Brandon Taylor
Rapper/Producer Brandon Taylor creates his own innovative beats to match top notch lyricisms for an exhilarating listening experience. He released his debut single “Day 366” in 2018 and truly hasn’t stopped since. In between the release of his two EP’s Bankview and Stardust, he dropped a series of over 35 singles, including “8 to 8”, his biggest hit yet with over 162K streams. His 2020 releases “Tough Love”, “Tired of Me”, and “Gtfo” are just some of the songs that highlight his music abilities. He’s amassed an audience of 36K monthly listeners and has been featured on Spotify playlists such as Tear Drop, Fresh Finds: Hip Hop, and Northern Bars. It’s safe to say the future is looking bright for him. We recently spoke with Brandon about how he started making music, what he does in his free time, and more!
How did you start making music?
In the 10th Grade, I had a cheap microphone and a laptop and I would download my favorite artists’ beats off the internet and write/record my own verses to them. For about a year, I didn’t really tell people that I was making songs because I was afraid of a negative reaction. After doing like 35 tracks in secret, I finally paid for real studio time and began posting my first songs on the internet. People at school were way more supportive than I first anticipated and that gave me confidence to keep going.
How would you describe your music style?
My tracks can be super melodic, but I also still love doing straight up rap songs. I’m pretty versatile and enjoy hitting all different styles and seeing what clicks for me. I tell detailed stories a lot.
What does Brandon Taylor do in his free time?
Outside of working on songs, I probably listen to music for 3-4 hours a day. I’ll just put headphones on and go for a long walk and zone out. I’ve been learning Spanish for a few months as well and I usually play Xbox every night before bed. Exciting stuff I know!
Take us through your process in writing “Tired of Me.”
I found a song called “This Is Home” by a band called Cavetown, and I was blown away. I immediately loaded it up in Logic, sliced a couple parts out of it and changed the speed and pitch. After putting a basic drum pattern and bass line on it I put the instrumental on my phone and went for a walk. I think it was like midnight. It’s very hard for me to write while sitting still, so I’ll walk through my neighbourhood with headphones on and type lyrics into my notes app. In this case the hook was a sample, and I used the sample’s lyrics to guide my verses. Generally I write songs like an essay, so the hook is the thesis statement and the verses are like the supporting “arguments” that expand on the themes of the song. After my walk I come straight back to my studio and record it, do a rough mix, put the song back on my phone and then go for another walk and listen to it. Hearing something brand new that you just created is the best feeling ever, but it doesn’t last long.
Who’s your partner in a dream collab?
I would love to do a song with Jessie Reyez. And as a producer, if I could get a beat on a Drake project that would be the craziest shit ever. Same goes for J. Cole, Young Thug, or Kendrick. I also wish I could’ve worked with Mac Miller before he passed away.
What has been your favorite experience as a musician so far?
The feeling of creating something new and better than anything you’ve done before. It’s a high I chase every day.
Any future projects for fans to get excited about?
I’ll be resuming my “song-a-week” releases in mid-July. It’s an amazing way to grow a fanbase and improve as an artist. Once I really have a solid following I’ll switch to albums but until then, expect an overwhelming amount of singles from me.
