Breakdown: Travis McCoy’s (Gym Class Heroes) cousin with similar mic skills and an ability to write catchy hooks, as apparent on one of this summer’s hottest tracks “Coconut Juice.”
Real name: Michael Stevenson
Age: 19
Hometown: Gardena, Calif.
Influences: His list of top-five MCs of all-time consists of Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Nas, Big L and... himself. “If you’re gonna be your biggest fan, you’re gonna be your biggest critic,” he says.
Often compared to: Gym Class Heroes
Album: No Introduction (2008)
Key track: “Teenage Love.” Yes, “Coconut Juice” is the big hit that broke things wide open, but “Teenage Love” is the song that shows Tyga might have some longevity. The acoustic-based, emo-rap tune highlights the influence of some of his older cousin’s pals.
“I recorded that while I was on tour with Fall Out Boy,” says Tyga, who was on the road with both FOB and Gym Class Heroes for most of last year. “That was a lot of influence right there.”
Claim to fame: “Put the lime in the coconut and mix it all up.” Prior to “Coconut Juice,” Tyga was just that kid doing a cover of Soulja Boy at Gym Class Heroes shows. That all changed when the song broke into the Billboard Hot 100 chart earlier this year.
What’s in a name: As he told DJBooth.net, he’s a “beast when it comes to everything.” Translation — he puts 100 percent into all that he does.
Co-signers: Late last year, Vibe magazine named Tyga “One of the Best Undiscovered Rappers In America;” and the young MC’s skills and determination were enough that Fall Out Boy frontman Pete Wentz signed him to his Decaydance Records as a joint deal with Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment.
Aspires to be like: Mentor Lil Wayne. At last year’s MTV Video Music Awards, McCoy was set to perform live with Lil Wayne and Kanye West, but West had to pull out at the last minute, leaving the fill-in roll to Tyga. Not only did Tyga make it on air, but he caught the attention of Wayne, the self-proclaimed “Best Rapper Alive,” who signed him to Young Money Entertainment and brought Tyga out on tour with him.
“I would say his work ethic skills are amazing,” says Tyga of Wayne. “To see somebody in the studio at that level with that kind of success and see them acting like they ain’t got that success is real motivational. It let’s you know... you can never sit back and be comfortable.”
Humble pie: Despite the success he’s experienced over the past 12 months Tyga remains somewhat grounded, realizing there’s still work to be done. “I’ve been blessed that things have happened so fast.” he says. “But it doesn’t happen over night. There’s a lot of work that goes into the whole process.”
For more: www.myspace.com/tyga
