Turtle T
Seattle, Washington, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | SELF
Music
Press
Since being up in the Northwest, I have had the pleasure of meeting countless people in and around the street culture in Seattle. Amongst those talented people, Turtle T ranks toward the top in passion, hustle, and grind. I had the chance to meet Zac at an event we did together back in 2013 for his first solo mixtape "Of Love And Lust", and we've given him the co-sign ever since. We like to share the stories of those we believe embody the GBC philosophy and lifestyle, and showcase them as they should be. Check out this small feature we did with the up and coming artist, as well as stay on the lookout for more work between us!
- Evan, founder
Q) Tell em who you are!
Zac "Turtle T" Millan, a Seattle Native with ties around the world.
Q) Tell us about your background, and how thats brought you to where you are today?
I come from a very nomadic typical single mother childhood. Constantly moving and living with different members of my family gave me a diversity both geographically and philosophically. They say it takes a village and it definitely did in my case. I think this sense of diversity not only molded who I am but the music I make. I strive to always be evolving and progressing my sound so that I never make the same song twice. During my teens I fell in love with the art of bboyin which introduced me to a very genuine world of hip hop. Bboyin taught me the respect for the culture and also transferred how I make music. For instants musicality is a big part of bboy culture and the music is your driving force. For me I prefer to rap with a beat and the music is what dictates what I write and the mood. Almost like the producer is the canvas and I'm just translating the music to paint the picture. I could go on forever but thats a bit of background.
Q) What/who inspires you? Or even where do you find your inspiration?
I find inspiration in all mediums of art and craft I can see the beauty and heart in most things that are genuine, well thought, and from the heart. Even computer programming can be an art if the person creating is passionate. Mostly music is my inspiration and not just rap/hip-hop but all kinds including jazz, reggae, rock, classical etc. As far as inspiration artist that molded me as an artist I can break it into 3 categories. Local, Old, and New. As far as local I was a big fan of Common Market, Blue Scholars, Macklemore (Language of My World Mack...), and alot of the 206 Zulu cats including my mentor Nesto repine' Cypha Alliance, MadK, and Zulu. as far as "Old," not saying their still not doing there thing, Andrew 3000, Mos Def, and Big Pun. As far as new J Cole was the first new skool cat that turned me back on to the rap that was blossoming. Then the whole TDE movement, Blu, and old Kanye
Life is my biggest inspiration for my music because all my ish comes from what I experience and sometimes I gotta let life catch up to me before I can create more music.
Q) What are you currently working on, or some past projects you'd like to mention?
Currently I am in the works on a solo EP with Dj Phinisey from Tacoma as well as some collabs with local artists including Theoretics, Tangerine, and Camila Recchio. Planning to drop my first single this winter. I just dropped my first solo mix tape "Of Love and Lust" this last may as well as my crew Nu Era's Ep "A Start 2 the beginning" in November. Nu Era is also in the works on a new album as well.
Q) What's your hope for the future with music? Whats the "dream"?
There is just so much music I wanna make and so many different genres to explore! I gets a lil overwhelming because I have so many ideas i.e. I wanna make a reggae project n shit. The dream is to travel with music and meet people and do shows in other countries. I would like to do music as a career in the sense that I could live off of it to free up more time to make more of it. I just want a humble abode wit my studio downstairs. Thats the dream, g.
Q) Any shoutouts you wanna make?
Shout out to Nu Era, Sleepless Collective, the whole Honor Roll fam, Cloud Nice fam, Geo, Ol' Dyno homies my friends, fam, and fans and everyone that been fuckin' wit me. - Gifted by Choice
Hope you're doing well out there, staying out of the rain when you can, catching the sun when it falls through—ugh, weather references are so emo-rap—but just like you on Twitter, a lot of the shit I say here is a very necessary reminder to myself. Hope y'all don't mind. If I don't talk to myself someplace, I'll start doing it at shows—oh yeah, shows. Thursday, May 30, Graves33 is at Barboza, and the well-seasoned, much-traveled multi-instrumentalist/producer Budo is making his solo debut over at the Crocodile's Back Bar with Orbe Orbe. On Friday, May 31, Brothers from Another play at Nathan Hale, and Juicy J, A$AP Ferg, and Jarv Dee trip out Showbox at the Market. Saturday, June 1—it's fucking JUNE ALREADY—Nissim, who you once knew as D.Black, is at the Crocodile with Fly Moon Royalty and Head Like a Kite. Now: new business.
