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Artist News
British rapper Ty dies
By Andy Malt | Published on Monday 11 May 2020
British rapper Ty has died, aged 47, as a result of COVID-19. He had been admitted to hospital in late March and placed in an induced coma.
On Thursday, the organiser of a fundraising page for the musician, Dianne Laidlaw, said in a statement: “It is with much sadness that I have to report the passing of Ben Chijioke, better known as Ty Chijioke, on the 7 May 2020. Close friends, family and fans are devastated of his death”.
“Ty’s condition had been improving”, she continued, “but last week, while on a normal ward, he had contracted pneumonia which worsened his recovery and ultimately Ty’s body couldn’t fight back anymore … The family would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has reached out and expressed their concern since he was admitted in hospital, but right now they would value having their privacy, so they can mourn privately. They just need time to process”.
Born in 1972, Ty released his debut album, ‘Awkward’, in 2001. The follow-up, ‘Upwards’, was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2003. He released three more solo albums, for much of the last decade working with the Tru Thoughts label.
His last solo record, ‘A Work Of Heart’, was released in 2018. More recently, he formed UK hip hop supergroup Kingdem with Rodney P and Blak Twang, who released an album, ‘The Kingdem’, last year.
