While it took 264 hours for TyFontaine to craft 264, it only takes 23 minutes to realize the DMV hitmaker is a rarity amongst new wave talent.
While the Ascension rapper has been putting the finishing touches on A2 over the past year, TyFontaine has kept fans well fed in its absence. Sharing three mixtapes in 2023 alone — touting a catalog of eight projects over the course of three years — his consistency is indisputable.
At 10 tracks long, 264 was initially announced with the release of its lead single “DOS,” which sees Ty recruit close collaborator Joony, TTM Dawg and underground icon Summrs. Other features in Hardrock (“Giving Everything”) and Lil Dre (“Fashion”) — returning the favor from his appearance on Long Live Mack Drew — provide the versatile tape with an iconic allure.
The chemistry between them, specifically Summrs, Joon and Ty, is off the charts — seamlessly trading verses backed by hard-hitting 808s and whirly melodies. Ty and Summrs start things off with back-and-forth flows, commanding the hook and quick half verses, as Joony and TTM tag in on the track’s back half with bars staying on theme of “DOS”: “Cut her off and I’m onto the next / I choose drugs over sex.”
Full of vibrato and braggadocious bars, “DOS” was just the start. Highlights in the aforementioned “Fashion,” “Giving Everything” and “Sandbox,” among others, display TyFontaine’s knack for whiry vocals and unique sound selection — “Motel 69” and “Wetty” are THOSE tracks I can’t help but keep going back to. Linking back up with DANESBLOOD, L3GION and underground phenom Devstacks for its production, 264 seems to be the “last project” ahead of Ascension 2’s release — assuring fans that it is “everything that it should be.”
We spoke with TyFontaine in April when he initially planned to drop his debut’s sequel on its two-year anniversary (June 2). Instead, he opted to share YUHEAME and a deluxe to BLACK TRUCK LIFE in its absence.
“I’ve been trying to channel the feelings I had when I made my debut. I’m really going off that. Expect updated sounds and really just an update on my life, trying to bring back ‘that’ vibe for sure,” he said. “The goal is to drop [A2] on the second anniversary of ‘Ascension.’ Next year could be No. 3… that would be cool.”
The former Internet Money artist has been overly active since leaving the label. Just know that he isn’t anywhere near finished.
Check out “264” below!
