Timing is everything — and right now, it’s Chrishan’s time.
After working with artists like Chris Brown, Ty Dolla $ign and Meek Mill, the multitalented creator is ready to shine a light back on his career as a solo artist.
The Toledo, Ohio native comes from a musical family. His father worked with legends like Prince and Mint Condition, while his uncle Lyfe Jennings went on to become a platinum-selling R&B artist.
In 2015, Chrishan released a project called TyeDye, Pt. 1. It included a song titled “Sin City,” which went viral at the end of 2017. After simmering down a bit, the trunk-thumping song recently went viral again — this time on the popular app Tik Tok.
Given the early success of “Sin City,” it was no surprise that Chrishan decided to repackage it as his major-label debut single via Columbia Records.
“I didn’t want to miss the opportunity. I felt like if this is my window, then I needed to seize every opportunity because it was a blessing,” Chrishan tells Rated R&B over the phone. “If I’m being blessed then I need to be able to receive my blessing.”
In December 2019, Chrishan released his “Sin City (Remix)” featuring Ty Dolla $ign. The collaboration, which he describes was “super organic,” will appear on his upcoming TyeDye 2 project.
In our interview with Chrishan, he talks about his early beginnings as an artist and producer, the success of his single “Sin City,” the theme for TyeDye 2 and more.
You come from a musical family. Can you talk about your musical influences while growing up?
I think it’s typical musical influences. My dad kind of enforced on me a lot of classic R&B like Michael Jackson, The Jacksons, DeBarge and The O’Jays. When I got older and started making my own music, that’s when I started listening to people like The-Dream. I used to listen to producers more than artists, so people that were actually doing their own music like The-Dream, The Underdogs and James Fauntleroy.
Before writing and producing for others, you were an artist. How did that come about?
One day I just decided to put out a song. Once people started gravitating towards that, I would start showing up on a bunch of sites. They would have these forums where people would go on there and chat — you would be surprised how many songwriters and producers, who are big today, would be on these chat forums. I met a lot of people on these forums. I would meet owners of these sites and send music to them directly, which basically help spread to other websites. So, I built my following from there and started releasing more music.
At what point did you decide you wanted to pivot to the production and writing side?
I think it evolved on its own. I’ve always wanted to put out my own music but I never had the notion that I would be a megastar. I had an old saying where I was like, “If I gotta be put on a billboard for people to listen to my music, then I don’t want people to listen to my music.” I didn’t want to be forced on people. So, I would just be putting out my own music. Writing took on a life of its own over the years and I just focused on that because it was what was easier. I was putting my artist stuff on the side because I wanted people to hear it. I also wanted people to gravitate towards it in on their own.
The remix of “Sin City” featuring Ty Dolla $ign dropped in December 2019. Although it came out years after the song’s original release, it still sounds pretty current. Why do you think that is the case?
I guess that goes back to my dad and how he raised me around music. He wanted me to do everything timeless, so I don’t really try to get confined in trends and stuff like that. So, a lot of the music I do for myself and other people are usually timeless songs like “Dangerous” by Meek Mill — they’re songs that can be played 10 years from now.
You’ve had much success behind the scenes, why jump back to artist mode right now?
It kind of just happened. It wasn’t like something that was planned. It was a culmination of people gravitating towards the record and other artists starting to take notice. I am making really good music right now and I feel like people need to hear.
Let’s talk about your upcoming project TyeDye 2. What is the whole inspiration for that project? How does it compare to Part 1?
When I started the whole TyeDye thing, it was pretty much a culmination of all the colors and all of the emotions — happy, mad, sad, angry and confused — into one. That’s what the swirl is; it’s tie-dye. Now, that I’ve really grown, I’ve learned that to be human you need all of those emotions and if you go through all of those in a course of a day, then that’s fine. I feel like this is now my chance to give people that and let them know that now. Before, it was just me going through the list of emotions and explaining my way out of them. Now I’m like I know I feel this way.
Are there any songs that you worked that didn’t make it to TyeDye but could possibly land on TyeDye 2?
TyeDye 2 is going to be all-new material. I think I’ve grown vocally and musically. I just have a wider array of things to bring to the table. If you want to know songs that didn’t make the original TyeDye that are notable I will say that “Wrist” by Chris Brown. It was a last-minute decision. It was literally about to get uploaded and I got a call and was like Chris Brown wants this song. That started everything with Chris Brown so I’m really glad I didn’t put that song on the EP.
When do you plan on releasing TyeDye 2?
Later this year. With everything that’s going on right now I want to make sure that people are in a place that they can receive it well. I’m not the person that wants to overload people with stuff, so I’d rather they get it at a time when they can actually appreciate it.
Are there any features?
We know for sure PNB Rock, Ty Dolla $ign and a couple of other people who I can’t name yet.
What else can we expect from you in the near future?
The work has increased on the writing and production side. We just started working with Queen Naija and a lot of upcoming artists.
Follow Chrishan on Instagram @PrinceChrishan and Twitter at @PrinceChrishan.
