DJ Tygga Ty is putting his dance-floor instincts to work on the Shining Star Riddim, a new compilation led by Charly Black, Yaksta and Rytikal that blends catchy hooks with sharp lyrical performances.
The US-based dancehall producer and radio personality, whose name is pronounced “Tiger Tie”, has high hopes for the project, which is already gaining traction, according to figures he shared.
Charly Black leads with “Mi Love”, its singalong hook floating easily over the instrumental. Tygga Ty said the track passed 4,000 streams in two days with limited social media promotion.
Yaksta adds “Whine Baby”, which the producer said peaked at No. 1 on the iTunes Reggae chart after its release. Silk Boss commands ‘Gyal Whine’ with a rhyme happy club banger.
Rytikal, meanwhile, brings verbal agility to “Galang Gal”, threading playful, sexually charged lines through a track built for the club. His use of “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” is a particularly cheeky demonstration of his willingness to stretch a rhyme.
Elsewhere, Tatik supplies a melodic turn on “What You Want”, while Flexx delivers the raunchy “Bed Side”. Together, the songs give the compilation distinct personalities without losing its dance-floor focus.
That balance reflects Tygga Ty’s approach to production. Before choosing a collaborator, he studies the artiste’s catalogue and considers how a new recording might fit both their career and his own musical direction.
“If I am in party mode, I look to make music with artistes I can play in that setting,” he explained.
It is a practical outlook shaped by years behind the decks. Born in Florida and raised in New York, Tygga Ty works across Rochester, Houston and Jamaica. His Houston club engagements include Lov3 and Vice, while his membership in Spanish Town’s Powasquad International keeps him connected to Jamaican sound-system culture.
His grounding came through helping to string up sound systems and watching artistes voice dubplates. Those experiences taught him that musical knowledge matters, but so does the quality of every performance.
“You’re only as good as your last show, and customer service is your best friend in this field of work,” he said.
Building that career has required persistence. After completing one stop on a tour with Mariah the Scientist before it was postponed, Tygga Ty spent four months sleeping on a friend’s couch while waiting for Lov3 to open.
His savings dwindled and financial pressure mounted. He considered walking away, but the thought of those depending on him kept him focused.
“What kept me going is the understanding that I had friends and family who are depending on me to make it happen,” he said.
He turned to longstanding relationships and intensified his networking, eventually securing a residency at Lov3.
“It taught me that information is powerful. What you know and who you know can determine your success.”
That experience now supports a growing production catalogue. His other projects include the Motif Riddim, featuring Mr. Vegas’ “Put Me to Work”, and the Apple Bag Riddim, featuring Qraig of Voicemail’s “Shake It”. He has also collaborated with Silk Boss and Singing Sweet.
Radio provides another outlet. Tygga Ty hosts an hour-long Friday programme on Rochester’s The Beat 105.5 FM, available through iHeartRadio, and has appeared on Buffalo’s WBLK and Houston’s 97.9 The Box.
“Radio also helps me work on my people skills of talking to people I may never meet and make them feel like a star through music and dialogue,” he said.
With Shining Star, he is bringing those connections together: the artistes he records, the audiences he entertains and the listeners he reaches through radio. The next goal is to turn the compilation’s early response into sustained momentum.
