Cincinnati-based Tokyo Daniels! (actual identify Tyler Harmon) has a number of releases launching quickly.
Hip-hop is at its finest when it’s uncooked, trustworthy, and completely refuses to be ignored. Cincinnati artist TOKYO DANIELS! (stylized by the artist in all caps however revealed as Tokyo Daniels! from right here ahead) has solely been energetic because the summer season of 2020 however already has an album, EP and a number of other singles below his belt. Discovered inside these releases are the phrases of a younger man who has handled love, loss, private demons, and a “darkish cloud” hanging over his hometown head- on.
For his newest launch Love, Medicine, and Guitar, Tokyo Daniels! – actual identify Tyler Harmon – has determined to as soon as once more sort out his private struggles, set to the sounds of his childhood with the identical lyrical forthrightness discovered within the better of his friends. However Harmon isn’t simply glad with merely declaring the struggles surrounding and inside him; he’s taken it upon himself to assist heal town he loves a lot and do no matter he can to take away the cloud he typically has needed to take care of himself.
CityBeat: Introduce your self to Cincinnati. What do you carry to the desk?
Harmon: I really feel like I carry authenticity, I carry a brand new voice, one thing that folks haven’t heard earlier than. I really feel like I carry a lyrical aptitude. I really feel like my music could be very entertaining but in addition very intricate in the best way that I write it. I really feel like I carry numerous honesty, numerous issues which might be onerous to listen to however folks want to listen to them. I really feel like my life is mainly placed on these tracks. My entire complete life is translated by means of music, and I really feel that’s why it’s so genuine, as a result of my life has been hectic and my life displays that. That’s the place the authenticity comes from.
CityBeat: Why do you’re feeling it’s so essential to work your hometown into your lyrics?
Harmon: These are your roots, you already know what I’m saying? That’s the place you come from and on the finish of the day, persons are going to need to know what it’s that you simply come from, the place it’s that you simply come from, so I really feel prefer it’s essential that we declare our cities. And I don’t really feel like you need to tie your self all the way down to your metropolis and pigeonhole your self like that however on the similar time, I really feel prefer it’s crucial that you simply know precisely who you might be and why you’re the manner you might be. In order that’s why I work numerous Cincinnati references into my music, so folks can join with me on that stage.
CityBeat: What prompted you to start out writing and recording?
Harmon: What mainly kickstarted me was the dying of my grandmother; she was mainly my second mom. After which after that, I had a suicide scare the place I attempted to commit suicide and my ex-girlfriend caught me. After which from there, I made a decision I wanted a greater outlet for my feelings. From that time, I simply began writing. I’ve written poetry my complete life, so from that time I began writing much more poetry and ultimately somebody – my good friend Jonna – got here as much as me and stated, “You need to actually begin making music as a result of your poetry actually jogs my memory of a rapper,” so I began making music and folks began to love it and gravitate in direction of it.
CityBeat: Inform us extra about your subsequent upcoming releases.
Harmon: In November, I’ve an EP popping out and, in the summertime of 2023, I’ll be releasing a full album referred to as Delinquent 3. That EP is known as Love, Medicine, and Guitars, and it’s mainly going to be speaking about my battles with drug habit, my love life, and it’s all centered across the sound of the guitar as a result of one of the widespread sounds I heard after I was rising up was the guitar as a result of my dad was enormous into Jazz and guitar music. The entire course of behind it was to do one thing completely different however nonetheless hold that issue of authenticity inside it and be very direct with what I’m saying.
CityBeat: What’s subsequent for Tokyo Daniels!?
Harmon: [I want to] have neighborhood influence. I need to discuss to the youth a bit of bit, get into the scene, get into the neighborhood and attempt to take this darkish cloud off of this metropolis. There’s rather a lot individuals who consider that Cincinnati has a darkish cloud over it, that folks simply don’t get out of Cincinnati, folks get caught of their conditions. So, I need to take away that, assist folks get out of their conditions, assist the youth discover their manner. As a result of there’s numerous youth proper now which might be caught within the streets, promoting medication, their dad and mom are on medication, they arrive dwelling [and] they’ve nobody at dwelling, there’s no meals in the home. My greatest factor is I have to make it on this so I might help relieve a few of that.
CityBeat: What last ideas have you ever not had an opportunity to share with town?
Harmon: I’m not for everyone, however I’m there for the folks that want me. Not everybody goes to love my music, after all. Not all people goes to gravitate in direction of me off the rip, however I really feel just like the individuals who want me, I’m there for. And I’m there to be their emotional crutch, I’m there to be their therapist. I’m there to be no matter they want me to be.
Delinquent 2 and other work by Tokyo Daniels! is available on Spotify now, with Love, Medicine, and Guitar scheduled for launch quickly. The artist plans to ebook exhibits starting later this month.
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