Tag: Tyke T

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Meet Tyke T

CREDIT: CLE Event Photography

Tyke T isn’t the type of guy who waits for success to come to him. Since moving to Memphis for work in 2011, the local rapper has been recognized by ABC 24 and the Memphis Grizzlies, in addition to getting music placement on national TV shows on the Oxygen channel and MTV. I caught up with Tyke T before he played the Hi-Tone last Friday night to find out more about his recent success, his outsider status in the music industry, and what he has planned for the future.

The Memphis Flyer: What was the rap scene like in Smyrna where you grew up?

Tyke T: Being from Smyrna, there wasn’t a whole lot going on. Smyrna is not exactly the mecca of music. When I was 14, I started rapping over songs that my brother had. He was a DJ so I would just rap over his instrumentals. The first song I ever rapped over was Celly Cel’s “It’s Goin Down.” I guess a lot of people might think it was an overnight thing for me, but it definitely wasn’t. I remember at some point wanting to move out of my brother’s shadow and focus on making my own beats. My brother had a Casio keyboard, and at first I was my own producer, and the beats I made were terrible. The first song I ever wrote myself was called “S-Town.” Master P was really popular back then, so I tried to make it sound like one of his songs. I wish I could find that CD because I know it was bad.

So once you moved to Memphis, you started the company Driven by Music. Tell me more about that.

Driven by Music is honestly everything to me. When we first started doing this, the first thing we started thinking of was branding. I wanted people to immediately relate to Driven by Music as my thing, and that was before I even had real music. We had shirts, an idea, and a hashtag. Back in 2011 and 2012, I would go to all these music conferences, and all they would push is branding, branding, branding. So I waited until I had the branding down, and then I dropped the music. Eventually I’d like to turn it into a record label, but right now it’s just the easiest way for people to find what I do.

How did your song “Nothing to Lose” wind up on the MTV show One Bad Choice?

That MTV placement is the result of two years of hard work. I would ask all these music supervisors if they were looking for hip-hop, and, eventually, if you do that long enough, someone is finally going to be like “Ok man, what do you have?” It was also the continuance of people being like “No, you aren’t going to get this. Stop asking. It will never happen.” That kept me driven. Eventually, no matter how many times people say no, someone is going to say yes.

The thing is, all these music supervisors on TV shows are looking for music, but they may not be looking for the type that you make. It’s important to ask them from the start what they are looking for. If they need a classical ballad and you are a freestyle rapper, don’t waste your time. Truth be told, I don’t have anybody that’s helping me out, I don’t know anyone in the music industry. I moved to Memphis for work, and I just decided I was going to make this shit happen. I’ve done open mic shows, pay-to-play gigs, and after all that you start to figure out, “Ok, this works, and that doesn’t.”

What was that feeling like? Hearing your music on television for the first time?

Well, MTV wasn’t the first placement, so I’ll tell you about the first TV placement I ever got. I was at home, and my homeboy’s girlfriend was like “You know Tyke’s music is on,” and he texted me and told me “Man, your song is on Sisterhood of Hip Hop,” and I was like “No it’s not. Shut up.” When the show came back on TV at 9 p.m., and I heard my song, I got on my knees at my house and just prayed. I wrote that goal down on a piece of paper in 2012, and, after a lot of hard work, it came true. When I got the MTV show, I was like “Hell yeah. Let’s send this shit out immediately.” MTV is obviously huge, and I’ll have that forever.

How has the MTV show spot helped your career?

My SoundCloud and website are both blowing up, but I’m still trying to figure out exactly how to track it. People are figuring out where to find me, and then they hear everything I’ve done leading up to that song. It’s been turning on listeners to my other music.

What does the future hold for
Tyke T?

I have a 9 to 5, and I’m not afraid to admit that. The ultimate goal is for my music to generate my income. I’m just focusing on what I have to do to push my career forward. If somebody is winning, somebody is losing, and I’m trying to win everyday. My new EP is going to be called One Wednesday Night, and I think it’s the best music I’ve ever made.

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Music Music Blog

Tyke T Featured on MTV

Tyke T

Local rapper Tyke T was recently featured on the soundtrack for the MTV show “One Bad Choice.” Tyke T is originally from Smyrna, Tennessee, but since moving to Memphis the rapper has been acknowledged by the Memphis Grizzlies and K97. Tyke recently released a video for “That’s all we Do” featuring Hippie Soul and is currently working on a new EP. check out the video for “Thats All We Do” below, and listen to the soundtrack from “One Bad Choice” here.

Tyke T Featured on MTV

Tyke T Featured on MTV (2)

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Calling the Bluff Music

Tyke T and K97’s Devin Steel, Big Sue Talk “Next Big Thing” (Video)

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

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Local Hip-Hop/R&B radio station WHRK K97FM recently presented its sixth annual “Next Big Thing” competition, which brought forth several hundred submissions from talented artists all over the city.

When the smoke cleared, up-and-coming spitter Tyke T came out victorious. A charismatic and witty rhymer, he originally hails from Smyrna, a small town in Middle Tennessee. He migrated to Memphis in 2011 and since relocating has taken advantage of the city’s musical resources to catapult his career to the next level.

In 2013, Tyke T released his debut EP, The OverLooked, on his Driven By Music imprint. And as winner of the sixth annual “Next Big Thing” competition, he has the opportunity to drop a new project that will be hosted and promoted by K97.

I had the chance to sit down with Tyke T along with K97’s Big Sue and Devin Steel to talk about this year’s “Next Big Thing” competition. During the interview, the two radio personalities share the history of the contest and what they think separates Tyke T from other artists. Tyke T reveals what people can expect from the re-release of his The OverLooked EP, which will feature additional songs, and spits a verse. Check out the interview below.

