Tyga, Unfiltered
- Nayera Yasser
More than 15 years into a challenging and ever-changing industry, who is Tyga when people are not watching? A serial hitmaker, a once in a generation talent or just a man with a pure love for music?
For someone who has been under the spotlight for almost two decades, he has managed to remain elusive. Hidden in plain sight, his widely successful records are played far and wide, but only very few know the real man behind the record-breaking hits. Tyga is a household name, admired and followed at opposite sides of the globe. His evolving discography has navigated through various chapters, all without once letting go of his signature sound. From early mixtapes to global arenas, Tyga has managed to define a whole generation with his rebellious music and eloquent verses. Yet, while some may speculate that he has already given it his best, he is in fact standing at the threshold of an entirely new chapter.
Tyga, styled by Mohamed Ashraf in Diesel, photographed by Abeer Ahmad
“I think people will never fully understand an artist, and I like keeping that mystery.” He continues as a smile starts to overtake his features “artists do not always let you know everything. There are things I might not want to share with people, and I am okay with being misunderstood. I do not think everyone should understand you completely unless that is just your personality.” Far from a stranger to controversies, the American rapper, singer and actor is however a relevant stranger to media with calculated public appearances and rare official interviews. With no time wasted on vanity, Tyga is always keen on maintaining a solid relationship with none other than music. Having just performed at multiple packed shows in Saudi Arabia, when asked about his current era, he prefers to keep the door open to all possibilities, choosing to follow any source of inspiration that may come his way. “I can be inspired by the ’90s or the ’80s and start listening to that kind of music and thinking about what I want to do musically. It really is just defined by whatever I am inspired by at that moment and how I want to create something out of that, both musically and visually.”
Tyga, styled by Mohamed Ashraf in Diesel, photographed by Abeer Ahmad
Following his instincts has rarely failed the diamond and multi-platinum hit maker, so it is no surprise that Tyga still maintains the same process when approaching music. “I do not like recording in a room with a lot of people. If I hear a beat that inspires me, I will freestyle to it and catch a vibe, then build the song from there. Later I might go back and change or add lyrics.” Elaborating on his rather complicated take on refinement, he adds with a serious look on his face “I get demo-itis, so I try not to change things too much after the first version. If I listen to it too much, I get obsessed with that first take. Of course, things change when you mix or master the track, but I try to keep that original energy.” Jamming in private has earned him numerous musical accolades backed up by undeniable commercial success and public stardom. From Rack City to Taste and Ayo, his billboard successes have carved out a spot on everyone’s all-time favorite rap playlists; yet as far as Tyga is concerned, preferences do not exist.
“Honestly, I do not have a specific favorite song. When I make a song and put it out, I do not really think about it again. I am always focused on what is next. It is kind of like a painter; they finish one painting and start thinking about the next one. Some songs might connect to certain emotional momentsin my life, but once I have expressed it and released it, I move on.”
Tyga, styled by Mohamed Ashraf in Georges Hobeika,
photographed by Abeer Ahmad
Despite his reputation for staying true to his lane, make no mistake, Tyga is always the first to recognize when it is time to pivot and pursue new sonic directions. His ability to shapeshift and shed old sounds seamlessly is actually one of his many undoubtable strengths; allowing him to maintain his positioning in an ever-evolving scene. Between club anthems, melodic records, and global crossovers he has proven to be a man of many musical hats, continually reinventing his sound while venturing into uncharted waters. When asked about how he knows the right moment to move in a new direction, Tyga credits nothing more than the universe itself. “A hit is something that everybody feels at the same time and connects to at the same time. That is what makes a hit, a smash globally. It is like a frequency everybody feels. So for me, I just go based on the frequency of what I feel and what I feel from others.”
With multiple genre-defining collaborations under his belt, Tyga can easily be described as a serial collaborator, with an unparalleled track record to match. With that in mind, he is in fact far from moving in the opposite direction, with his appetite for collaboration remaining as strong as ever. “I have worked with a lot of people, but in the future, I would love to do a project with a female artist. I have done joint projects before, like with Chris Brown, but I think a full project with a female artist could be really interesting.” His excitement and openness to experimenting and working with other artists comes across as both natural and expected. Starting at a young age, Tyga learned the powerful impact of joint forces. Often referred to as a career-defining launchpad, the rapper first experienced the world of live performances next to none other than Lil Wayne. “Touring with Wayne was actually my first rap tour when I was around seventeen or eighteen. Back then nobody knew who I was and I did not even have songs out. So being able to tour with him now, perform a full set, and have people know the music, it is special because that is where I started.” He adds with a warm voice “Watching his journey over the years. Seeing how he started and how he grew as an artist really influenced me and helped shape the artist I became. We have known each other for more than fifteen years, so there is a lot of history.”
Tyga, styled by Mohamed Ashraf in Georges Hobeika,
photographed by Abeer Ahmad
With the majority of his time spent on world stages, the Grammy Award nominee has performed multiple times across the GCC. Most recently, he spent an extended period in Saudi Arabia, where he connected with a new audience. Accustomed to the pure excitement and admiration of fans, the rapper was still surprised to see just how enthusiastic and energetic the Saudi audience was. “It was definitely one of the most hyped crowds I have ever performed for. You could tell they really love music and appreciate you being there. It [the experience] helped me understand how different audiences respond to different songs. In some places a Latin record might hit, somewhere else it might be a collaboration or a certain style of song. Every region connects with music in its own way.” For his part, Tyga certainly connected with the region. The adoration was evident during our cover shoot held at Merwas, the leading global digital multimedia content creation and production company located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Watching him move around the studio between takes, adorned in a full suede camel look by the Saudi brand 1886, along with a black ensemble by Diesel and a Summer/Spring 2026 navy suitfrom Fendi, before changing into the cover look by Georges Hobeika, the rapper appeared completely at home, all while blasting Michael Jackson’s greatest hits. Seeing him later perform at LIV Golf Riyadh 2026 music festival wearing the same monochromatic 1886 look only served as a clear stamp of approval.
That creative restlessness extends well beyond the recording studio. Tyga is set to make his feature film debut in Baby, You’re a Star, a coming-of-age musical drama co-starring Madison Bailey and Ashton Sanders, which he also co-wrote and is producing, proving that for an artist who has long spoken about merging film and music, the next chapter was always going to be bigger than the last.
With his eyes fixed on what is yet to come, Tyga is laser-focused on innovating and evolving into his next chapter. “What is next for me? To just keep evolving and staying inspired. I want to keep making music, combine film and music more, and stay innovative while still connecting with people.” Looking beyond the near future and toward his long-lasting legacy, Tyga elaborates further; “I want to be remembered as someone who inspired people, helped them have a good time through the music, and offered them a sense of escapism. I hope people think about the films, the albums, the collaborations, and just feel like the music made them enjoy life.” With the sky as the only limit, after 15 years of astronomical success, Tyga is as invested as ever in creating an enduring legacy, one that we get a front-row seat to watch as it unfolds.