Image via Facebook / Taks One
Taks One
Since shortly after the inception of hip hop, the openness of being able to shape and mold the genre into something new has always fostered creativity from artists. While on the mainstream side of things, acceptance of a copy and paste formula has led to some of hip hop’s many eras, but alternative rap has developed entire subgenres altogether. Locally, veteran emcee Taks One has been looking to push himself further in the alternative hip hop sphere, and his latest release, Came &Went, shows him excelling in that space.
The album, which follows up on 2018’s Severed Ties, features darker personal lyrics over sample-driven production that would make even contemporary trap producers nod their heads in appreciation. While the beats aren’t intended to pack as much bass into them as a normal hip hop record would, there are elements of the genre’s so-called “golden era” that peak out, playing into slower sounding tracks that focus on substance. The beats and DJ cuts are all the work of Taks himself, and that came out of years of transitioning from one role to another within the local hip hop scene.
“I started way back in 1994 or so as a DJ, and wasn’t really writing rhymes seriously until about 1998” said Taks One. “I produced all of the beats, did all of the cuts, and wrote all of my rhymes obviously on this album. Recording in my home stereo has become so much easier now as well, which is one of the biggest differences.”
While the majority of tracks feel very intimate, with Taks One taking center stage vocally, the few features that appear on Came & Went are effective, both in their sound and appearance within the album’s sequencing. AWOL One and Oliver Guthrie contribute to the run-down feel of early track “Rusty Belt Buckles,” and emcees Meesterman and Kerse One help pick up the pace on “The Chase,” which appears midway through the project. Taks One noted that the features came together organically, especially in the case of AWOL One.
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“It wasn’t an internet ‘hey man, I’ll give you some money for a verse’ thing” said Taks One. “He was out on tour in the Midwest with Oliver last July. We had a show together at Cactus Club, and he needed a place to stay. He wanted me to play some beats for him while he was over, so we made a song together the day after the show.”
The biggest significance of Came & Went is that it feels truly coherent from start to finish, which can sometimes be a burden in the limitless realm of alternative hip hop. The album flows well, while managing to encapsulate different individual feelings within its tracks. Taks One is truly a student of the game, and that plays out in full on this LP.
You can order the vinyl release of Came & Went via Taks One’s website, and stream the album on all streaming services now.
