Taylor Bennett: "Ballin"
Yesterday, Chicago's latest up and comer, Taylor Bennett, celebrated his 18th birthday with the Hypetrak premier of his latest track, "Ballin," due out on his anticipated 2014 project, Mainstream Music. The follow-up to last month's debut single "Heartbreaker," Bennett is proving that there is more to him than his older brother (Chance The Rapper).
He's a mile-a-minute on the haunting Saint The Good Boy beat, tossing together rhymes in rapid-fire succession while allowing listeners to digest his thought-provoking and insightful bars he's throwing at them. It's equal parts Twista and Lupe as he churns his way through the track. Check out the latest from Taylor Bennett from yourself, streaming below.
[RH First Glance] Taylor Bennett
Alright, let's get it out of the way. Yes, Taylor Bennett's brother is Chance. Yes, that Chance; the rapper. With that out of the way we can get on to more important aspects of Taylor Bennett's life, such as his sold out debut headlining show last Friday at Reggie's Rock House on Chicago's south loop that had fans lined outside in the freezing rain.The 17-year-old high school senior took the stage to his frenetic "Speed Racer" after a solid lineup showcasing the next wave of Chicago hip-hop to flow from the city. As a packed crowd at Reggie's rapped and sang along to songs like "Heartbreaker" and "Dear Daddy" before turning up to "Rolling With The Gods", it became readily evident that Taylor Bennett is not happy being known only as Chance's brother. Friday night, he looked like he was ready to make his own moves going into the new year.
This year, artists in Chicago had reason to be pressed and hopeful at the same time as they collectively watched Chance rise from the guy down the block to one of the biggest stars in the country. Perhaps no one had a closer front row seat to the experience than the younger Bennett. While there's always competition with an older sibling, Taylor has set out to carve out his own lane in hip-hop with a unique blend of pure rhyming talent, personable nature and thoughtful prose. To be sure, things are very different for Taylor than his brother. Through his success, more eyes are on the younger Bennett, who received a write up in XXL recently and has become a regular on blogs across the country. While Chano was able to come up under the radar, Taylor has been squarely on the map of a lot of rap fans for a minute now. With all the attention, nerves and pressure would be easily understandable, especially for a 17-year-old, but Taylor's not sweating. I had a chance to catch him on the phone after his show, as he was working on his next project, Mainstream Music, to chop it up real quick about living in and out of other people's shadows, growing up in Chicago, his mixtape-The Taylor Bennett Show and more. Check out our Q+A below.
[Video] Taylor Bennett: "Heartbreaker"
Chicago's own Taylor Bennett has been gaining steam since dropping his mixtape, The Taylor Bennett Show this summer, and tonight dropped the video for his single, "Heartbreaker" off his upcoming 2014 project, Mainstream Music. The video, shot by 16-year-old Thelonious Stokes and premiered by IllRoots, is interesting, with Taylor musing over the intricacies of relationship issues, playing between a melodic hook and mixed bag of rhyme schemes throughout the track. The video is a small preview of what fans can expect from the 17-year-old's upcoming, sold out show at Reggie's Rock House in Chicago on December 20. Check out the video below, and keep it locked to RH for more on Taylor Bennett.
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Taylor Bennett: "Heartbreaker"
With everyone talking about Chance The Rapper at the end of the monster year he had, you'd be easily forgiven for not knowing that Chano isn't the only Bennett with some bars. Younger brother Taylor Bennett has been making a name for himself around Chicago in a hurry, performing in a flurry of shows since releasing The Taylor Bennett Show earlier this year. An XXL writeup already under his belt at the tender age of 17, Bennett saw what his big brother did this year, and is hot on his heels.
Aside from a name, the two Bennett's have similar, but uniquely different rhyme schemes and strengths, but the occasional crooning hooks or embellished words are a certain calling card for the family. Tonight, Taylor dropped "Heartbreaker" via Fake Shore Drive, the first single off his upcoming project, Mainstream Music, due out in the Spring of 2014. Produced by Saint The Good Boy, the track has plenty to get excited about. Be sure to catch Taylor live for his debut headlining show at Reggie's Rock House on Chicago's South Loop on December 20, track below.
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[Mixtape] Taylor Bennett: "The Taylor Bennett Show"
After receiving positive feedback on his latest video release and a successful listening party Saturday at Jugnraut, Taylor Bennett decided to release a deluxe version of his breakthrough 'tape The Taylor Bennett Show. With three new songs, new cover-art and a few updated joints, this will be a totally unique experience and a departure from the first release. Stream below.