Each week our music editor Dave Randall picks an album (with a local connection) you need to hear …
I, like so many others, was deeply saddened to hear that 47-year-old Brixton hip-hop pioneer Ben Chijioke, AKA Ty, died last week from pneumonia having contracted Covid-19.
He was a much loved friend and mentor for Brixton’s creative community and will be missed by music lovers around the world.
Ty recorded a total of five studio albums and it was the second Upwards released on Big Dada in 2003 that was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and introduced him to a new audience.
It’s a great album, but I’m going to pick his latest and final album A Work Of Heart from 2018. It is in equal measure playful, political and deeply personal.
Rest In Peace Ty.
