I’m always looking for music that has a real feel to it. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I like listening to the type of music where you don’t know the lyrics and you just like the beat; you’re just having a good time dancing and singing along with it. But most of the time, I want the music to move my soul and grab a hold of my heart and make me feel passion – whether it’s from hate, love, or sorrow – running throughout my veins. One day, I came across a musician-producer by the name of Taiyo Na. I bought his album Love Is Growth, which I love. I decided to talk to him about it and about his career.

Maimounah: Please tell me where you grew up. Where do your roots come from?
Taiyo: My mother immigrated from Japan, and I was born and raised all around New York City. I first grew up around Chinatown and then out by [the] Chelsea/Hell’s Kitchen area, and after that, a few years out in Brooklyn. New York City in the 80’s and 90’s was very different from the way it is now. I’m a graduate of NYU. I earned my B.A. in African and Asian American Studies.

Maimounah: When and why did you decide on a musical career?
Taiyo: In my teens, I discovered a love for hip-hop and rhymes. I wrote a lot of poetry and stories. I did the poetry thing for a hot minute. I still write, but it all goes into my songs. It naturally evolved into music. It was a natural progression from words to sound.

Taiyo Na Short

Maimounah: Do you play any instruments?
Taiyo: I play guitar, and when I produce, I play percussion, keyboard, etc. I became a producer after doing hip-hop for a number of years, and I had friends, who were MC’s and producers, who’d put me on. It was like maybe two years ago I started to get my own equipment to start producing on my own. The Love Is Growth album was spearheaded by me on production. Of course, with a lot of help from my musician friends.

Maimounah: Please explain the type of music genre that you perform.
Taiyo: I call it New York Hip-Hop meets Bluesy Soul music.

Maimounah: Who are some of your favorite music artists?
Taiyo: Prince, Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Bill Withers, Nas, Tupac, Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, Chris Ijima.

Maimounah: I have listened to your song “Lovely To Me (Immigrant Mother),” which is my favorite one [song] from your album Love Is Growth. How has your mother supported you throughout your life and throughout your musical career?
Taiyo: She’s supported me a lot. She’s my worst critic. She always tells me what she feels about my art. For example, she’ll tell me if she feels I’m not giving it the best I can. She’s a visual artist, so she’s an artist herself. She’s very critical, very cultured in that respect. She always expects the best from me. She gave me a lot of freedom while growing up to pursue what I am doing now in my life.

Taiyo Na - Lovely to Me (Immigrant Mother)

Maimounah: What do you have planned for in the future?
Taiyo: I have this project going on right now with Magnetic North. They’re a hip-hop group that I love. We’ve been collaborating on a whole bunch of songs. We have a song called “I Got My” that just came out, and we are shooting a music video for it on Sunday, January 18. You can check it out on Magnetic North’s Myspace page here: MagneticHipHop. In addition to that, I’m always working on my own stuff as well as other collaboration projects. I’m working with artists such as Conchita Campos, and you can check out her Myspace page here: Conchita’s Collective. She’s a singer with an acoustic soul vibe, but lately has entered into a rock type of vibe. I’m working with Denizen Kane who’s an MC from Oakland, California. I’m trying to develop other artists right now which in turn helps develop me as a musician and as an artist, as well. It’s a 2-way street.

Denizen Kane: “Patriot Act” (Def Poetry)

Taiyo has been working on a new clothing line. T-shirts are available in womens’ by clicking on his page Taiyo Na and scrolling down: Mens’ t-shirts will be available soon!

www.TaiyoNa.com
www.MySpace.com/LoveIsGrowth

Photo courtesy of Anrong Xu.