Hip-Hop Island

With everyone twistin' it up with Tyga, this guy needs no introduction! The 19-year-old California-native, Tyga's taking the charts by storm with his first single "Coconut Juice." But Tyga's not a newbie to the music world: he's cousins with Gym Class Heroes lead singer Travis McCoy and BFFs with rapper Lil Wayne. If that's not enough backing, he's also signed to Pete Wentz's Decaydance label! Peep our interview with the teenage star and find out what the weirdest conversation he's had over AIM. (Trust us, it's a pretty crazy story!)

So why are you the kind of guy that needs no introduction?
Basically, I just felt like everyone knew who I was, but they didn't know who I was. I've been around these people for a long time, and I just felt that if I made my album it would be real good.

How did you get the name Tyga?
When I was younger, my mom used to call me that. She used to say I looked like Tiger Woods when I was younger, and she used to call me "Tiger" all the time, but I switched the spelling to "TYGA" -- Thank You God Always.

Your album is really fun and positive, not the typical rap we've heard lately. Why did you go in this direction?
I'm not gonna say [I'm a] super positive person, but I'm doing me and I'm not trying to do anything else like outside of the box -- go this way and go that way. I just do what I know and that's just being creative and being talented and showing my talent.

Lil Wayne's one of the hottest rappers right now. How is it working with him?
Nah, nah, it's just normal. I got used to it. I know him personally, so it's just real cool -- it's just like working with Trav or working with Fall Out Boy -- everything's just regular now. Before it was kinda weird because you didn't know what they were going to expect 'cause they're on top of the world and successful.

What's it like being on Pete Wentz's label?
It's cool. You get a lot of benefit from it. Like the whole Hollywood life, that whole rock-pop world -- introducing me to all of that is real cool. And then I've got the whole Lil Wayne side, the rap, hip-hop side, you know, I can choose whatever I want to do today. I think they go together for my talent, me as an artist 'cause I'm not either -- I'm not 100 percent on one side; I'm 50-50. I'm in the middle of it, and it's real cool.

What do you think of Pete's rapping skills?
I haven't heard him rap yet. Writing, though, is real good. I'm actually trying to get him to rap right now on the "Coconut Juice" remix -- it'll be big.

You and Travis McCoy are cousins -- what are some of your favorite memories of Travis as a kid?
We didn't really grow up together. We didn't get close 'til a couple of years back. From him growing up all the way over there [in New York] and me all the way over here [in California], we'd see each other every now and then, but it wasn't like, "Oh, he's my favorite cousin" because we didn't know each all that well.

Who's a bigger flirt with the ladies: you or Travis?
I don't know -- we're both kinda calm and just like chillin'. We have our moments.

What kind of advice has Travis given you?
Oh yeah, a lot of advice. Just to always be humble, and whatever you do, no money or a lot of money, keep going hard and keep acting like you don't have all these people around you to help you, you always gotta help yourself.

How has being signed to a label like Decaydance affected the kind of music you make?
No, not at all. I have a studio in my house, so I always make for whatever I feel not just the audience. I make music for everybody. Mainly, the album is for everybody. The mixtapes that I've done those are more hip-hop.

Who is your favorite Decaydance artist?
I'd say Gym Class Heroes because I can relate more to them any of the other bands.

Who's been your favorite person to collaborate with and why?
Lil Wayne. He gives 100 percent effort in everything he does. When we're in the studio, we don't have anything to talk about at first, and we'll invite guests in and have a tattoo artist in the studio. We'll just wil' out and we'll talk about what's going on in the studio: tattoos, money, and stuff that's actually live and going on at that time. So that's why I like working with him because it's not about something that happened a long time ago and talking about it now; he talks about what's going on at that moment.

What's your favorite thing about summer?
I like summer because everyone can hang out. Everyone's outta school and everybody's got a vacation from work. But the one thing I don't like is I like to dress up more, and in the summertime you can't wear anything really other than jeans and t-shirt because it's so hot. The song ["Summertime"] had that West Coast, LA feel to it. It's real smooth and real laid back; that's one of my favorites. I actually wanted to release that as a single, but we didn't know how everyone would relate to it, but I know the West Coast, in general, would love it. It's got that bounce, that laid-back feel.

You have a song called "AIM." What's the craziest conversation you've had on AIM?
I've had some crazy conversations. The conversation with Trav AIMing me and saying, "Yo, I'm about to bring you out on tour. Here's your confirmation number." Like, through AIM. He didn't even send me an e-mail or anything! He just gave me the confirmation number through AIM and was like, "Here's your flight info" and all that. And this was the first time I'd been out on tour. I hadn't been on a plane in years. I'm like, "Wow, this is crazy." I'd say that's probably the craziest conversation -- good crazy.

If Tyga ruled the world, what would it be like?
If Tyga ruled the world, man, old people would not like me. Everybody would be running around here with tattoos. It would be a fun place though; it would be less violent. People could do more of what they want -- it's like when people have to work a lot and when people struggle, that changes to hate, and hate turns into violence. I would cut all the struggling part out, so everybody wouldn't have to hate on the next person.

What do you look for in an ideal girlfriend?
Pretty smile, nice face, something I could look at all the time. And somebody that doesn't talk too much, but doesn't talk too little. And somebody that really understands the situation -- me being an artist and traveling, me gonna have to take pictures with girls, and stuff like that. Somebody that doesn't get jealous at the same time knows that I do this for surviving; this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.

What music would people be surprised to know is on your iPod?
Prince. And probably Coldplay -- more rock stuff that people probably don't think I listen to.

What's the first album you ever bought?
I just got into music, like supporting it a couple of years ago. The Eminem album was the first album I bought.

Tyga's debut album, No Introduction, is in stores now!