As he goes into the fifth year of his career as a rapper and music producer, Tarju Le’Sano has worked his way up to become an established figure within the Birmingham grime music scene.
We sat down with him to discuss his recent success of a major sync deal with sports media giant Goal.com, and his own career aspirations, alongside discussing Tileyard Education, where he is currently a student, building his rap career from our music production course.
How did you get into music?
“It all started through my parents, they’re both in the music industry, my mum’s a neo-soul singer and my dad’s a record studio engineer. They always had an eclectic taste in music so, from a young age, I was surrounded by jazz music. As a kid, I used to watch musicians perform in my dad’s studio. I remember being mesmerised by the workflow, and it’s something that’s stuck with me ever since.
My parents always encouraged me to be creative. I started singing in church and writing songs around the age of 11. Producing music came about for me later, when I began using Dance Ejay, since then I’ve advanced to using Logic Pro X.”
What led you to make Hip-Hop?
“For ages, I struggled to find my own identity in Hip-Hop, due to a lack of UK influences within the genre as everything coming out of the UK was so underground. My search for UK Hip-Hop led me to grime. I remember going to the local Woolworths to buy my first single ‘Oi’ by More Fire Crew. It changed everything for me and made me want to start making Hip-Hop at a faster 140 bpm tempo.
In terms of my performance style, my fondness for vocal cadences derived from scatting on old jazz records, that’s why I’ve always loved rappers like Mos Def whose flows have gone on to heavily influence my work. I really think people forget about the artistry that goes into rapping.”
What made you decide to study at Tileyard Education?
“I feel like a Master’s degree in music helps to get your foot in the door, where experience alone wouldn’t, especially with the courses provided by Tileyard Education being associated with credible Universities. I also wanted to expand my network, but I’m not here just to socialise, I’m here to graft. The first day I arrived I booked time in the on-site studios. I’ve literally been in the studio almost every day since then.”
What are you enjoying about the course?
“Definitely all the facilities, the tutors, and all the connections that have been made possible via the course. I knew from the first day that Tileyard is what you make of it as there are so many opportunities. Straight away I was thinking about how I could establish myself as a valuable member of the community as this is the place I want to be past the end of my course.”
How did you find this opportunity with Goal.com?
“My manager sent me a brief telling me about this amazing opportunity going for a campaign with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Goal.com, with the task being to compose a beat for a Birmingham-based grime artist. Whilst producing the beat, I wanted to capture the rawness of a grime track but also create something that was instantly catchy with lots of ear candy.
I sent over to the client a 16-bar loop and just a few hours later I received a phone call from the client telling me to finish the track because they loved it that much. Within a week and a half the campaign dropped so the turnaround was rapid.”
Are you working on any new music projects?
“The full single with Wolves is coming out in mid-November but I’m also releasing some solo singles in January 2023.
To be honest, people keep asking me when my next songs are dropping but I’ve had to become more strategic with my music releases. I don’t want to drop music just for the sake of it.”
Finally, do you have any advice for upcoming artists?
“I run this youth program back in Birmingham and I always tell them to take time to plan what it is they want to achieve and figure out what it’s going to take for them to reach that place.
Understand that if you want to be a successful artist you’ve got to be something that enhances the culture.”
About Tileyard Education
Tileyard Education provide validated Higher Education and professional short courses, on site and online, from the largest independent music community in the world, home to 110 professional recording studios and 250 entertainment businesses. Take advantage of small class sizes, great studio access, 1-2-1 mentoring, weekly commercial song briefs and direct links to the industry.
