At the beginning of the seventies rapper Ty’s family emigrated from Nigeria to London. Not long after that their son Ty was born. He soon fell under the spell of hip-hop, although his mother didn’t approve. Therefore it took some time before Ty could tackle the music in a serious way. He felt frustrated and was looking for a form of release. Akward, his debut album, wás that release – and how! Meanwhile the rapper’s career goes sky high. He toured the world with afro beat drummer Tony Allen and the Nigerian star Femi Kuti. His new album Upwards is a big success. On this CD he is supported by Tony Allen and the singers Michelle Escoferry and Bembe Segue, who will perform at the festival as well. In his poetic, warm lyrics Ty has a lot to say, and just does that in a straightforward way.
