INTERVIEW
Tyrell’s hands-on, think-outside-the-box approach is the cornerstone of his career.
Hip hop artist ImSoTyRell knows that nothing is given. If you want success, you’ve got to earn it. His new single, “Big Plays,” is an inspiring autobiographical tale of self-belief, making it through hard work — and overcoming the haters.
In a deep baritone voice at times reminiscent of J. Cole, Tyrell “ImSoTyRell” (born Tyrell Fulwood) raps about believing in himself “ever since pre-k.” But the voices around him told him he wouldn’t amount to anything. Now that he is proving his talent by making “big plays,” the doubters have changed their tune.
Now they pretending like they was there from beginning
Funny how sh** change
From “Never gonna be sh**”
To “Always knew you was gonna do big things”...
Big plays, big moves, big things
I did it, I do it
I stay true to my name
Yeah n**** I proved it
I caught up with Tyrell via his cell phone while he was on the set of his hit web series, Make Some Noise. The highly entertaining series follows the artist as he tries to navigate music business gatekeepers like record labels and deejays. All the while, his girlfriend wants his half of the rent, his baby momma serves him child support papers, and his boss docks his pay for being late to work, again.
For any musician on the come up, the struggle is all-too-relatable.
The web series is a savvy move in a crowded media landscape. “It's hard to get people to just give you a like or a comment or a subscribe, but they'll watch all day,” Tyrell says. Inspired by artist-led shows like Donald Glover’s Atlanta and Lil Dicky’s Dave, Tyrell writes and acts in the series, embedding his music directly into the story. He is now wrapping up episode four.
Tyrell’s hands-on, think-outside-the-box approach is the cornerstone of his career. An independent artist, the story of how he funded his dream is as inspiring as his lyrics. After releasing a few early singles, he took a five-year hiatus to join the U.S. Air Force, strategically using his signing bonus and savings to build the financial foundation needed to push his music without a label. “I realized that no matter how good I am, without the marketing, I wasn't ever going to get the exposure that I wanted,” he says.
That independence extends to his creative process. He works exclusively with Charlotte-based producer Tim “Krazyfigz” Walls, who plays a big role in ImSoTyRell’s sound by building his beats from the ground up.
Tyrell notes the influence on his rhymes from hip hop’s great storytellers like Biggie Smalls, Lauryn Hill, and J. Cole. But while his music carries a message, he resists the “conscious rap” label, preferring the freedom to be versatile. “I feel like we're onions. We have multiple layers,” he says. “I don't want any limitations on me.”
With three singles and four video episodes already this year, ImSoTyRell is showing that there are no limits. Ignore the haters, and keep working hard.
Stay up to date on ImSoTyRell’s music and videos at the links below:
YouTube
Spotify
Apple Music
Amazon Music
Instagram
Facebook
TikTok
X
Deezer
Tidal