I'm pretty sure I haven't spilled enough ink for the Nu Era crew, and NE's standout MC, Turtle T, just released his solo debut, Of Love and Lust. It starts out very slightly recalling the easy intimacy and earnest freshness of TiRon & Ayomari's A Sucker for Pumps—probably not a stretch, seeing as Nu Era has brought T&A to tour the NW with them twice now, as you may yourself recall. Turtle speaks real about his life and times with the ladies, his music, and his indiscretions and failings with both, and the smoky hooks from singer Camila Recchio sweeten the proceedings. Turtle's young-everyman stance is patently patient, principled but far from perfect and sometimes evocative of Blu—another LA rap act he's helped bring out a couple times. "Now things ain't perfect," T rhymes, "but I'm still working/and I'm still learning/'cause I'm determined." Of Love's best moments are charmingly sentimental and bittersweet—enough to forgive some of the album's brief lapses of focus or emotional subtlety. - The Stranger
Turtle knows Fall does not mean its time to turn down your active level. Although if you haven’t harvested enough skrill to survive the winter you might wanna get your hustle up cuase the winter is rough enough to interrupt life. Up in the SEA Turtle and the Nu Era Crew threw a release party for the video in Belltown (Check out a lil release party footage below) #KeepSummerAlive2014 - We Out Here Magazine
Finally doing what I was brought onto WOHM to do, here is some music from Seattle Artist, Turtle T. In celebration of his born day the Nu-Era member drops off a loosie for slow grindin’ with bad ones and yelling out of car windows at ’2am’. DJ Phinisey did his thing on here for sure, like damn! Im tryin’ get my summer combo on (Pacificos & a shots of Reposado) off the strength. Where my ladies at? Also why is that Nu-Era pic so dope? - We Out Here Magazine
Discography
Shh! EP (with Hush'd Puppies), 2009
Dyno Jamz LP (with Dyno Jamz), 2009
Sink or Swim LP (with Nu Era), 2011
Of Love and Lust Mixtape, 2013
Friday Night Single, 2014
Sippin Single, 2014
Features
Lights (Feat. Turtle T & A-Tran) - Sendai Era, 2014
Slow Down (Feat. Marika Che, Turtle T & Warm Gun) - All Star Opera, 2014
Photos
Bio
Turtle originally began his endeavors as a b-boy representing Seattle based dance crew, Flying Sneakers, before sustaining critical injuries. Unfazed and determined to find a new creative outlet, Turtle began freestyling and writing rhymes. After meeting producer and Portland native, Andrew Savoie, they formed the Hip-Hop group, Hush’d Puppies. His talents were immediately recognized and was recruited by a full live band, Dyno Jamz, to spearhead their ambitions as the lead MC. That year, they took 1st place at the 2009 EMP Sound Off!, the largest youth battle of the bands in the Northwest region. The band went on to perform all over the Northwest alongside the likes of Macklemore, The Physics, Thee Satisfaction, Grynch, Theoretics, and more. That year, Turtle T released two projects: Hush’d Puppies’ “Shhh!” EP and Dyno Jamz’ debut album.
In 2011, Turtle T and Andrew Savoie along with Blaine “5 Flat” Rochester (5 Flat & Brown) and Chima “Chiefs” Abuachi (Theoretics) formed the Hip-Hop group, Nu Era. With a great level of collective experience, styles, and talents, Nu Era quickly rose to prominence with notable performances alongside K-Os, Gift of Gab, Blu, Brother Ali, Nappy Roots, Blue Scholars and more. They released their first album, “Sink or Swim” in 2011, and embarked on their first west coast tour with Blu and Tiron & Ayomari that spring.
In 2013, Turtle T had launched his solo career with the introduction of his debut mixtape, “Of Love and Lust”, that was released in April. It was well received in the local hip hop community and gave him a basis for his solo career. Come February 2014, Turtle T released his first single with DJ Phinisey, "Friday Night," and "Sippin" came shortly after in May. In support of his second single, Turtle T's first ever music video was released on September 29th.
Now in 2015, Turtle T is set for two big releases, his collaborative EP with DJ Phinisey expected this Spring/Summer, and a Winter/Spring release for Nu Era's highly anticipated sophomore album. Expanding his horizons even more, Turtle T has filmed an improvised jam session with Aaron Jones and musicians from the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra that is set to be released in the coming months. Turtle T hopes to share with his growing audience, what he has become known for: versatility, quality, sophistication, and humor all with a dash of human.
Band Members
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