Hip-hop duo Taoreta 倧れた have released their new single, Samurai Nation. The video will be released as the fourth instalment of the duo’s five-piece film series entitled ‘Shadows In Dust’. Taoreta’s double EP, also titled Samurai Nation, includes 12 tracks, as well as an additional two videos. Mixed and mastered by Adam Lewis Mixing, with all tracks produced by DJ Icon and written by Loaneski, the EP has already received praise from publications and industry professionals such as Blue Rhymez Entertainment, Sleepingbags Studios, and Mercury Group PLC.

The UK-based duo, composed of songwriter and MC Loanenski, and DJ Icon, have joined together in an attempt to challenge the negative stereotypes surrounding hip-hop and revive the traditional relationship between DJs and MC’s. Through their music, Taoreta promotes the principles of the Samurai - courage, respect and honesty. Taoreta state: 'Samurai Nation' is all about conquering your fears. Wherever you are, try to defeat your enemies. You don't always have to attack. You can resist without raising your hand. That’s the real win.’ Combining Boom-Bap hip-hop with traditional continental Asian influences, Taoreta aims to stand out with their unique sound and discussion of taboo subjects.  With a combined 30 years of experience in the music industry, the two have each worked with renowned artists such as GZA (Wu-Tang Clan), Killah Priest (Wu Tang Clan / Gravediggaz), Rodney P (London Posse), and more.

This four-year-long, partially self-funded project, Samurai Nation, received additional funding from Arts Council England in 2021 allowing Taoreta to fulfil their vision for their double EP. As part of the project with Arts Council England, Taoreta developed workshops for young, underprivileged individuals. They taught over 100 sessions on music production and writing, emphasising their dedication to making a difference in young people’s lives. Clearly, Taoreta practice what they preach.

Taoreta 倧れた sat down with Wordplay Magazine to answer our infamous 10 Questions:

1. So tell me, how did it all begin? What sparked your love for music?

There are different reasons that sparked our love for music. DJ Icon’s journey began at the age 3 playing records on his parents turntable & Loaneski’s journey started at the age of 8 when he was introduced to 2Pac’s - I Ain’t Mad At Cha single.

2. Who are some artists that influence you and that you want to work with in the future?

Our musical influences are the following:

Jedi Mind Tricks

Metallica

Wu-Tang Clan

Public Enemy

Nas

Klashnekoff

Just to name a few...and if given the chance we’d like to work with all of them, as each act has made their marks in the industry. Plus we’re sure that it’ll also allow us to expand on our musical knowledge.

3. What projects do you have coming up and can you give us any info on them?

We have started planning for the next Taoreta project which aims to be bigger and better! We will be releasing the final part of our short film in the next couple of months, the final piece is called Fade which is the name of our final track on the debut double EP which we released earlier in May called Samurai Nation.

We’re also currently working on solo projects, even though we are a duo we are focused on our separate careers as well. These solo projects will be released in 2023 sometime, at the minute we are fully focused on our double debut ep.

4. How would you describe your sound?

We would describe our music as ‘Modern Samurai Soundtracks’ that take you on a musical journey which explores raw emotions that shake the soul, opinions that provoke the mind to wonder and an unapologetic/sincere approach to music making with the use of beats and bars.

5. What's your proudest moment to date so far as an artist?

There are quite a few moments that we are proud of as artists, setting up our own businesses as artists has to be the proudest moment so far as it means that we’ve taken another progressive step towards not just our professional development but also our legacies. It means that we’ll have more than one way to operate which in turn will push us further.

6. Do you have any advice for our readers who may be trying to play the mad game of music?

Make the music that you want to make and don’t let anybody that is not creative dictate what you can and can’t create, and what you can and can’t say. Music is a form of expression regardless of whether you’re selling your art or not. The day all musicians decide to stop expressing themselves in a way that they see fit, is the day that we lose freedom of speech.

Music can be a very expensive industry to get into and the journey will be full of moments which test your faith. Hang in there and invest in yourself! Not just by the amount of time that you put in but also financially. In this current time, a lot of musicians have felt the wrath of the pandemic and it has been very difficult to support yourself financially through music, however we advise to look at funding as it is possible and we learned this not too long ago learnt this.

7. Are there any artists on your radar right now that we should check out?

Yes! We’ve had the pleasure of working with many up and coming artists, and are really blown away from their talents from these artists:

Ben Carpenter

I’M R. T. Yule

Skan!

87

Marius Rotari

IIMXBACON

Raymond Valentine

M4

Guerrilla Nature

Steven Faulkner

Mona Roselianne

Cara Michelle

8. What albums are on heavy rotation on your Spotify playlist currently?

We don’t stream albums on Spotify, we’re a bit old school and enjoy listening to albums through the CDs & Vinyl’s that we’ve purchased over the years, the music that we’ve downloaded onto our PCs and also streaming projects on YouTube.

Here are some of our favourite albums that we currently listen to:

Jedi Mind Tricks - The Thief And The Fallen

Jedi Mind Tricks - Legacy Of Blood

Vinnie Paz - Seasons Of The Assassin

Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back

Metallica - Reload

Metallica - The Black Album

Wu Tang Clan - Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers)

Wu Tang Clan - Wu-Tang Forever

Killah Priest - Heavy Mental

Cypress Hill - IV

2Pac - 2Pacalypse

2Pac - All Eyez On Me

Nas - Illmatic

Nas-IAm...

Nas - God’s Son

Nas & Damian Marley - Distant Relatives

Klashnekoff - The Sagas Of...

Klashnekoff - Iona

9. What do you like to do when you're not making music?

To be honest that's very difficult to answer as our lives revolve around music. We don’t just make it, we also work with communities in Leicester using our passion for the art form to transform the lives of many vulnerable young people and young adults who are often overlooked, and not given opportunities to develop in a caring and stimulating environment.

Even when we are not working with the communities, we’re always planning our next steps, rehearsing or performing.

10. Name Three things you can't live without when in the studio?

Good question! The 3 things we can’t live without when in the studio are:

Privacy - Privacy when making music we feel is underrated, it’s cool to have friends around when you’re in a studio session but sometimes that can cause major distractions. Having privacy allows you to spend all your energy into your session.

Headphones - Headphones are a blessing in disguise! Especially when you’re trying to focus on your mix whilst everybody else is talking away. When you’re wearing headphones you automatically teleport into another realm where time stands still.

Monitors - Monitors are essential for every musician striving for a career in the industry as it enables you to work towards the best sound that you can achieve.