Rising emcee Taylor J, outta St. Paul, Minnesota, is intent on making 2016 his year. He made his first big splash last year with his 1991 mixtape, and the attention surrounding his talents has been amplifying exponentially with everything he's put out since. Ahead of The Wakeup, the anticipated sequel to 1991, Taylor has just announced he will drop a surprise EP, Before the Wakeup, which will arrive later this week.
Here's the first track off the project, "Proud," which comes with a brand new video. Taylor sticks to the black-and-white aesthetic displayed on the recent video to his "Side Effects" single. He basically goes acapella on "Proud," with nothing save for a faint, meandering jazz melody playing underneath his reflective raps. His voice alone, though, is enough to retain your full attention.
Watch him traverse his city -- looking bleak and especially frigid -- in the new clip, and it's clear that as he reaches new heights, Taylor isn't gonna forget where he came from.
Check back with us this week for Before the Wakeup.
