Taz

Taz, real name Tesmond Rowe, was born and raised in Jamaica and later became UK-based. He is described as the first and only rapper to be signed to Def Jam UK. He left Def Jam by mutual consent in 2005 and has recorded independently since.

He got an early introduction to Jamaica’s music scene and sound system culture by spending time in local studios from a young age, around artists such as Terra Fabulous, Monster Shock and Lee’s Unlimited. At 12, he moved to London, where music became an even bigger part of his life.

His breakthrough came in 2004 when he linked up with grime artist Dizzee Rascal. Taz produced and co-wrote Just A Rascal and supported Dizzee on the 2004 UK “Boy In Da Corner” tour. That success led to further production and remix work, including remixes for Ashanti—Rain On Me and Rock Withchu—and Locked Up from Akon’s “Trouble” LP, earning him two platinum plaques and chart exposure on both sides of the Atlantic.

Off the back of his early success, he became the first UK rapper signed to Def Jam, supported by DJ Semtex, who was head of A&R at Def Jam UK at the time. He later received an Ivor Novello Award for his role in helping put UK grime on the global mainstream map.

His debut album “Analyse This” featured artists including Kardinal Offishall and Terri Walker, and included the UK Top 40 single Can’t Contain Me. Cowboy Film, featuring Kardinal Offishall, is cited as a UK hip hop classic; its remix featured Sway and Bigz and is credited with reshaping urban video in the UK.

Taz continued writing and producing with Dizzee Rascal, and the track Learn from the 2007 LP “Showtime” brought him another plaque, this time gold. He then toured with artists such as Kanye West and Sean Paul, and performed for Prince Charles at the Prince’s Trust concert alongside Beyonce, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys.

Other notable artists he has appeared on tracks with include Styles P, Estelle and Arrow Benjamin. DJs such as Jo Whiley, Ras Kwame and Tim Westwood supported him early on with regular radio rotation, and he also received press coverage including The Guardian and Dazed and Confused.

In 2008, Taz formed the project DMT, which achieved global success with Touch U and was signed to Universal Music International. More recently, he enjoyed further chart success with a double number one on Traxsource alongside Mousse T., co-writing with US singer-songwriter Inaya Day the 2018 “disco banger” Rock Da Mic, released on Glitterbox.

He has taken part in writing camps in several countries, including China, the United States, Norway and Canada. As of 2021, he began transitioning into the corporate world with the launch of his company Alternative Content, focused on bespoke services such as partnering music with gaming and placing songs in games.