Review: Ty - A Work Of Heart

TY is back! A Work of Heart is a seamless long-form reflection with a genuine Brixton bite. The album carries the signature layers we all know and love; The jazz-laden beats, heartfelt vocals and assertive bars. By featuring artists such as OG Rootz, John Robinson, United Vibrations, Pumpkin and Umar Bin Hassan (of the Last Poets), TY blows open a way forward for thinking-man’s (and woman’s!) hip-hop.

He has established himself within a very different sound to the standard off-the-rack hip-hop album approach by building around themes and selecting artists vocals and instrumentation to fit. TY has crafted something with a real symphonic sense – there’s a real freshness that permeates the entire album. No one is pushing the art form in this direction.

A Work Of Heart is lyrically genius. TY takes us through series of tangents from Brixton’s cultural melting pot to the creative process, the career grind, onto thoughts on xenophobia and the quality of life. You can take a new sentiment away from each listen. Tracks like Brixton Baby and Somehow Somewhere Someway highlight TY’s outlook – a patchwork of mankind in modern times, put across seemingly effortlessly at 90bpm. With each track you also get an incite into the importance that TY holds on communities and towards nurturing grassroots music.

For a true cathartic self-esteem boost, cop A Work of Heart – it’s a true motivator and refreshing break from a homogeny of a lot of recent hip-hop. With inspiring graphics (Photography by Benji Reid and graphics by JM), videos and an overall uplifting vibe, this is a future classic for sure. A Work Of Heart is out now on vinyl, CD and digitally.

A Work Of Heart is available here

Words by Sam Howle