Tyga Talks Turning 30, His Friendship With Chris Brown, & Shares His Favorite Collabs

The rapper sees the big 3-0 as a “coming-of-age.”
He may have recently released an album titled Legendary, but Tyga doesn’t believe he’s reached that status level just yet. As his 30th birthday approaches, the rapper says he’s finding the balance between remaining a prolific artist in rap while also preventing himself from burning out. The platinum-selling artist sat down with Billboard to chat about his latest record and the longevity of his career.

Legendary saw Tyga link up with a number of artists, including his longtime friend and collaborator, Chris Brown. “I think it’s always better when you make music with somebody that you know and is a person you have history with,” Tyga said of the Indigo star. “We’ve been friends for almost 10 years now, and we’ve been making music for that long. So it was very nostalgic. It was important to get him on the album because we haven’t done anything big since ‘Ayo’ [in 2015]. But ‘February Love’ [from this album] is just funny, because I feel like Chris likes making party records with me and I like making R&B records with him.’

Tyga has an impressive number of hit singles under his belt, but he took the time to name off some of his favorite collaborations. “‘Go Loko” [with YG] is definitely one of my favorites because we got to have fun with that record,” he said. “[Chris Brown’s 2011 single] ‘Deuces’ is always going to be a classic. The record that me and Nicki [Minaj] did, ‘Dip,’ was fun too, because I was in the studio with her. I went to her house, we sat there and she wrote the record. Being there while she was recording reminded me of old Young Money days when we all used to be in the studio together.”

Meanwhile, the rapper is approaching the big 3-0 with enthusiasm and no regrets. “There’s definitely still room for improvement,” Tyga said. “I think turning 30 is like a coming-of-age. That’s who you want to be. You’re just secure with yourself, and more patient. It’s almost confirmed like this is who you’re going to be. Your decision is final. When you’re younger, you just feel like you got all the time in the world. Especially for a rapper. I mean, Lil Wayne was ahead of his time, but [being 30 is] when people just 1000 percent believe you. If you look at like some of the best rappers out — Pusha T, Rick Ross, Wayne, Drake, Eminem, Jay Z, Kanye [West] — there’s just something about your thirties that’s just the real deal. Your background is solidified.”