Free TC

Rapper and R&B singer-songwriter Ty Dolla $ign never sounds like he’s trying too hard, which is remarkable given how much he gets done. A sprawling, quietly ambitious album, his full-length debut moves effortlessly from '70s-style orchestral streetscapes (“LA”) to aerodynamic club music (the E-40–featuring “Saved”) and gospel-style catharsis (the eight-minute centerpiece “Miracle/Whatever,” which features vocals from his incarcerated brother TC, to whom the album is dedicated). Thoughtful, crass, tender, funny but always low-key: Ty is a consummate stylist that knows how to balance a mood, as well as cast of collaborators that includes Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Babyface, Diddy, and Fetty Wap.