Tay-K

If you’ve missed the recent buzz around Tay-K – the Houston rapper blew up this summer after dropping “The Race,” a single about fleeing from the police that was shot and recorded while the 17-year-old was an actual wanted fugitive. But as “The Race” climbs the Billboard 100, Tay-K now sits in jail, awaiting trial for his connection to a home invasion and murder last year. Of many unfortunate aspects to this all-around sad situation, one is the premature loss of a promising musical talent. Both the lyrical content and musical style of tracks like the explosive “I <3 My Choppa” suggest Tay-K shares more in common with the old school and southern rappers of hardcore/horrorcore than of the SoundCloud teen-trap genre he’s been lumped into. Perhaps in a different timeline Tay-K could’ve eventually turned his savage energy into pop charisma, à la Juicy J. We’re left only to wonder.