Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeffrey Taylor.
Hi Jeffrey, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I joined a radio station in college, and there was a diss track competition. N a R O were both dissed, and we decided to collaborate on a diss track. I had a decent amount of skill with flow and writing lyrics. I didn’t have any musical training whatsoever, but boredom breeds hobbies in the town where we went to school, and we decided to see what we could do with it. We started with Gheto Cookie, and we have only gone further. I began as Vaporize and have progressed to Incog-Negro.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s only sometimes a smooth road. Sometimes, I have an easy time writing; other times, I don’t. Writer’s block is harder for me to overcome. Most of it stems from everything that you expect in rap music. You want great wordplay and the best bars possible and not the same flow all the time. It’s a process to go through; I can easily write some beats, and some feelings are easier to express than others. I have improved with not caring about sounding like everyone and just writing when I feel it.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to be more familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I make music under the name of Incog-Negro. That’s what I’m known for to a degree. I’m proud of the work that N a R O and I have put in musically; there hasn’t been any compromise in our sound or lyrical content. Whatever we like, we make. I want people to enjoy what we have done, but I also want to make something I’m proud of. It’s therapeutic for me; I can express my feelings, and it helps me feel better. It’s hard for me to open up sometimes, and music is that outlet for it. I want people who listen to me to have that same feeling and connection. It has also helped me improve my confidence, which I struggle with.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
A risk for a while was just lyrics. I don’t know if people will always understand me. Or that’s at least something I had to deal with starting. Over time, I’ve started to care less. Only some people will like everything I say or how I say it. My major risk was putting myself out more in terms of music. Working a career and trying to give myself more exposure is hard to do. Even with family, some of my family members still don’t know that I make music, and it’s not that I’m hiding it exactly. I don’t know what their response will be. But everything requires a certain amount of risk; you have to decide if it’s worth taking.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @ incognegro_suckfm
- Twitter: @hotepthoughts
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7DZcNsHgE18m1bwGFLw5ye?si=CL0Txf9sRwK5VZ3rxFoblA
Image Credits
Lukas Reuther
