICHI, he boasts even more singing than he would when creating as TyFontaine. Hitting plenty of high notes, it is very evident that MICHI has a voice, and knows how to use it.
Immediately following Delectable is Seal, an acoustic-driven song that let’s the listener process everything he’s heard up unto this point. I appreciated this song, and it was very well placed in the album. A couple tracks later we have Birthday, a retro-sounding joint with a modern polish. This is a very feel-good song that gave me a nostalgic feeling that left me yearning for and reminiscing on my high-school years. Finally, a few more songs later, we come to the end of the album with End Of Time. This song was a very fitting way to end the album, with MICHI hoping that he will get more time with a particular girl. Again, boasting excellent production from the Internet Money team as usual, this became one of the most enjoyable songs off the album for me.
TyFontaine has been an artist I have personally followed since his Virtual World EP was released. He’s stood out to me as someone with a story to tell, and I’ve been curious to see how his sound would progress and develop. I am extremely pleased to say that the hours TyFontaine has been putting in, on and off the clock, have more than paid off, as evidenced by the excellent work that is his sophomore album. We Ain’t The Same not only lived up to my expectations, but actually exceeded them. This album truly never had a dull moment for me, and is one I will have on repeat for the next several weeks at least. TyFontaine is more than just a one or two time hitmaker. He’s a hitmaker with the potential to have a very long-lasting and influential career in the music scene, which is something that can’t be said about most artists. Listen to We Ain’t The Same by TyFontaine on Spotify here.
great review. he is a star