TAZ

"To restore peoples faith in the world through music" sounds like something out of a beauty pageant, but for James Conley it's the most appropriate description of what he's aiming to do. Known locally in his hometown of Kokomo, Indiana as TAZ, this son of a loving mother and hard working father is no stranger to being out in the front and showing out in front of a crowd. Rapping and performing since the 5th grade and starting to record music at age 15, that desire to touch the hearts of thousands through song all from one stage was just something he seemed to be made for.

In High School Taz had many musical influences including Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Jay-Z and Nas. He wowed his fellow students during lunch hour by freestyling about what they were having that day for lunch. This, along with the release of his very first solo mixtape, started to give him a name, not only around his school, but around the entire town and state. His piers, young kids, and even adults all around the city gave him the name "Mr. Mo-Ville" after the nickname of the city, Kokomo. Taz felt that the support of not only kids his age, but also older individuals, really set him apart from other rappers in the area. The fact that he could appeal to more than just the young market astonished him, and got him a lot of attention.

Listeners will describe Taz's music as eclectic, bold, and very hip-hop with a sort of pop-ish, feel good splash. He puts a great amount of thought in to every record he records but still feels that it takes the ability to make people believe that what you are saying is true. In his words, "it's not what you say, it's how you say it". Taz strives to be the sound that no one else can match, do what others are not and make his sound one of a kind. Judging by the reaction and feedback of his fans, he's doing a very good job of that.