Taiyamo Denku is an “emcee’s emcee” in the fact that he can write around concepts or just straight murder a track.  He’s always willing to collaborate with anybody, whether it brings his music to the left, right or center.  Although he’s putting his battle experience in the rear view window, don’t think he can’t rip you at any moment on the freestyle tip either.  On January 26th, Uncommon Records will release Articles of Mind, but will also do something unprecedented by releasing a full length free download from Taiyamo Denku the same day titled “Articles of Mind- Lost Thoughts”.  In the below interview he explains his Uncommon debut LP Articles of Mind.  This is the full version of the interview that was part of his press bio:

Explain "Articles of Mind" as a term for us, what does that mean to you and how did that concept bring the tracks on the record together?

Well, an article of mind is data, or information put into the brain registered as a Article or Thought.  When I came up with the title and concept for the album though I wasn't writing each song to the theme or concept I figured if your gonna input a thought or article into a mind... they can be random thoughts or concepts. That's the reason why the songs don't all play into each other. But as far as the meaning of the title and the artwork each song represents a thought, or article input into the mind, wether it is injected to the human brain or robotic computer mind.

How is "Articles of Mind" different (if it is) from your previous solo work prior to joining Uncommon and to the stuff that you've done as a member of W.A.S.T.E.L.A.N.D.S.?

Well, WASTELANDS ish is always different cause it is me with my group we all fumble ideas and concepts as a group, when I am doing more of my solo ish it is just my mind working into titles and concepts. and ARticles of Mind as far as a idea or concept is not different from where my mind strays to , but I think as far as a artist I kep growing in that area. But as far as the difference between my first solo album and this one.... idea wise and concept wise  i see the same Denku, But artist wise I sense Much more of a developed style on tracks I mean I tend to flip styles on certain ish cause I write directly to beats, and however the beat molds me is how the art is gonna shape, but I feel much more developed as a artist with this project.

Your also a battle emcee, a couple of things on that...How different is it to write songs and perform them live compared to battling?  What is it that appeals to you about battling?  Do you have a memory of a particular battle that you'd like to share with us?

At this stage I wouldn't even consider myself a battle emcee anymore, when I do it now it is for fun, i never take it serious like alot of these cats do , i mean there are peeps now that are just battle emcees, sure they attempt to make songs but all they are good at is battling. I mean battling used to prove who was the best off the top and who was really dope, Now it is who can come up with the best written, i chose not to battle as much anymore even for fun cause it is not creative no more, anyone can write a battle dats not skill to me when you can freestyle and be witty with lines... thats when it is fun, and peeps don't do that no more, that almost died with scribble jam. Now everything is SMACK DVD and Grindtime, where don't get me wrong it is entertaining at times to watch the battles but when I think about it, none of them are freestyling or rhyming to a beat.. that eliminates two things that show skill in battles that they don't have anymore. Battling no longer proves that your a dope emcee anymore, now it shows you know how to write a battle verse. I have been asked to join Grindtime and redo the battle with Chaz Kangas, will it happen ..... Unlikely but who knows I might get bored.

You've got some cameos with some both legendary and interesting emcees and producers on this record....can you share a particular story about how you contacted/met someone or about the recording process with one of them in particular that might be interesting to hear?

Thinking back, probably one of the first collabs done for the album was "Questions Need Answers" with Sabac Red and that whole collab formed when I went to a Heiroglyphics show a couple years ago, Non Phixion was still together and they were the opening act for the show. It was at the Rave in Milwaukee, and wasn't real crowded actually was pretty disappointing for a Heiro show , but thats how Milwaukee is. But I remember after the Non Phixion set I was there with one of my boys and was like it would be dope to do a track with Sabac..... He was ripping it the whole show and then they finished went back stage and there was this little area where they walk by you could talk to the artists if you wanted and ish so I headed over and they already walked by I was like "Ohhh well", my boy was like "Hey Eclipse"... DJ Eclipse comes over and my boy is like hey you think Sabac could chat with my homie about a collab and he was like yea hold up, so then Sabac came over and we talked about it and then about a month later when that Tour was over we made it happen and it formed into one of the doper collabs on the album. Shouts to Sabac, homie is madd coo.

Your from Milwaukee, but perform a lot in Chicago as well as New York City.  Can you compare your experiences in all 3 cities?

Actually the only spot out of all three I get most love in is NY , and I love NY and coming out, I don't know when I go to NY I just smell Hip hop, Chicago has a scene and Milwaukee too but they are about the same, and everyone from both thinks they can rhyme and wants to rhyme but no one supports one another so there's a huge lack of shows and talent from both cities. I can honestly say my better experiences come from NY which is sad cause that's not even my home spot.

Give us one thing that you want people to know about you before they pop in "Articles of Mind".

Hip Hop still lives thru me, fellas this is not a punch line exibit, I am not Cassidy mixed with Dipset and all that other typical street ish, and ladies my music with not make you dance, I am not a Club Rapper. This album and my stuff makes you think and is intellectual, it is not something to shake your ass to.

What are the albums highlights to you?  Which tracks are you most proud of?

I can honestly say I am proud of the full album. I don't think there is a song on it after listening to it where I am like Nawwwwww I wish I wouldn't have put this on. I love it from start to finish it , and the collabs I like alot alot, and appreciate the contribution rom the peeps who were down. As far as highlights, I mean Production from Nasa, Panic of Molemen, Ayatollah, Wille Green.....and more, and cameos by Keith Murray, Main Flow of Mood, Sabac Red, Prince Po of Organized Konfuzion, Pumpkinhead and more... I mean where can you go wrong , this album screams "I am Hip Hop and Here to stay".

How long was the recording process for you for this record?

This project stemmed from what i have been working on since I put out Dark Journal in 2008 It was originally gonna be a double disc, so I had tons of songs recorded for it , but just picked thru what were the best ones to complete the album. I mean those that know me, know I could probably drop like 15 full albums right now off of all the ish I have done, I work hard at this music ish.

How has your experience been working with Uncommon Records, how is that different then releasing your own material?

Working with Uncommon has been dope, I mean it is a label that lets you BE YOU and do your ish, and then Help you release it to the people who would probably best be the peeps who would like your ish. Plus the artists, produces, DJ's on the label are definately people I can see myself working with if I havn't already. And it is alot better then putting out your own ish cause by doing that you pretty much are on a DO It all yourself type ish. With Uncommon I already noticed there is peeps there to help promote, and Help you out as a artist.

Tell us about the FREE Download of "Articles of Mind Bonus Tracks".  It's dropping the same exact day as "Articles of Mind".  Talk about some of the tracks that are on that companion release.

The free download or what i like to call the "LOST THOUGHTS" is just a collab of tracks that either didn't make the album or remixes of songs from the album and tracks I just felt defined me as a artist that could give people who never heard of me a chance to check me out. I mean they are not second had tracks so I hope thats not what peeps think .. I mean there is remixes done by Nasa, Handycat, and cameo's with Keith Murray, Pumpkinhead, and more it is just a dope Free addition to the full length Articles of Mind.