“Good things taketime,” TC Silk sings on Genuine JamaicanSilk, the first release from the burgeoning South Florida artist sincereturning to his musical roots after a prolonged absence from the local scene.The exuberant seven tracks contained within the EP, which is slated for releaseacross digital and physical platforms on September 15th, aren’t just cuts thatwould be at home on any tastemaker’s playlist — they’re a fulfillment of thatpromise.
TC Silk is BrandonNorris, an artist operating in the uncharted space between cloud rap andbedroom synth-pop, the son of two Jamaican immigrants, and an unabashed SouthFlorida lifer. Inspired by the many different phases of the local music scenehe’s been a part of, Norris spent his formative years spent studying classicaland jazz trumpet, and refined his sound through both formal education and hisexperiences as a self-described “weird kid who went through every phase with connectionsthat span from trap houses in Lake Worth to mansions on Palm Beach Island.”
Formerly known asYung Tarzan, Norris has returned to the hazy spotlight of South Florida’stight-knit music scene after a heart-to-heart with a childhood friend openedhis eyes to what was missing during his hiatus — the creative outlet he hadleft behind in pursuit of an ordinary career.
“I just wasn’treally happy with where my life was,” Norris explained when asked what drew himback to the stage. “I had achieved all the things I thought would make me feelfulfilled, but I was never more depressed, insecure, and robotic than duringthis break. One night, I talked a friend's ear off drunkenly about how much Imissed making music and about my insecurities, and he gave me the best adviceof all — he said ‘just do it, and stop crying about it.’ He refused to talk tome until I did. Once I started taking it seriously and actually working on it,I realized just how much happier I was and how much more purpose I had, andeverything has just started clicking and being better in my life since. Morethan anything, I guess it’s a form of therapy.”
But unlike atherapy session, Norris isn’t the only one benefitting from this creativeresurgence. With a new stable of tracks in tow, he’s honing his craft acrosssome of the region’s most beloved underground stages, including recent sets atThe Peach and PureHoney magazine’sannual Bumblefest, bringing the TC Silk live experience to South Florida’smusic community.
Written andproduced at his home studio and refined at OnBeat Studios in West Palm Beach,his new EP represents the culmination of a prolific creative period in Norris’life. The seven tracks that comprise GenuineJamaican Silk boast lyrics that skewer the affluence of Palm Beach livingwhile emphasizing the struggles of American young adulthood outside the 1%,coupled with contemporary production that introduces a melancholy twinge tobouncy and effervescent beats. In his own words, Norris describes the TC Silksound as akin to “Travis Scott if he had a soul, or Future if he never solddrugs and loved Devo,” and those characterizations ring truer with each newsynth patch and production flourish as the record unfolds.
Despite the hiatusthat preceded the emergence of his TC Silk project, there’s no lack ofself-assurance in the tracks on GenuineJamaican Silk. The lyrics, at times, can read like a manifesto: “Overdosedon compliments, too strung out on confidence, stacking up accomplishments,” hesings on “Live Laugh Love.” And on “Fully Automatic,” the thread continues:“Because I’m back on me, and I’ll be damned if I stall.” Across the project’s24-minute runtime, it’s clear that he means every word — TC Silk is seizing onthe opportunity to establish himself as a rising star among the rising tide ofa burgeoning scene, and failure is not an option.
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Genuine JamaicanSilk is available 9/15. The digital andphysical release of the EP will fall one day before the premiere of the musicvideo for “Animals,” directed by Landro World on 9/16. Find TC Silk onInstagram @yungtarzan or vacationforever.org
