Austin-based multi-instrumentalist, producer and recording Academy voting member, TyStringz is back with a brand new high octane bop, titled Pepper Body. He recruits Afropop star, Skales who had an impressive run of form in 2025 and together deliver a record that’s truly deserving of the wait.
Pepper Body represents the best of TyStringz artistry, as it’s a multi-faceted track built on the mastery of various interacting musical elements in great synergy. On one front, it’s a multi-lingual track that blends Pidgin, English and Spanish into a delectable, sexy record and on a production aspect it’s a fusion of Afro-pop rhytms on dandehall frequencies. A truly electric record.
Album Talks had a quick chat with TyStringz on his new single, his arristry at large and the overall direction his current creative trajectory seeks to be taking.
What’s the inspiration behind your name, ‘TyStringz?‘
TyStringz is layered. “Ty” comes from my name. “Stringz” isn’t just about literal strings it represents the different layers of who I am. It’s instruments. It’s sound design. It’s coding. It’s systems. It’s structure.
I’ve played multiple instruments over the years, and beyond that, I think in layers musically and technically. “Stringz” symbolizes composition, connection, and the ability to pull different elements together into one cohesive experience. That’s how I see both music and life.
How did you fall in love with music?
Music was part of my environment growing up as a Nigerian. It wasn’t optional it was cultural. From church to celebrations, rhythm was constant.
But what made it deeper for me was curiosity. I didn’t just want to perform I wanted to understand how songs were built. That analytical mindset (which also shows up in my tech career) shaped how I approached music.
Over time, music became both emotional expression and intellectual exploration.
Despite living in the diaspora, that fact hasn’t stopped him from repping his culture. Why so intentional?
Because being away from home makes culture more valuable.
As a Nigerian in Texas, and now spending extended time in Addis Ababa, I’ve seen how identity becomes stronger when you’re outside your origin. I don’t dilute my sound to fit in I lean into it.
Afrobeats is global now, but authenticity still wins. Culture isn’t something I market it’s something I carry.
What inspires him and what inspired Pepper Body?
I’m inspired by energy and psychology how a record makes people react.
Pepper Body was inspired by confidence. That feeling when someone walks into a room and shifts attention instantly. “Pepper” in Nigerian slang is layered attraction, dominance, heat, envy, spice.
It’s playful but strategic. It’s meant to be repeatable, chantable, danceable. A record that moves both physically and digitally.
Why choose Skales as the feature?
Skales understands bounce records that last. He has proven longevity in Afrobeats and knows how to make dance-floor energy feel effortless.
For Pepper Body, I needed someone who naturally carries that rhythm-driven confidence. My strength leans into melody, layering, and structure. His strength leans into groove and delivery.
It felt complementary not forced.
Does understanding composition give you an edge?
Yes because I understand music structurally not just melodically, I think about: arrangement, dynamics, vocal layering, pocket placement, energy progression. Most artists record on top of beats. I build inside them. That mindset definitely gives me an edge.
Let’s talk about your recording process. Is it meticulous or spontaneous?
It’s both.
The foundation is intentional BPM, key, tone direction, concept. But the magic moments are spontaneous. Sometimes the best hooks come from instinct, not planning.
I treat music the way I treat tech projects structure first, then creative flow.
Who are the artists that inspire you?
Burna Boy — for global scale and cultural confidence.
Omah Lay — for emotional vulnerability.
Victony — for melodic fluidity.
I gravitate toward artists who blend feeling with rhythm not just party music, but music with depth.
Is Pepper Body building toward something?
Yes, strategically.
Pepper Body strengthens my high-energy Afrobeats positioning. It expands reach, its calculated expansion.
There’s more deeper storytelling coming, cross-cultural textures, but first we establish momentum.
