Taylor Bennett • 'Restoration Of An American Idol'
The Bennett's have been on a roll as of late and this weekend Taylor continued a star-studded solo step forward with the release of his newest collection, Restoration of an American Idol. Never one to do things half-way, Bennett taps a cross-section of local and national talent, in turn creating one of the more surprising and eclectic projects to hit the public so far in 2017.
Over the course of the last year since dropping his third mixtape, Broad Shoulders, Bennett has been quietly gaining considerable steam. With a high-profile management situation, a short film release, and a big personal announcement out of the way, it appears the kid is growing into a man right before our eyes. Regardless of age, the features packed into RAI are nothing less than adult. Included are Lil Yachty, Raury, Jeremih, Mike WiLL Made It and of course, brother Chance The Rapper. From around the city, he pulls in Supa BWE and producer Ludlow who handled the majority of the last project and returns throughout here. While many are quick to characterize Taylor as 'Chance The Rapper's little brother' he has worked diligently to prove he's much more than just the progeny of the city's current anointed son. Instead, he's found a carefully-crafted lane to maneuver from that is wholly his own while interacting directly with contemporaries and colleagues that he's spent the majority of what would have been his college years building real relationships with them. The future will tell what comes to Taylor, he certainly possesses more skill than just behind the mic, perhaps one day soon we'll see a Bennett/Bennett ticket on election day. In all seriousness, with this latest drop it appears Taylor has further stepped out from the monstrous shadow his older brother casts, proving he's an entity unto himself.
Over the course of the last five years we've collectively watched the at-times public growth of the younger Bennett and he's navigated the roads offered to him admirably, emerging here as an artist on his way to self-realization. With a long runway from here, we expect plenty more from Bennett in the coming months. An album release this early in the year can only serve to set up a full docket of things to keep an eye on, such as the national headlining tour he announced following the release. Info for the tour can be found in the post here, keep it locked for much more soon.
