Special Kind of Fool is Ty’s story. The tale of an artist who after ten years,three critically acclaimed albums (Awkward 2001, Upwards 2003, Closer 2006), collaborations with the likes of Tony Allen, De La Soul, Damon Albarn and Estelle, a Mercury nomination amongst other accolades, and a worldwide army of fans, has always followed his heart. A fool for all kinds of music, only the drum patterns give the instrumentation on this album away as being hip hop, as Ty and his long time co-producer Drew Horley play with a palette of classic funk, soul, two step, 80s synth pop, and glitchy electro samples and sounds. Ty’s lyricism is as insightful as ever; balancing thought provoking subject matter with uplifting messages (I Get Up, and Something Big which features Lovers Rock legend Carroll Thompson), and moving social observation (Heart Is Breaking featuring Sway and Roses Gabor). It also sees Ty exploring his emotional depths (I’m Leaving featuring Anthony Mills, and Emotions featuring the legendary Shaun Escoffery and newcomer Sarina Leah), and of course telling some home truths (Special Kind of Fool and Me, featuring Erik Rico). Peppered throughout with shrewd and often hilarious cultural references, political issues, diverse stories, and an empathetic sensitivity to every day peoples experiences, Ty remains a unique and refreshing voice in hip hop.