TiZ

Rapper TiZ came out swinging with his single “How it Goes” featuring M. Rose. The song has only been out for about a month, but it has steadily gained traction ever since it’s release. TiZ, a North Carolina native, has managed to build a strong following in Charlotte and New York City; which is extremely impressive since most MCs have a hard time getting buzz in their hometowns. He has gained recognition from AllHipHop.com and MTVU, his songs have gotten play on prominent radio stations, and he was the opener for Mac Miller’s tour. Can’t be mad at a kid that’s out here grinding and making things happen for himself.

“How It Goes” is supposed to be an imperfect love story that addresses the uncertainty of relationships and the places they take people. Right from the beginning, TiZ makes a smart choice in the way that he positions the intro of the song. Instead of a long-drawn-out introduction with sounds and vocals, the song starts off with ten seconds of music and then jumps straight into the bars.

Usually, a big reveal before the main course is applauded, because it prepares the listener for the artist’s journey. TiZ demonstrated that nothing was missed by cutting the intro short and all the action was in the verses. His style of cutting to the chase is greatly appreciated.

TiZ is an excellent rapper and it is quite clear that he is very careful about his word choices. Maybe he is getting more credit than he deserves but when analyzing the lyrics it seems that he’s very strategic in the way that he arranges his verses; similar to the way a composer arranges music.

It’s all even and on the same level with the right amount of metaphors, and there are no low points during his raps. All of the lyrics get the same amount of shine, you can’t pinpoint a difference in terms of one verse being better than the others. This might not have been done on purpose but it’s a very interesting thing to notice.

Even though the lyrics are good it was disappointing to realize that no extraordinary measures were taken. This means that there were no intricate metaphors or examples of explicit imagery. There’s an understanding in music that it is very difficult for rappers to create great love songs because they have to compete with R&B singers who can put way more emotion into a song through different vocal techniques.

Reaching a similar level of emotion requires a rapper to rely on their ability to create amazing imagery, almost like painting pictures with their words; making the listener almost play a movie in their head to the song. TiZ lyrics didn’t reach the level of imagery and emotion needed to officially stamp this as a love song. Again, it’s like he chose to do this on purpose and opted not to take risks. However, what’s the point of performing if an artist isn’t willing to walk across the tightrope for their fans?

Moving right along, the chorus was sung beautifully by M. Rose, unfortunately, her services were not needed. Honestly, the chorus was a little too long and served as just a separator between verses. It would have been more satisfying to hear TiZ do the chorus himself. He’s smart enough to figure how to write a chorus that can make his vocals fit in that space. Also, doing the chorus himself would have made the song sound more organic.

Besides those minor issues that could have had a major impact, the song is great. It sounds like a song created by an intelligent and experienced rapper. Some things may have been over-thought, but overall no mistakes were made and it was sonically appealing. High expectations might’ve been placed on TiZ, but if the bar isn’t set high people can’t accurately measure themselves and their progress. He’s already doing better than most of his peers so, hopefully, he’ll let loose a little more.

” How It Goes” is from TiZ’s upcoming EP, Leap Of Faith.

STREAM: TIZ “HOW IT GOES”ON SPOTIFY - Salute Magazine

“You have to go get what you prayed for, you have to go get what you dreamed…” -TiZ

Forest City, North Carolina native, TiZ (born Raymond Phillips), recently dropped his first single “Laced” released by Soundtrak Music Group from his unreleased freshman studio-project entitled, Leap of Faith, and it is real nice. The rising hip-hop star puts his own flare on top of “Late” by Kanye West as a way to pay homage to Yeezy and the prolific era of sample-heavy music; the ‘90s. Leap of Faith is a follow-up to TiZ’s Pre Leap of Faith mixtape hosted by DJ Proe. We had the opportunity to speak with TiZ about his forthcoming project and to get to know who he is as a breakthrough artist from North Carolina.

After a brief introduction, the interview started right away. We asked, what was it like growing up?

“I grew up in a small town called Forrest City, North Carolina, I’m the oldest of 4 siblings… Music was definitely in the household… My mother, she sang a lot.”

TiZ jumped into the art of hip-hop around the age of 14-years-old.

“Me and my cousins made a little mixtape and passed it around in high school…”

The first track he ever blessed lyrics to was 50 Cent’s “Back Down” (Get Rich or Die Trying).

“It’s easy to see when you look at me.. (as he sings)… that was the first thing I ever wrote to..”

As the interview progressed, TiZ shared with us that he became a father at the age of 15-years-old.

“I had a child early in high school, so that definitely changed my perspective on a lot of things.. It made things a whole lot tougher.”

This was definitely not a setback for the MC, but fueled his grind and the need to be a father who empowers his young lady.

Growing up, TiZ was more into sports. After high school, he attended a small college in Radford, Virginia where he played basketball. TiZ really started taking his career serious when he moved to Charlotte, NC from college and dropped his “baby”, “Hello Summer”, which is his first original song produced by a local producer named Jay. “Hello Summer” was picked up on the popular station platforming the college lifestyle, community happenings and emerging artists, MTVU.

“I came on the scene like the new kid.. (haha)..”

In reference to his venture of accomplishing his steadfast dream as a hip-hop influencer, TiZ began to work with an artist named Tiny T who introduced him to the locally popular ‘One Mic Mondays’ hosted by JayKnowTruth. He also hosted various events in NC, performed at other various music showcases and was previously a part of Mac Miller‘s Most Dope Tour.

Although TiZ felt the love from his hometown, like many other rappers who are from a small town, moving to a city like New York has proven to be more impactful due to their historical infrastructure for the music culture. It shouldn’t be a shock to anyone TiZ’s influences are profound artists such as: Kanye West, Hova (Jay Z), Coldplay, Michael Jackson, North Carolina native J. Cole, and a few others. You can hear remnants from these artists in his projects. TiZ even sounds like Eminem in some ways as well.

“Honestly, I am inspired by music in general. Even from my first single, “No Hobby”, it’s very musical.”

When asked about the current state of hip-hop, He stated:

“I feel that the necessary pieces are there but I feel the unnecessary pieces are being glorified. The meat and the potatoes are there.” Tiz shed his thoughts towards the social state of society now-a-days by stating, “My thing is to inspire people to speak outside of the box. (You either have to be someone the world wants you to be) or you’re a thug.”

According to TiZ, he has been pursuing his rap career seriously for over 6 to 7 years and the project embodies that.

“Leap of Faith is my story.. it’s a story of me leaving home and coming here (New York).”

TiZ has teamed up with DJ Proe for a second round to give the world something extra special with his official freshman project, Leap of Faith, which is projected to be released in Fall 2016. The rising star puts his freestyle down heavy over a gang of raw instrumentals on Pre Leap of Faith mixtape and fans can download it now.

Check out the repeat worthy track “Laced” by TiZ: - Everything Girls Love

North Carolina artist TiZ drops off his latest video “Laced” from his upcoming project Leap Of Faith. The visuals follow TiZ on an everyday stroll with model Katt Willis in Harlem creating the tone for the nostalgic, laid-back flow that “Laced” provides. - The Source

North Carolina’s TiZ returns with his newest single “Do It” produced by DJ Proe, featuring Jersey rapper KC Bandz. This will appear on TiZ’s project Leap Of Faith which is set to drop this year. - You Heard That New

New York-based artist TiZ releases the single ‘How It Goes’ featuring the vocal assist of M Rose. Production on this laid back cut courtesy of DJ Proe.
Have a listen to the single, which is available now on iTunes. - All Unsigned