Ty Dolla Sign’s New Documentary, ‘Still Free TC,’ Isn’t About Proving His Brother’s Innocence

How did this project come along?

I've been doing quite a few projects with Live Nation productions throughout the years, and they approached me with this. And, obviously, I think everybody knows who Ty Dolla Sign is, and if they don’t, they have, like, 12 songs saved on their Spotify. 

I knew enough about his story, because his album Free TC. What really drew me to this story and filmmaking was just the shock Gabriel, his brother, is still incarcerated, and Free TC came out 10 years ago, so that was shocking to me.  

My passion is connecting with people and trying to tell their story. And so I have a way of doing that also through music, because that is my other passion. So a film that's not just a music documentary, but has a story with the backbone, is really kind of like the perfect mix for me.

You worked on Lemonade, and you’re set to work on the untitled Chief Keef documentary. How do you choose projects, and what draws you to certain artists? Are there people you're seeking out, or is it really just the story that has to grab you in order for you to work on something like this?

Every artist is interesting. I’m sure they have an amazing story. But what I think makes an even more interesting story is that struggle that some have and some don’t. And this one specifically is a family story. You can have fame and fortune, and you're still stuck in this position, and every everyone and the system is just working against you. So I found that really interesting. I don't really choose projects. I feel like they choose me.

What made you feel like TC’s story was urgent or necessary to tell?

It was super interesting that Ty was entering this pivotal phase in his life where he was starting to make more music. His daughter was graduating and starting to become an adult in the world. And his brother was about to enter his 20th year in prison. You do the research, and you're like, this is actually crazy. The film isn't about proving his innocence, because it's so obvious that there's nothing to prove. The story is really about the family and the injustice of our system and how every person faces it, no matter where you come from. That was the most interesting part of the story, on top of Ty being this quiet superstar—he's everywhere but nowhere, right? 

There's been some media around just their story, whether it be his album from 2015 or a mini-doc in 2016. How did you guys come together to make sure that this was different, especially because it's now been 20 years he's been in prison?

I think it this is the most vulnerable that Ty has been, because it's really his story, also with his father and his mother and his daughter, and we see full look into his family, really describing what their childhood was, what it was like having to deal with the media. And feeling stuck and being torn away. The craziest thing is that even after 10 years, a story is going to be that much crazier in 20 years, because not a lot has changed, and that's what makes it frustrating and terrifying. 

Ty told me once that he could have been a Justin Bieber. He could have really felt he is a star, but he's never really felt like he could celebrate that. And that was because his other half. And we get to see just how close they were with with an insane amount of home videos, but how close they still are, despite this maximum-security prison and the inability to have a proper phone call with him for longer than three and a half minutes at a time.

I'm just thinking back, because my dad was in prison for most of my life growing up, and he only got out right before I graduated college. And I'm trying to remember how long our phone calls were. How did you get him in the actual film on a technical level? 

I’ll show you this app. It’s called Getting Out. This is me and Gabe. We text all the time. He’s online right now is what this is telling me. You can call and have FaceTime, and it's timed and it costs money, and it's the same thing as a collect call, but I guess it's when he's in the day room. 

We would plan: “We're going to be filming at this time tomorrow. Will you be available?” And he's like, “I hope so.” And most of the time he was, but there was one time we had done a whole plan around that day, and he wasn't online. And there had been an emergency, and they had locked everyone up, so nobody had any day room time. He obviously doesn't have that freedom, but it is kind of amazing that we can text and the next day I'll have an answer, or we can plan a phone call. So in the film, obviously, that's the only way we can connect with him, but we have a lot with him, and I think that's what we didn't really have before. There wasn't really that story. It was like his participation and his side of the story and all of his growth.  

My dad got out in 2019, and so we’d never FaceTimed. It was always over the phone. You were following Ty for three years, and you're seeing a lot of growth, evolution. He's opening up about his family. There's a lot of emotional moments. What was the most unexpected or surprising thing that you learned? 

His sense of humor. I don't even know if they're made in the doc, to be honest, but he's hilarious. He is so funny. 

You get a glimpse of it in doc. 

The way he is with his brother. There’s these incredible laugh-out-loud moments that he has. But I think what was the most surprising is he's easy to talk to and get along with, but just like, all of a sudden, something will come out of his mouth, and it's the funniest thing you've ever heard in your entire life. 

This is premiering during Tribeca Festival, a time when a lot of other music docs are being shown. What would you call this? Are you calling it a music doc? 

I wouldn't call it a music doc at all. Most of the music in the doc is all new music that is about to be released the same day as the film. So it’s not a lot of music that's recognizable, but it's amazing that we get to hear it. [Ty] scored the entire thing, so it's all his music, and in that sense, I guess it is. But it's not really the story of a musician going on tour. This is really about a family, and they’re brothers. And one happens to be a musician who, while we were filming, had a number-one album. What we got was this beautiful story about L.A. and growing up and culture and history. 

What do you want people to walk away feeling or ruminating on after they've seen it? 

My position isn't to prove Gabriel's innocence. It is to simply tell the story of this family and what they were going through. Ethically, Ty and I had to give the evidence, at the end of the film, that there is no evidence, and that Gabe’s just waiting for enough people and enough press to talk about this so that Gov. Gavin Newsom can commute his sentence. That's all it's about. At the end of the film, I want everybody to call Gov. Newsom's office and demand commutation of his sentence and ask for clemency. I think we even created an 800 number that goes directly to Gov. Newsom's office, where you can leave a message. We do have power and our voices, and I think we're seeing that right now in Los Angeles a bit.  

Do you feel drawn to telling more stories at the intersection of fame and family? 

Yeah. It’s funny, because that's kind of what the Chief Keef doc is about. His story is also incredible, a little bit more complicated in some ways. I remember the producer Marc Platt saying once that he will only work on a story where the hero has a struggle. 

Anything else you’d like to mention?  

In the film, we talk with Scott Budnick—he's the producer from The Hangover, but he also has the Anti Recidivism Coalition. And they focus on a lot about getting back into the world. And so he's already talking to Gabe about that. After the doc, I want to talk to Gabe more. Coming out of prison after 20 years—how are you supposed to have a normal life? That’s the next phase of this.