SoundCloud | Twitter | Instagram
We all have aspirations as kids. Johnny might want to play for the Lakers; Jimmy might want to play under the lights on Sundays; hell, Sally might want to end up on her knees staring into a camera (hey, you never know). Regardless of the dream, we’ve all had ‘em at some point in our lives. Unfortunately somewhere along the way, most tend to lose that drive and passion with age and stunted creativity. We need people to push us when we can’t push ourselves anymore. For the majority, that support comes from our parents.
When your mother names you Talent, there’s clearly a lot to live up to, but there’s a distinct notion of support. I mean no logical woman would name her child Talent if she thought he’d be a fuck up; she clearly believes in her kid. Some people shy away from an added pressure like this; some people will rise to the occasion and shine. Well folks, grab your Ray Bans because Mama, there goes that man!
Talent Harris is a 24-year old rapper out of New York. BUT WAIT! He’s not from Brooklyn; he’s not from the Bronx; he’s not from Queens; he’s from… LONG ISLAND?! Don’t worry loyal readers, he isn’t a standard issue Long Islandite (or is it Long Islandian?) equipped with a Starbucks Frappawhateverthefuckthey’recalled squeezing into a pair of Uggs while stuffing their whale tails into a pair of Lululemon pants. When ZeusWolf had the pleasure of meeting Talent, he came equipped with knowledge, a fun and goofy demeanor, a slight weed odor, a book on Myles Davis and, well, talent.
Yes, talent played a role in his come-up, but external forces were also essential to his rise. One of his best friends growing up, DJ P.Forreal, and longtime producer/collaborator, is the son of famed Hip-hop beat maker, Prince Paul (mostly known for his work with De La Soul). After I recovered from Talent’s offensive question, “Are you guys familiar with De La Soul?” (I mean I know I’m White and Jewish, but come on guy), he explained how access to a legendary musician established his foundation.
At around 16 when Talent began rapping, Prince Paul was working on an interesting project: A comedy album called, Negroes on Ice. The album’s premise is Prince and DJ P telling Chris Rock an outrageous story, complemented by songs, some of which Talent had the honor of writing and performing—you cannot make this shit up. In Talent’s words, “It was wacky.” Wacky is an apt description, but this wacky venture ignited Talent’s music career. Despite this opportunity, Talent attributes the bulk of his success to his longtime collaborative group, In Tune Entertainment.
In Tune is a creative entity equipped with musicians, web designers, social ambassadors, videographers, photographers and any other “ographer” (pornographer?). Every In Tune member provides a different utility that comprises Talent’s diversified tool belt. However, their most tangible form of support materializes in the videos they create for him. Although they usually display a motif of him fucking around with his homies, he took a detour from this theme for arguably his most popular work to date, “Nine Two Five”.
The concept of this record is extremely relatable: Work a shitty 9-5 job now to support your dreams so you’ll never have to work a 9-5 again. The song will stay in your head all day due to its catchy hook that flows over the chill, melodic beat. But the song’s real beauty is conveyed through the powerful music video.
Covered by The Fader, the “Nine Two Five” video asks an assortment of New Yorkers to summarize their feelings towards their day job in a facial expression; looks of disgust and frustration are most common. Montages of Talent performing in Union Square are spliced throughout the video to deepen the song’s sentiment of doing something you hate to one day do something you love.
Whether he’s freestyling with his crew, blowing out Sour, making dubs of Hey Arnold or creating great music, Talent is just living his life, paying no regard to doubters. Check out his most recent drop, Birth of the Cool Again (the title pays homage to Miles Davis). Through collaboration, diligence and not taking himself too seriously, Talent is doing whatever it takes to convert his dreams into a reality, and finally stop working that 9-5.
ZeusWolf Choice Picks:
Martha
The Gospel
Time is Money