Tahj Elliott
"The Heart Mixtape"
Self-Released
Last month, Rochester musician Tahj Elliott threw all of his emotions, struggles, and pieces of his everyday life into 17 tracks. "The Heart Mixtape" is a piece that, all the way through, tackles a variety of contemporary rap and R&B styles. Elliott, who handled a bulk of the production, creates a particularly psychedelic atmosphere with almost every track, especially on the banger "Tribute to Sonder," with its whirling synthesizers and a woozy autotuned vocal featuring Jaythekid, a rising star in his own right.
Songs like "Take Your Time" and "Lie" blend pop melodies, modern production, and speedy flows to rival contemporary acts like Aminé, Kyle, and Lil Uzi Vert. Unique to Elliott are his vocals, which take a more traditional R&B approach than a majority of artists in the genre, showing that autotune is just another tool in his arsenal.
Over its 17-track runtime, the tape can be incohesive, but every song on here shows ambition and talent rivaling professional acts on the scene right now. No doubt Tahj Elliott is one to watch in the future. The heart shows breadth of creativity and passion, which will take him far and wide — even past these Smugtown borders.
