Ty Dolla $ign released his new album a week ago, Tycoon. It was an occasion for me to reflect on my interview with him.

In 2016, when we shot the interview, Ty had already gained a fair amount of momentum in his career, which he has sustained in the nine years since. Ty’s still best known for his features—he even named his third album Featuring Ty Dolla $ign.

The takeaway from the interview that has carved a groove for itself into my mind was when he recalled a lesson his father taught him. He phrased it as, “Practice is not perfect, it’s permanent.” 

This phrase was slowly transformative for me. I grew up practicing piano, and the goal was to play a song perfectly during an exam performance. I’d always seen perfect as the goal of practice, whereas Ty suggested that practice is the goal itself.

While my convo with Ty lasted maybe half an hour, the behind the scenes was a long story, and maybe not even that interesting. Another post for another day. This lesson, and Ty’s overarching pursuit of craft, made it worth it for me.

The interview is a good one. Ty has a lot of stories, all the raw material for a solid memoir if he were to write one.