“You don’t want to go to an art gallery and see the same picture on the wall. You want to see a beautiful spectrum of work, colors, feelings and vibes. That’s what I want my catalog to be when I’m done. I want you to be able to find a song to fit any type of emotions that you’re feeling. As human beings, we all go through highs, lows, love, death, anger, hurt, despair, happiness, all these things, right? Music should reflect that.” - Torae
For half a decade, Coney Island-bred MC Torae has consistently reflected life through skillfully crafted lyrics, precisely placed over carefully selected beats, creating a body of work that has placed him at the forefront of New York’s next wave of Hip-Hop kings. His collaborators have included legendary producers like DJ Premier, Diamond D, Large Professor & Pete Rock, as well as some of the most celebrated artists and beatsmiths to emerge in the new millennium, including Nottz, 9th Wonder, !llmind, Sean Price and Torae’s frequent collaborator and brother-in-arms Skyzoo. The resulting catalog has been celebrated by fans, tastemakers and critics the world over. And since the earliest days of his career, Torae has consistently achieved this level of success and recognition as an independent artist.
After years of building a name through New York’s underground and mixtape circuit, Torae’s music was catapulted to new heights in 2007, when his first two collaborations with DJ Premier produced the instant classics “Get It Done” and “Click”. The following year, the tracks would appear on Torae’s debut mixtape Daily Conversation, released independently via his own imprint, Internal Affairs Entertainment. The success of the project, lead to Torae’s first international tour the same year, alongside Masta Ace. Since then, Torae has produced nothing but critically acclaimed, groundbreaking albums. In 2009, it was Double Barrel, a joint release with producer Marco Polo, who provided every beat on the project. In 2011, Torae dropped his official solo debut For The Record, which saw him reunite with Premier for the title track. The album also featured production by 9th Wonder, Pete Rock, !llmind and Khrysis just to name a few. Less than a year later, while still garnering spins, press and performances based on For The Record’s reception, Torae blessed his fans with an EP titled Off The Record, featuring eight new tracks that didn’t make the album, to just as much fanfare. A fan and student of all genres of music, Torae has also crafted two unconventional mixtapes – 2011’s Heart Failure and 2012’s Black Christmas – which allowed him to further flex his lyrical muscle while stepping outside of his traditional “lane.”
Torae’s latest project Admission of Guilt is perhaps his most creatively honest project to date. Released in 2013, the 13-track mixtape takes listeners on a ride of personal highs and lows, while navigating through the scrutiny Torae faces as a result of his public perception as a ‘backpack rapper’ and ‘Hip-Hop purist.” In an effort to offer his fans an unexpected listening experience on Admission of Guilt, Torae tapped a fresh and sometimes surprising crop of collaborators, including The Kid Daytona, Uncle Murda, Torch (from Maybach Music recording group Triple C’s) and hip-hop royalty Bun B and Pharoahe Monch. In addition, Torae is working with Skyzoo on their highly anticipated debut as the duo The Barrel Brothers, a project fans have been demanding since the two first collaborated. The project is due out in early 2014.
Torae’s dedication to keeping real, quality music alive goes far beyond his role as an artist. His proven ability to pull an album together landed him a position as an A&R with independent label and distribution company Soulspazm Records. And when he’s not touring as an artist and event host, Torae co-hosts “Rap Is Outta Control,” a weekly show on SiriusXM Radio’s Hip-Hop Nation, alongside DJ Eclipse. ”Back in 2009, Eclipse approached me about being his co-host on SiriusXM. I had been a guest on the show a few times & had a good rapport with Eclipse so I tried it out. I always loved doing radio & I'm such a lover of music I felt I could bring a different spin to the show as haven been interviewed as an artist so often myself. I also think being an on-air personality is a natural transition for me full-time, after rap.” In addition to exclusive interviews and some of the best comic relief in Hip-Hop, Torae and Eclipse pride themselves on breaking new music every week on the two-hour show, which airs on Sunday nights at 10pm EST.