TyFontaine’s road to Ascension 2 was filled with stops and starts. However, the DMV artist FINALLY fulfilled the promise of his long-awaited LP nearly a year after unveiling it.
Touting 23 tracks over the course of two acts—with six of them being released as singles over the course of 2023-24 (“Only One,” “Adventure Time,” “Studio Junkie,” “It Gets Better,” “Parlay, “Doin Damage”)—the sequel to Ascension ultimately takes a different, less-anthemic approach as opposed to its debut. But this isn’t a bad thing.
Dreamy, lust-laced and feverish, A2 proved to be a multi-layered “ascending” experience. First act highlights like “What’s Life, To Waste It?”, “ash kash” and “computer s3x” bring classic TyFontaine vibes to an album packed with varying pockets. Locking in with DanesBlood and L3GION, who have credits parsed throughout much of Ty’s discography, sexy drill, Jersey club and cloud rap all combine for a sense of jaded bliss.
A2: act ii dropped just a few weeks later (Sept. 20), and features nine new tracks and more iconic Ty efforts like “Raw Dog Drippin,” “I NEVER WANNA WAKE UP,” “downer” and “knee high.” However, Ty shines brightest when he ventures beyond his typical sonics. Much of his earlier cadences course throughout the LP (even hearing from his suave alter ego “Michi”), yet he experiments with both his vocals and production on A2 — especially on “RAVE GIRL” and “Lift Up Your Head.” A2’s second act is triumphant, calculated and concise as opposed to Act I, rounding out the entire album experience at 23 total tracks.
The DC hitmaker proves yet again that he’s one of the most talented—yet underappreciated—rappers in the underground. It’s a new era for TyFontaine, who’s precariously crafted his latest full-length album amid sharing a handful of mixtapes throughout 2023. Dropping 264 in December 2023, the project features a slew of new wave voices such as Summrs, Lil Dre, Hardrock and close collaborator Joony. Additionally, comparisons to Playboi Carti recently came to light for 24-year-old emcee, with fans discovering that 264’s “Wetty” sounds akin to some of Carti’s earlier flows.
Sharing a total of six projects in three years (Beautiful Michi Girls, WTF is P!nk, Yuheame, Black Truck Life and more), there’s no denying that TyFontaine has the makings for mainstream success. And Ascension 2 makes due on that promise.
Listen to “Ascension 2” below!