‘Mothoro’ is one of Hampton University’s most talented artists, just released his second installment to the ThoroLyfe series, and is this week’s Campus Celeb. Morris Taylor is a 4th Year, 5 Year MBA major from Los Angeles, CA. Wherever he goes you can undeniably feel his passion for music, his fraternity, and love for service. Morris is a member of the Greer Dawson Wilson Student Leadership Training Program, National Black MBA Association, Inc., and is a Spring 16 Initiate of the Gamma Epsilon Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Throughout our interview with Morris, he expressed how much he’s grown as a man and artist compared to his first album to latest album, ThoroLyfe: Execution that dropped on November 8th.
HC: What inspired/what was the muse of your second album?
MT: My second album, ThoroLyfe: Execution, the second installment to the ThoroLyfe series, I started sophomore year at Hampton. My first album was ThoroLyfe: Transition; basically talking about my transition from high school to college, the transition from California to Virginia and just everything in between. This album was really inspired by me wanting to execute this new sound, so that’s why it’s ThoroLyfe: Execution. I’ve seen a lot more so the production is a lot richer, fuller, and just all around a better quality sounding project than my last one. I was really inspired by my drive to be different and wanting to be better from the last.
HC: Was the process of getting your music onto iTunes hard?
MT: No, because this summer me along with some friends back home, my best friend Russell, who I’ve made music with as well; we’re also in a duo called MnR. We started our own label called LFTFLD. With that we signed our own distribution deal through IndieStreem, which is a distribution company where they put your music on iTunes and Spotify. All I have to do is send it to them now and it is set up kind of automatically, so it wasn’t that hard since we secured that this summer. If I don’t have to get samples cleared or something like that it’s good to go.
HC: How is your support system here at HU different than at home? Are they different at all?
MT: I would say ever since I moved out here for college, the support out here has left me speechless. It’s been unwavering. I definitely have a support system back home, but since I’ve had a sabbatical from Los Angeles and being out here for the majority of my time, I’ve lost a little bit of touch with my fans out there. So, I’d say it used to be more LA, but it’s a good 50/50 or 60/40. If anything it’s a lot more support on Hampton’s campus. People have been coming up to me all week, even people I don’t know, saying how they’ve listened to it, congratulating me and giving me great feedback. I’m just so thankful that the campus has embraced me. I’m super grateful for that!
HC: Being that you are a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated., how does it feel to be entering 106 years of service?
MT: It’s definitely exciting, I love my fraternity to death. I think that each year is something new to celebrate, especially being a man of Omega. I’m only 1 ½ years in the fold and it has just brought out the best in me in all aspects. Our four principles are manhood, scholarship, perseverance, and uplift. Before Omega I feel like I was still trying to find myself and was kind of going with the flow. After Omega I’ve really matriculated into a man. I definitely handled my business in school and with music and just balancing that out takes a lot of focus and determination. Perseverance! Definitely persevere through anything that God puts before me. Uplift, just giving back to the community. I’m all about making sure we’re giving back whether it’s through my music or with my service. I always try to inspire people; the Law of Attraction is real! What you put out into the universe, you’ll get back. I always try to inspire people through my music to put out good energy and things of that nature.
HC: What inspired you to pursue music and your sound?
MT: My sound has really just evolved over time. I used to be one of those rappers who was just all about the bars nothing else, over old school beats like Wu-Tang Clan and DJ Primer. Then I got more into sound composition and music production. I really fell in love with the art of making songs, so I’d say my sound is just diverse. If you listen to me you’re going to get bars, melodies, well-rounded songs, and I’m singing a lot more on this album. It’s just an overall diverse, artistic vibe when you listen to my music. I wanted to pursue music because I’ve always been around it. I love listening to music, I love hip-hop, the genre in general, that’s my main inspiration. My love for music really stems from my dad. He put me on to a lot of music when I was young. Just his encouragement and his support in all of my endeavors when it came to music has really inspired me to keep pursuing to getting better and better.
HC: How do you feel you’ve grown as an artist?
MT: I think I’ve grown as an artist because I’ve really tried to challenge myself to execute a new sound and improve from the last album.
HC: What do you see the music industry/future of hip-hop looking like in the next 5 years?
MT: I see the music industry going either one of two ways in the next 5 years. I see it continuing on the path of this super trappy, vibey, mumble rap kind of way; or I see it becoming more musical. Going down the path of artists like Anderson.Paak, where the focus is on the production, live instruments, and the artistry. Either way I think it’ll evolve and be creative.
HC: Which is your favorite song off your album, ThoroLyfe: Execution? Why?
MT: Asking my favorite song is like picking between your kids *laughs*, you can’t do that. I’ll give you my top three. In no specific order, one would have to be, “Be About It.” I just love it. It has a live trumpet in the beginning and end of the song. It’s very sensual and captures the vibe I really wanted for that song. Another one would be Element. It’s an overall good vibes song. It’s definitely hard to be mad when you listening to something that’s good vibes. The song had a good placement on the album and really set the tone. Being the second song on the album, maybe that’s contributed to why it’s one of my top favorite songs. I would probably have to go with 304. 304 is a really fun, creative song, and it was fun making it.
Be sure to purchase Morris’s new album on iTunes and follow him on Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter @MoThoro!