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Calling the Bluff Music

The OverLooked: Hip-Hop Artist Tyke T Talks New EP

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Tyrone “Tyke T” Stroble is determined to awe and inspire with his Driven By Music movement. And he does a good job of doing both on his debut EP, The OverLooked. Originally from Smyrna, Tennessee, Tyke T moved to Memphis in 2011 and has been making his name known among the Bluff City’s underground hip-hop movement ever since. He was recently featured on ABC 24 Local Memphis’ Local Sessions, which allows Memphis artists to showcase their talent. He was the first rapper to appear on the segment.

The brother of Core DJ Ron C, he’s been surrounded by music since he was a youngster and began writing his own rhymes as a teen. Aside from hip-hop, Tyke T holds a strong passion for the business realm. He received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) shortly before his transition to Memphis.

Balancing a nine-to-five job with a dream of making great music is no easy task, but that doesn’t worry Tyke T. He released his EP, The OverLooked today. The eight-song collective offers listeners an earful of his punchline-heavy and relatively melodic flow, which tends to mesh perfectly over quality production. The EP is available for download on iTunes.

Tyke T talked about what listeners can expect from The OverLooked EP, how his master’s degree has helped in his career as a rapper, and where he draws inspiration to create his music.

Follow Tyke T on Twitter: @Tyke_T
Check out his website: drivenbymusic.net
Purchase his EP here

What made you title the EP The OverLooked?

The reason I went with The OverLooked, if you look at everything in this nation from sports to business to politics, a lot of the people who are moguls in these industries had really humble beginnings because they were overlooked. All of the people on the EP’s artwork, they used it as motivation. If you listen to Oprah, she’ll tell you she used those painful memories of people saying a black woman would never be able to be on TV as motivation to keep going. If you listen to Jamie Fox’s story, he talks about how long it took him to get on as well but he used it as motivation, and it goes on and on. It’s kind of blasphemous to put myself on that cover with all those moguls. I have to get there no matter what it takes.

At what point did you decide to pursue rapping seriously, because I understand you also have a masters degree?

I’ve been doing this since I was, like, 15, but I always wanted to make sure that I could be good regardless, because there are no guarantees in life. Just because you get a MBA, that doesn’t guarantee you a job and there are no guarantees with music. So I always wanted to make sure that I would be good if something doesn’t go right with music. I made sure I got my MBA. I’ve been pursuing music seriously with a plan since I received my MBA. I was like, ‘Okay, I’ve got that educational goal out of the way. Now there’s nothing that can stop me.’ It’s so advantageous that I do have my MBA, because what it allows me to do is have the business background. It allows me to understand, ‘Yes, music is an art form, but to succeed and push forward, you have to know the business side of it.’

What brought you to Memphis?

I came to Memphis because of a job, but it was a blessing because it’s put me in the best place ever. If you’re in Tennessee and you’re trying to do hip-hop, you have to be in Memphis. I love Murfreesboro. I love Smyrna where I’m from, but it’s not like the connections are there. To come out here to Memphis where the indie scene is vibrant is a blessing. Originally, it started for work but now it’s music, and we’re going to keep working it through to get where we need to be.

What made you come up with the brand Driven By Music?

The biggest thing that I think separates a lot of artists who are going somewhere and the ones who aren’t are the ones that attach a brand to themselves. [For example], when you go to Burger King, you’re going to see the Croissan’Wich or the Whopper. You know that’s the product. There’s so many sounds right now, and what I didn’t want to do is get caught up in, ‘I don’t know who that guy is.’ When you hear ‘driven by music’ you think about Tyke T because I created it. Number two: I wanted to have something that everybody could relate to. Music is an art. Music is something that all markets, all types of demographics can understand. All ethic backgrounds are driven by music. That’s why I’m happy I created that brand, because it allows everybody to be a part of it.

Who influenced your style?

There are so many people. I think the thing that influenced me the most to rap was all of the old rappers. Like UGK, 8ball & MJG, Three 6 Mafia, the Hot Boyz, all the No Limit soldiers and all that, but I think what makes my music the best is because I grew up listening to a lot of R&B. Like Jodeci, Bobby Brown, and all of them. That helps me when I’m in the studio trying to create a record. I’m not just on the same key. I’m not just on the same cadence. It helps me to switch a lot of things up.

What do you hope your listeners get from this project?

I think what they’re going to get from The OverLooked EP is an introduction to Tyke T. It’s my story coupled in with some songs that I feel like a lot of people can relate to. We all go through struggles, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go out and have a good time. Even if you in that struggle though, you’ve got to just say, ‘Forget that man. We’re about to go out here and get it, and everything’s on me.’ Or sometimes you wake up in the morning and you’ve got to go to work, and you’re like, ‘Dang, there are so many haters waiting on me,’ but you can’t stop us now. Or you wake up and you’re like, ‘Goodness gracious, I feel like the hand has just been dealt against me, but I’m going to still keep grinding. I’m going to still keep going for it.’ There is just so much you can relate to on the EP. On some days we’re going through the struggle and we’re like, ‘Man, I hate this,’ and on other days you’re celebrating and you’re feeling good. We’re always going through these peaks and valleys, and I think that’s what the EP gets you through, and I like that about it.

[Saturday, Sept. 7th Tyke T is having his #OverLookedShow show at the Social Bar in Murfreesboro. The show will also feature hip-hop artist Professa C and singer/songwriter Montez Terrell of Black Umbrella.

Also, on Sept. 28th, Tyke T’s having a show in Minglewood Hall’s Madison Dance Studio. Visit Tyke T’s website or Twitter for more information on both events.]

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