BFF! Jay-Z's Top 8 "Ty Ty" References

Hova's best friend has never rapped on a song, but his name stays popping up in some famous lyrics.

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Complex Original

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"I thought you was buyin' me a Mai Tai...?"

Without so much as breathing on the mic, the man known as "Ty Ty" (a.k.a. Tyran Smith) has become a household name in hip-hop. How? By being the best buddy of Jay-Z, of course. But the role Ty Ty plays as Hov's real right-hand man (sorry, Bleek) isn't without its downsides. You know, he might have to mace a child abuser and take a charge. Or he might end up (allegedly) taking a beatdown on behalf of the big homie (but live to Twitter about it!). See, this shit ain't all courtside seats and weekends in St. Barts.

But aside from the obvious perks, undying loyalty to hip-hop's biggest icon has another advantage—no, not an imdb page, but immortality in rap lyrics. Yep, Jay has been shouting out Ty Ty since Reasonable Doubt all the way up to The Blueprint 3, which leaked yesterday (you might have heard?). So we combed through Hov's discography to uncover the top 8 lyrical references to Ty Ty. Best Friends Forever!....



"And I brought my boys with me, say what up to Ty Ty/Still sippin' Mai Tais, sitting courtside/Knicks and Nets give me high fives..."

"Empire State of Mind" from The Blueprint 3

COMPLEX SAYS: But do they leave Ty Ty hangin'?
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