Since the pandemic, Blaine native Tyler Anderson, better known as Tandy, has quietly forged into one of MN Hip-Hop's rapid risers.
With just 2 years of music under his belt, Tandy has risen from humble beginnings on Soundcloud to a headlining gig at the iconic First Ave this June.
Backed by Rock Solid Hip Hop Group, a fast-rising rap collective led by WW blog alum Jeloni Hudson, the crew's team-first mindset is to thank for their swelling momentum over the last year.
With a bevy of unreleased tracks, a rock-solid support team, and a set-in-stone headlining gig at First Ave, Tandy isn't waiting for permission to take the reigns--he's manning his own sleigh.
Let's meet the man behind the Boulder...
Can you break down the period between your first freestyle and your first real track?
Growing up, I always loved hip-hop but was honestly scared to death of freestyling. All my boys would do it for fun and I remember one fateful day I just said 'fuck it' and jumped in. I was immediately surprised by just how much I truly loved it. I was hooked instantly.
After a little encouragement from my boys, a lot of whom made music themselves, it wasn't long before I'm standing in my buddies' home studio with a headset recording my first official rap.
When he first played my voice back to me, it was honestly tough to listen to because I'd never recorded myself.
Obviously, I've learned since then how to tailor my delivery; but before that I never saw myself as a musician. Funny how things change.
What has Jeloni's partnership meant to you as an artist?
Jelani and I go way back to middle school. Back in the day, he and his friends would be recording and I’d just be chilling in the background. Before long, they got me to hop on a verse and it's been full go ever since. Jelani was the one who really got me to take music seriously. He has to be the most driven person I know; he can turn dirt into diamonds.
Where were you when you got the news you'd be headlining First Ave?
I was actually in the middle of making a song and my boy just turned over to me like 'Hey, bro you know you’re headlining First Ave?' and I'm like 'Yeah, someday.' and he's like 'No, bro it's already lined up'. Needless to say, I'll never forget that moment.
As a musician, what's the best advice you could offer to new artists?
I'd say the number one thing I had to learn on a local level is realizing that strangers will always be your biggest fans. Once you start keeping tabs on which of your friends did or didn't come to your show, you're playing to lose.
I know because I used to get caught up in all that ego shit; it kills your drive. I didn't start making music to keep receipts on who's supporting me and who's not. The bottom line is your biggest fans will always be strangers; realizing that makes you grateful for those who really are showing you love.
Catch Tandy Headlining at First Ave. on June 27th!
Tandy's Official Website: ⬇️
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-Cameron Hernandez