Taigenz
Montréal, Quebec, Canada | Established. Jan 01, 2015 | INDIE
Music
Press
Le hip hop c’est bien plus qu’une multitude de clashs et de conflits qui divertissent les masses. Le hip hop est une culture, une entité épanouissante qui se trouve sur une trajectoire de progression positive constante.
Plusieurs rappeurs indépendants tentent de se frayer un chemin et de capter l’attention de plus d’auditeurs possible.
C’est pour cette raison que nous utilisons notre plateforme pour établir le catalogue des rappeurs à surveiller qui ont le potentiel de se bâtir des carrières formidables. Il est donc un honneur pour nous de côtoyer ces artistes dévoués qui cherchent à se faire valoir dans la scène.
Aujourd’hui, la rédaction du JDHH vous présente le rappeur Taigenz. Le Québec est bourré de rappeurs capables de créer des bangers avec des couplets et des refrain percutants. Taigenz est l’un de ceux qui produit de la musique de qualité et qui se trace un chemin unique. - Le Journal Du Hiphop
People often stereotype hip-hop as rehashing negative themes, including misogynistic attitudes towards women and the glorification of crime. But far from being only trap beats, bragging, and praise for the gangster lifestyle, hip-hop can be a form of poetic portraiture; the rhyming lines of a song can be like an artist’s graphite ones, sketching various aspects of the musician, what they stand for, and subjects they reflect upon. In Muntree, a seven-track-long E.P., Taigenz comments upon his experiences and his city, Montreal. But will he do so by creating a portrait of poems, or will he collage together unoriginal hip-hop iconography?
Muntree opens with “Victory Song (feat. Aiza).” It has a soothing strings and woodwinds, and uses horns to create an atmosphere of triumph. Aiza embellishes the track with her vocals. Taigenz’s lyricism is inspirational, and with the chorus featuring the line, “I been thinking about my dreams and my soul . . .” Muntree is off to a good start.
“Potential” has a catchy and bare-bones instrumental with claps and tinkling. The song is cockier than “Victory Song,” but Taigenz uses creativity to pay homage to hip-hop’s swagger and avoids using bragging as filler, such as when he says: “I get hoes / Same ones you try kissin’ but you friend-zone / I can’t relate / I be hitting French hoes in their friend’s homes.”
“Shottas,” with its metallic clinking and sample from “Tinga-linga-ling,” has an instrumental impossible not to bob your head to. The line, “I ain’t scared to shoot if it comes down to it,” seems like Taigenz lapsed into including a hackneyed hip-hop theme, however, at the expense of authenticity.
“Watcha No (feat. Sector-A)” uses piano and hi-hats to evoke pensiveness. With lines like, “I’m not trying to get pussy from you / I’m trying to get loose-leaf and shrooms,” and confessional lyrics about the struggle and persistence that being an artist entails, it’s a welcome return to Taigenz’s relatability.
“Lookin’ 4 Love” is a soulful monologue to a woman seeking romance. The instrumental is wistful and with lines like, “Here’s the deal / work on yourself / get a feel of your worth / before you struttin’ in them heels for appeal,” the track reinforces the thoughtfulness and emotionality of Muntree.
“Dolo (feat. Widget)” has a sombre violin and piano complemented by no-nonsense drumming. The song, with a theme of betrayal, is a defiant statement about Taigenz’s perseverance and solitude. Widget’s verses about progress, and Taigenz’s lyricism (I’m just a crab in the bucket / with a coin for a budget / struggle and rise above it / ‘cause success is in the air and I can touch it / and I’ma make them love it, nigga), make this track memorable.
“Worthy” consists of ambient chanting, piano, and faded-out vocals, which create an atmosphere of confronting challenges. The lyricism complements the beat perfectly, with Taigenz dropping gems like, “I’m from the hood but it ain’t always showin’ / ‘cause my jeans don’t sag, / ‘cause my braids don’t lack / ‘cause my speech ain’t broken / but these souls been broken . . .” Heartfelt and honest, “Worthy” is a great way to end Muntree.
Taigenz has shown that, with his dynamic flow and intricate lyricism, he is not your average rapper. Even when bragging, Taigenz usually does so by creatively remixing this aspect of hip-hop, rather than slightly modifying a trite, swaggering formula. (This can’t be said for many hip-hop artists). Muntree also has a broad thematic and sonorous range, with both hype head-bangers and plaintive tracks for those bouts of nostalgia. Even if Taigenz isn’t looking for love, he’d certainly appreciate some from his fans, so give Muntree a listen.
Pros
Muntree covers a broad range of themes, lyrical styles, and emotions.
The flow is skillful and the lyricism is often original and relatable.
Cons
Occasionally, Taigenz veered towards bragging, detracting from the creativity of his songs. - Max Binks-Collier
24OurMusic interviewed Taigenz, a rapper from NDG who’s been making waves in Montreal’s hip-hop community with his stylistically varying sound. As can be expected from someone who’s never confined himself to one sub-genre of rap, Taigenz covered a broad range of topics during the interview. From analyzing Anglo-Francophone relations to opening up about his creative process:
First off, who are you as an artist and what should readers know about you?
I’m just a kid who just observes things. What people should know about me is to not put me in a box. The second you put me in a box is the second I’m in a different zone.
So how would you describe your sound, and what artists and genres would you say have contributed to it?
