ARTIST
Tigo B's initial claim to fame was from when he used to specialize in trap music. It was 2010, and the Raleigh, North Carolina, native was recording at an Atlanta studio when he ran into Waka Flocka Flame. Tigo would feature Waka on “We Got It,” at a time when everyone was watching for Waka's next move. “We Got It” then became the breakout hit from Tigo B's debut mixtape Time's Up, hosted by DJ E.Sudd. That chance encounter, along with his work ethic, helped Tigo gain notice as a street rap newcomer to watch.
Eight years have passed since “We Got It.” By comparison, Tigo B's latest is proof that he is a changed man and future global success. “Where You Come From” is flirty R&B, where the woman Tigo sings about is so perfect, he can't help but wonder whether she is even real. Black Panther star Denzel Whitaker directed the song's brand new music video, putting a fun twist to the song's subject matter: Upstairs at that nightclub, that perfect woman Tigo sings of is so intangible that she can only be created digitally – with our imaginations. “I wanted to capture the feeling of the song. I wanted people to be able to feel the
colors,” he says.
“Where You Come From” also features this lightness that didn't exist in Tigo B's music before. Shortly after Time's Up, Tigo took a three-year sabbatical to study meditation with monks in China's Anhui province. While there, he realized that he could express himself in more ways than he previously thought to be possible. Tigo taught himself how to sing. His keen ear for melody is now the basis of “Where You Come From”'s appeal.
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“Before, I did have more negative thoughts and was doing more negative things. My music was a reflection of that,” Tigo says. “Before, I might not have wanted to sing. Being a street guy, it didn't seem like a cool thing to do. But when I started practicing meditation, I just really wanted to start singing emotionally.”
With its eclectic R&B sound, “Where You Come From” hints at how how Tigo B's father used to play Afrobeat, calypso and reggae at home. Meanwhile, for the song's making, Tigo reconnected with his native North Carolina scene. He freestyled through the making with rapper andproducer DJ Luke Nasty, who has been a local presence since the early aughts with 336 Boyz Crew. For the first time, Tigo also worked with Gotti Rock Solid, a producer and mixing engineer whose past credits include Jeezy, Moneybagg Yo and Payroll Giovanni.
Growing up, Tigo B wrote poetry, though he never considered a career in music. He didn't even record his first verse until college, when he saw an acquaintance's college studio setup and decided to give it a shot. From there, Tigo moved from Raleigh to Greensboro in 2004 – his first effort at pursuing music full-time.
Previously, Complex called Tigo B an artist “Bout to Blow.” HipHopDX called Rise: A Gemini Story one of the “Most Important mixtapes of 2014.” With his latest, Tigo B has found even more success. Since its release, 22 radio stations have put “Where You Came From” on regular rotation, making it of the 50 most added songs in the United States, as it spreads to cities like Detroit, Indianapolis, Chattanooga and Jacksonville. “Where You Came From” also marks the start of Tigo's new partnership with Japan's Avex Music Publishing, from which he also plans to branch out into modeling and film.
In addition to music, Tigo also began running a food truck business, Romeo's Vegan Burgers, in 2011.
