“We on to the next one, on to better things and better dreams that’s in my temple, I write em’ with my pencil.”
– Egypt Taylor
Philadelphia has a long and prestigious history in hip-hop. One of our contributors once began to break it down, but a timeline that starts with names like Schooly D and Fresh Prince, and leads to names like Beanie Siegel and Meek Mill, the city has long emblazoned its unique mark on hip-hop culture. But it’s a new day, and new voices are emerging. Once of these new voices is Egypt Taylor – a member of The Prodigies collective. Currently, on tour with the collective, Egypt has been busy prepping a new EP, but – alongside the release of Kanye’s Waves album – is dropping a new song titled Champion, produced by Kanye West himself.
Needless to say, having a song produced by Kanye West is a great look for such a new artist; actually, that’s an understatement. A Kanye West beat in 2016 is something most artists will never achieve! We wanted to learn more about the song, so we linked up with Egypt for a quick Q&A. Check that out below, and take an ear to Champion, produced by Kanye.
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How did you get into hip-hop?
I got into hip-hop growing up around my cousin Kravitz, who was a producer at the time. He would make beats on his AKAI pad, and I would try to make my poems flow over his beats.
Who are/were some of your influences?
My main influences would have to be MF DOOM, Jay-Z, Kool & The Gang, and, of course, Kanye.
Can you describe your sound?
I don’t have a particular sound that I consistently aim for when writing a song. The sound I hope to deliver varies from project to project and usually depends on how I’m feeling on that particular day. But I usually get that I have an old-school hip-hop sound in a lot of my tracks.
Tell me about your new track champion? How did the song come together?
Champion is a crazy song. It’s different from my other projects, mainly because of the production. Kanye’s influence and work ethic makes the song stand out, which is great because it allowed me to write from a different creative perspective.
Have you been sitting on this track for a while?
Yea, we were sitting on this track for a couple of months. The sound didn’t fit the tone of my upcoming EP or anything I had planned on releasing soon, so we decided it was best to release it as a single along with the upcoming release of “Waves.”
With the release of waves, this is pretty great timing on your part. Besides Ye What other artists are you currently working with?
Yea, the timing is bittersweet. Kanye is a great producer and artist and has established himself as such. Having the exposure from a music legend is helpful for an upcoming artist, but it can also overshadow your work as a relatively underground artist. I am currently working on a track with Lil 100 from SODMG and a project with my collective member APEX Predator.
What should we be looking out for?
You should most certainly be bracing yourself for APEX Predator’s self-titled, debut EP dropping on Feb. 15. As well as a few tracks featuring me and Kurt from Good Money Empire.
Do you have an LP on the horizon?
No. There is a debut EP on the horizon though with some crazy features. Look out for that around late spring/early summer.
What can you tell us about the prodigies?
The Prodigies is hip-hop collective and the title of the collective’s debut EP. Collective members APEX Predator and Vaniah, are the main artists featured on the EP. It was released to give listeners a glance at the different vibes and sounds the collective hopes to deliver on their individual projects.
How has the tour been thus far?
The tour has been amazing. As an upcoming artist, it is always great to get that initial support from your fans and listeners. Seeing people rock with you to your art at a live performance is motivating and encouraging.
What has been your favorite show thus far?
The Philadelphia hip-hop scene as a whole has been my personal favorite place to perform. From the El to the venues, to Love Park, Philadelphians have always shown support, and that’s mad dope being a non-native to Philly.
Are you guys working on more projects like this?
Yea, we hope to release more projects like this from other members of the collective to bring together the various sounds of different members on one whole project.
What are your goals in the music industry?
My goals as an artist are to continue to inspire others to create long lasting, and call-to-action music. Music is an excellent form of communication because it reaches the general public daily. Aside from writing about wildlife experiences, I hope to create meaningful songs that inspire others to do good and bring unity to humanity.
What is one thing you’d like your listeners to know about you as an artist?
I want my listeners to know that I am human, and I have emotions. They change daily and sometimes hourly. Those emotions and feelings can be heard and felt in my projects and may seem to produce an inconsistency. But I am always the same person despite the sound of my music.
Do you have any last words for our readers?
If you can think it, you can do it. Follow me on Twitter.
