**Drill Rapper Transitions to TikTok Wildlife Presenter, Aiming to Connect Youth with Climate Change**
A former drill rapper turned TikTok wildlife presenter is on a mission to “bridge the gap” between young people and climate change. Growing up in Ladbroke Grove, west London, TY, who was once a music star, experienced a life-altering event when he was stabbed four times. Reflecting on his past, he admits he had fallen “into nonsense,” but always aspired for a different life.
His true passions lie in wildlife and the environment. Today, you’re more likely to find TY with a boa constrictor wrapped around his arm in the Amazon or allowing a tarantula to crawl across his hands. He shares with Sky News his desire to help others “understand the severity of the planet right now,” although his journey to this new calling has not been straightforward. “I never had purpose,” he explains. “Three or four years ago, I would not have seen myself in this light… As I fell into wildlife, I found myself again.”
Collaborations with US wildlife enthusiast Garrett Galvin, known as fishingarrett, one of the leading wildlife content creators globally, have significantly contributed to TY’s growing social media following as TYfromtheWyld. Prior to this, he had already garnered a substantial fan base as a platinum-selling drill rapper, gaining fame as part of the influential rap collective CGM (formerly 1011).
In 2017, TY and fellow rapper Digga D made headlines when they were caught by police with machetes and baseball bats, leading to one of the UK’s first music criminal behaviour orders. The police argued that their songs incited violence, sparking a debate about artistic censorship.
Reflecting on his upbringing, TY states, “It’s a rough area, Ladbroke Grove, where I’m from. Crime started happening, and I began getting involved in negative activities. As a young kid, it’s easy to be influenced, so I felt lost for a while. Music was never my passion; I just fell into it. I grew up watching naturalists and conservationists like Steve Backshall and Steve Irwin, but that world felt so distant to me. I never saw anyone who looked or thought like me. Now, I want to represent and inspire young people.”
Rapper AJ Tracey, who shares TY’s London roots, emphasizes the importance of understanding that many individuals do not choose their circumstances. “What a lot of people don’t realize is that people aren’t choosing to be in their situations… Anyone who wants to change their life and do something positive deserves a second chance, or even a third or fourth, because we’re all human and we make mistakes.” However, he humorously adds that he won’t be appearing in any of TY’s videos anytime soon, joking, “He’s with some dangerous animals. I don’t know about that; I’m scared!
