First upload to first album: Taylor Bennett’s First on SoundCloud story

Chicago’s Taylor Bennett is proof that SoundCloud is where music emerges, where new artists take shape, as his music journey and SoundCloud are inextricable. The younger brother of Chance the Rapper, Bennett wasted no time in forging his own path, uploading his first tracks on SoundCloud at the age of fourteen. In the span of just three years, the rapper released two mixtapes, an EP, and his debut album, Broad Shoulders.

The buzz Bennett built on SoundCloud with his playful and infectious bars quickly manifested in offline opportunities. He sold out his first show when he was just seventeen. Soon he was opening for artists like Vic Mensa and YG on tour and performing alongside his idol Nas at Lollapalooza. And as Bennett continues to grow and develop as an artist, his relationship with SoundCloud only deepens. His most recent album, Restoration of an American Idol, debuted on SoundCloud in 2017 and gained more than five million plays in less than three months. Just last year Bennett surprise released Throw Aways: UNMIXED as a SoundCloud exclusive, tweeting that the compilation of unheard and unmixed tracks was “just for the real fans.”

Now the rapper is expanding his influence, teaching other artists how to successfully launch and navigate their own independent careers. In order to better showcase emerging talent, Bennett created his own indie record label, Tay Bennett Entertainment; signees include Chicago rapper-singer Bianca Shaw. Wherever Taylor Bennett’s journey takes him, we’re proud of where it all started – first on SoundCloud.

Listen to the latest music from Taylor Bennett on SoundCloud now.