I don’t really have a distinct sound as of yet since I’m still in the development phase. But what I do like to mess around with is contemporary stuff mixed in with some old school. You might hear either that boom-bap kind of sound, or some of the more current trap elements. I try to mix everything all together and come up with something original. Some of the artists who influenced me are the classic line-up of 90’s artists, like Biggie and Pac and Nas, as well as the guys in the current era, Kendrick and J. Cole and Drake. Even Nipsey Hussle. I listen to a lot of non-hip-hop things too, like Adele and African music, since I’m from an African background. So artists like Fela Kuti and Sarkodie have been influential too.
Can you give 24OurMusic some insight into your writing process? Do you find yourself writing primarily when inspiration strikes you, or do you hold yourself to a more regular writing schedule?
It’s kind of both, but I hold myself more to inspiration than routine, because as an artist and creator you don’t really want to force anything. I try to be inspired every day. In the last few months, I’ve been going through a really creative phase, writing three to four full songs a week. Sometimes I could be taking the bus and I write it down; if I find a beat for it, so be it, and if not I just keep it in the vault.
Hip-hop often has as a recurring theme representing one’s city. In what way has Montreal shaped you as an artist and is there anything about it that you’d like to see changed?
Montreal has shaped me in the sense that I can’t be put in a box. Montreal is so multicultural and multilingual, multifaceted in general, and it doesn’t let you put yourself in a box. The fact that I’ve taken time to get out of the city and do shows elsewhere gives me perspective when I get back into the city. No city is perfect, but I would like to see some more support. We want to have huge lines leading up to venues and whatnot. There’s also the language issue, the French and English stigma, and it’s a big issue here. I downplay it all the time and I don’t want it to be a negative thing because I don’t want the idea of learning an extra language to come off as a liability; it’s always an asset. You can never get hurt learning something new.
Speaking of Montreal, could you pinpoint any local artists who’ve helped you along the way? Any shout-outs to give?
Me and Ba2sim made a song way back in 2009. We’re from the same neighbourhood and went to the same school so it was only a matter of time before we did something together. I was very adamant about doing that because it was the first time I did a collaboration with a French artist and he brought me a lot of attention from his followers, and vice versa. So shout-out to Ba2sim. I want to keep doing stuff like that. I can’t really give any other shout-outs because I’m still watching everybody and seeing how they can influence me. Shout-outs to everyone who’s taking the craft seriously. Some people just try to do it for the buzz and it takes away from people who are actually trying to do something with it. Anyone who pushes through and perseveres, I salute you one hundred percent.
Mind telling us about any upcoming or ongoing projects?
Currently I’m pushing my Muntree EP, which is essentially me appreciating the city. Every song is a different sound but it’s based on a different aspect of what we have here. You can find that on SoundCloud or Bandcamp. At September 4th, I’m performing at the Open Air Pub at McGill. I’m also doing some music videos, and just working in general. It never stops. - Max Binks-Collier
Born of Cameroonian parents, Tamfu Terry Ngala aka Taigenz has been honing his skills as an artist and performer since he was 11-years-old. Based out of Montreal, he has opened for American hip-hop artists like Wiz Khalifa, Big K.R.I.T., Denzel Curry, and performed in Paris, Atlanta as well as a number of Canadian colleges and universities. He is now getting ready to release his new project titled Muntree EP. Of the project, Taigenz said:
This work is simply me appreciating the diversity and culture in the city and it’s direct influence on the music on this EP.
“Shottas” serves as the first single from the project, produced by Chamandy, and you can check it out below. Let us know what you think and be on the lookout for the Muntree EP, coming soon. - SEAN O'DONNELL
En cette matinée où les peaux de lièvres valsent, je me claque Mr. 514 de Taigenz. Actif depuis 2010, ce jeune rappeur lançait ce premier disque sur la plateforme Bandcamp le 11 décembre. L’oeuvre est vendue moyennant une contribution volontaire. Elle peut aussi être téléchargée gratuitement si vous avez des trous dans les poches…
J’aime bien. J’espère que vous apprécierez… - André Péloquin
Discography
2010 - Mr. 514 (The Pretape)
2012 - Mr. 514 The Street Album
2015 - Muntree EP
Photos
Bio
Born of Cameroonian parents on November 30th, 1991, Tamfu Terry Ngala aka Taigenz has been honing his skills as an artist and performer since he was 11 years old. At 16 years old, he put together a 16 track compilation entitled “First Impressions” which his first complete project of music distributed to his closest peers and those around him.
In 2010, he released “Mr. 514 (The PreTape)” as his first mixtape which helped him gain notoriety and new fans. He has then released the follow up project, the street album “Mr. 514” in 2012. Working with various local producers, Taigenz took up the task of manufacturing and promoting his album independently, selling many during his three-year career program at Dawson College.
He has since invested all the money from his past mixtapes into professionally producing more music and developing his career. In 2013, Taigenz embarked on a three-city tour with the Wu-Tang Clan affiliate member to Ottawa, Toronto and Hamilton. Having opened for American hip-hop artists like Canibus, M.O.P., Denzel Curry, and performed in Paris, Atlanta and a number of Canadian colleges and universities, he has begun to regard his Canadian and African heritage as a growing part of his persona;
As a teenager, Taigenz developed his music as part of a collective of other hip-hop artists called Black Glovez which opened for Big K.R.I.T. At the Belmont and Wiz Khalifa at MTL's Corona Theater. While artists like Nipsey Hussle, J. Cole, Kevin Gates, Kendrick Lamar and Drake are some of his current inspirations, Taigenz cites influences of a by-gone era like Nas, Eminem, 50 cent, Tupac, Biggie, Jay Z; a soon-to-be retiring generation of hip-hop pioneers and rap game-changers as well as his afro-centric roots.
Taigenz is currently working on his LP entitled "Life Ain't Free" set to be released in 2019.
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