Tajai

Tajai
Birth name Tajai Massey
Also known as Tajai
Born (1975-04-21) 21 April 1975
Origin East Oakland, U.S.
Genres Alternative hip hop
West coast hip hop
Years active 1993–present
Labels Clear Label Records
Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings
Jive Records
Associated acts Souls of Mischief
Hieroglyphics
SupremeEx

Tajai Massey, known by the stage name, Tajai (born April 21, 1975), is an American rapper and producer. He is one of the four founding members of Oakland, California-based underground hip hop group Souls of Mischief, and, with Souls of Mischief, a part of the eight-person, alternative hip hop collective, Hieroglyphics. He is a vegetarian.[1]

Biography

Souls of Mischief

Born in Stanford, California, Tajai moved with his family across the San Francisco Bay to Oakland, California when he was 2 years old. In elementary school, Tajai met fellow Souls of Mischief member A-Plus, and the duo began their nascent rap careers.[2] Tajai eventually introduced A-Plus to future Souls of Mischief members Phesto and Opio, and the group formed in high school before releasing their debut album, 93 'til Infinity on Jive Records in 1993. He graduated from Stanford University in 1997 with a degree in anthropology.[3] He graduated from UC Berkeley in 2014 with a master's degree in Architecture.

Hieroglyphics

After Tajai and the Souls of Mischief were dropped by Jive, the group was incorporated into the Hieroglyphics in 1995, at the urging of Del tha Funkee Homosapien.[3]

Tajai has contributed to all six Souls of Mischief albums, as well as the three Hieroglyphics studio albums. He has also produced or performed on solo projects of various Hieroglyphics' members.

SupremeEx

In 1999, Tajai and the Hieroglyphics' then-webmaster, StinkE, formed the conceptual group SupremeEx, which released an enhanced CD, Projecto: 2501, and in 2005, released the album Nuntype.

Crudo

Tajai is also a member of Crudo, a new project featuring Mike Patton and Dan the Automator, who made their live debut in 2008.

Discography

Albums

Solo

With Souls of Mischief

With Hieroglyphics

Collaborations

Mixtapes

References

  1. ↑ PETA2 kicks off “Sexiest Vegetarian” contest with Matt Skiba, Dan Yemin, Davey Havok, MacKaye
  2. ↑ "Tajai Interview". Gorilla Movement.com. 2005. Retrieved 2007-02-03.
  3. 1 2 StinkE (1996-07-18). "Phesto Interview". StinkE Productions. Retrieved 2007-02-03.
  4. ↑ https://tajai.bandcamp.com/album/hood-famous
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