What’s good my contemporaries in the Bird City!? We back percolating with some much-needed hip-hop energy for the streets. This week’s artist is a special treat to the old head hip-hop community with its sound and style taking us back to the 36 chambers and the Wu-Tang Camp. Tay Da Crown (TDC) is a highly prolific artist from the Phoenix Metro area, with an underground sound that reminds of a Royce Da 5’9 or Black Thought with his deep lyricism and to some degree the general sound of his voice. Tay’s joint, “Our Life” sounds like a Pharoah Monche style beat with the boom bap sound paired with the repeating violin chord. The most refreshing thing for an old school hip-hop aficionado is that TDC raps with meaning and stories, and not just general played out hip-hop concepts.
The sound quality of “Our Life” is a mixed bag. TDC uses an effect on the hook that is common in most of his music and I’m not a fan of it. His voice has a natural energy and power to it that allows him to shine without something so distracting. The beat was too loud and at some points it was a real struggle to decipher exactly what he’s saying, which is unfortunate because Tay is lyrically astute throughout the entire song. The song might even be considered a bit out of date as far as sound goes as well. Anyone raised in the new wave is going to have a hard time playing this joint more than once.
Lyrically, there’s so much to love here. Tay is highly creative. His pacing, cadence, and delivery are fantastic. Verse 2 kicks off with slick couplets showing Tay’s wittiness and storytelling, “Late night with that beige white/you can double up to eight, if you play the game right/ friends aint forever don’t you wish them niggas stayed tight/ I don’t talk about it I perform without no stage fright/.” Mixing street stories with friendship gems and the struggles of starving artistry are just a part of what makes TDC unique. The opening of the track quickly captures the attention quickly, “the potential of a starving artist/ always in the bottle painting pictures of an empty promise/ alcoholism is part of the vision, I promise/ and I dabble with the dab that moves rocks into comets/. Tay lyrics are intricate and layered and explain the poisons that motivate and inspire struggling artists.
“Our life” has some originality to it as it captures the vibe of hip-hop’s golden age in both lyricism and ruggedness. The content is potent and delivered with the confidence of someone who has lived everything they are rapping about. Presented with a cleaner mix and free of effects and TDC has a classic on his hands. Tay Da Crown is going to receive an 8 out of 10 for his brand of rugged, real hip-hop presented to us this week. That’s all for now people! Week 60 is on the horizon, thanks for always rocking with us! Peace and love, you boy, Bo!
BIRDCITYVIEW 