Exclusive interview with 1280 artist Ty Brazil

Raptology: Where are you from?
Ty Brazil: I’m From Chicago, IL ! More specifically born and raised on the Southside of Chicago. I know it gets bad press in the media but as long as you mind your business, Chicago is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Great people, great food , great weather (until the winter) lol.

Raptology: Why did you first start making music?
Ty Brazil: I love this question. My older cousin & family friend had a “rap beef” with a few guys in the neighborhood at the time. As time went on they asked me to join their group so we can win this “rap beef” lol. At first I said no, but later that day I watched Twista’s “Pimp like me”video, got influenced and thus my career was born lol. I don’t make music with the subject matter of the twista song (which makes the story even weirder to me) but it was the song that made me start.

Raptology: Talk me through your creative process? 
Ty Brazil: I can only make music when I’m inspired. I’m not an artist who likes to make music anytime of the day. The reason being, I don’t want to create when my creative juices aren’t at it’s height. We as black people go through so many things on a day to day basis so creative juices might not always be there. With that being said, I can only write in a space by myself, no studios, parties etc. I need silence and about 2 hours per song. I don’t 2nd guess much after I write and record, so it’s on to the next after one song.

Raptology: Have you heard the theory that some musicians write their best music while they’re depressed or going through a bad time?
Ty Brazil: Yes I have, and I have a love/hate relationship with this theory. It reminds of sending a drunk text. You’re putting something out into the universe that (depending on the person) you might regret once you’re able to think clearly again. On the flip side, many artist are able to connect with our fans during these moments. The stories in the songs & albums become more relatable. So yes, on one end this is theory is correct but some mistakes can come from it as well.

Raptology: What’s the best advice you ever received?
Ty Brazil: This is the most cliche answer ever so forgive me. With that said, the best advice was to “keep going”. It’s a lot of people with talent in this world , but they never make it because they gave up. Consistency separates the good from the great. As long as you keep going, I believe it’s only a matter of time for your goals to come true.

Raptology: What is your biggest challenge?
Ty Brazil: The biggest challenge by far has been finding that middle ground between “turn up” and “lyrical”. Majority of my fans like to hear more of my lyrical songs , but with this era of new hip hop you have to include more “turn up” songs. So finding a middle ground between my signature style & new fans that want to “turn up” has definitely been a challenge. The good thing is Hip hop is starting to transition lyrical artist over trap beats so I should be alright.

Raptology: What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received about your music?
Ty Brazil: My younger cousin told me my music helped him get through some hard times. The subject matter of my songs vary from project to project, so I have a million songs about a million different things. I’m proud of those songs but it’s no feeling like making something  relatable that people won’t forget. For me one of the songs that gets me through rough times is J.Cole – Crunch Time. So I know how it feels when a certain songs pushes you through your trials. So me getting someone through a hard time Is by far the best compliment.

Raptology: What would you have done differently if you knew then what you know now?
Ty Brazil: NEVER pursued a contract with a major label. I spent the better half of my teenage years putting my time and energy into hoping a major label will sign me. I truly believe in today’s world, you don’t need a label to validate you. It’s so many politics in the music industry & most label don’t care for your career like you will. Going the independent route has been the greatest decision for me. I own my music, I have my own merchandise line (1280go.com) and do everything my way.

Raptology: What do you want your legacy to be ? How do you want to be remembered?
Ty Brazil: My legacy has to be one of a man who stayed true to his morals and built and major success because of that. I want to be remembered for inspiring kids to make change in their lives and trust in themselves when nobody believes in them. The world often forces people to become someone they’re not & most people become miserable because of this. I want to inspire people to be themselves without the pressures of the world. I want artist to know you can make millions doing it your way. I want to have tons of opportunities created for not only artist but black people as well. Music is very important to me but I want my legacy to be about my work in the community & opportunities I created.

Raptology: What’s your latest release?
Ty Brazil: I currently have a project out now called “Rel Jams” it’s on apple , Spotify , tidal etc… I was very excited for this project! I named it “Rel Jams” because that was the first rap group I was apart of. This project brought a big nostalgic for me.

Visit https://1280go.com for 1280 music and merch.

Natalia Privalova

Natalia is a Rap and Hip Hop enthusiast. After graduating from The New School of New York’s Public Relations Program and taking a course in Journalism at Michigan State University, she decided to dedicate her life to the music publishing business and to the discovery of new talent. She helps new artists gain exposure to the masses via online marketing and publications.