10.4.2022
Video: Tafia – “Paper Route” ft. Young Dolph
The Florida-Born Dream Chasers Rapper Honors the Paper Route Empire CEO with a Song and Video About Getting It Out The Mud
Critical Praise:
“The mixtape collection showcases his versatility as a writer, whose storytelling lyrics are influential, inspiring, and relatable, as well as his ability to implement and execute creative control over his work.” – RESPECT Mag
Ten Miami Rappers to Watch in 2021 – Miami New Times
The Video:
A natural born hustler with charisma to spare, Tafia tells relatable street stories through his appealingly raspy drawl. Paying tribute to one of his heroes, the Miami native and Dream Chasers signee proudly declares #LLD, releasing the video for “Paper Route,” his collaboration with Young Dolph. Released earlier this year as part of Tafia’s Mention My Name album, “Paper Route” has become a breakthrough hit, the song’s hustle-hard mentality and Tafia’s out-the-mud origin story combining with Dolph’s commanding verse to create a radio-ready fan-favorite: the song generated over 15 million streams to date across platforms and placed at #35 on Mediabase’s Urban Radio chart and #43 on Billboard’s Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart. The Donn Suave & DummyBeatz-produced track is a lyrical showcase for both rappers, each artist saluting the trenches they emerged from and detailing the path they took to chase their dreams.
The brand new music video draws connections between Dolph’s towering legacy and Tafia’s burgeoning street hero status. Directed by GwalaonTV from NTRO4K and with animation by Roland Athouris III, the video starts as Tafia pedals through the streets of his hometown with a stack of newspapers to distribute, before the script flips to a flex-heavy montage. Intercut with archival clips of Dolph, Tafia shows how he’s elevated from a two-speed bike to a souped-up foreign in no time at all. Halfway through, the video transforms into computer animation, lovingly animating the late PRE CEO as he delivers his verse.
“Much respect to Dolph and his family,” says Tafia. “He kept it solid with me so it’s only right I showed my respects the right way in this video.”
Born to parents of Haitian descent, Tafia taught himself to rap during a long bid in juvenile detention, using his artform as a way to cope with his trauma and isolation. After his release, Tafia flooded the streets with his music, drawing attention with his searing intensity and unique vocal timbre. He made waves with his signature mixtape series Street Fanci, which caught the attention of Meek Mill, who eventually signed Tafia to be the first signee to his Dream Chasers Records label, a joint venture with Roc Nation. Since his signing to Dream Chasers, Tafia has been on an unstoppable upward trajectory, releasing the conclusion to his Street Fanci series, Street Fanci 3, and teaming up with DJ Drama for his Street Clarity: Gangsta Grillz tape, which featured appearances from Meek Mill and Rick Ross. In March, Tafia shared Mention My Name, a 16-track opus with appearances from Jeremih, Vory, DaVido, and Rob49, along with the breakout hit “Paper Route” ft. Young Dolph.
Intent on building his legacy and creating an empire of his own, Tafia has positioned himself to be the next Miami rapper to hit it big. Considering all he’s already been through, it would be unwise to bet against him.
Watch “Paper Route” ft. Young Dolph: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tog7xoI91YQ
Buy/Stream Mention My Name: https://tafia.lnk.to/mmn
Please contact Michelle or Destiny for more info.
The Background:
Born in North Miami to parents of Haitian descent, Tafia is a determined and prolific rapper who has overcome immense odds on his path to stardom. While serving a 7 year bid in the Miami Federal Detention Center, Tafia taught himself to rap as a way to cope with his feelings of loneliness and isolation. During his stint, he coincidentally encountered the iconic hip-hop legend Fat Joe and they quickly became friends After hearing him rap, Fat Joe gave Tafia high-praise which boosted his confidence and encouraged him to take the craft seriously. After Tafia was released in 2015, he was determined to flood the streets with music and establish himself and his career as a rapper. Tafia wasted no time, quickly dropping a number of singles and mixtapes, including the first two installments of his Street Fanci series, which found their way to the legendary rapper Meek Mill.
Meek was immediately struck by Tafia’s natural abilities on the mic and invited him to his Yacht in the Miami harbor for a meeting. Tafia and his crew pulled up to the Yacht on jet skis and, upon greeting them, Meek quickly launched into a freestyle of Tafia’s song “Street Fanci”—an inspiring and affirming moment for Tafia. Two years later, Dream Chasers partnered with Roc Nation prompting Meek Mill to ask Tafia to be the introductory signee of his new venture, cementing Tafia as the next-up out of the Sunshine state. Tafia went on to release the conclusion to his Street Fanci series, Street Fanci 3, as well as a joint EP with Florida rapper Major Nine, titled Fanci No.9, and his latest mixtape was curated by the legendary DJ Drama, Street Clarity: Gangsta Grillz, which featured artists like Meek Mill, Rick Ross, and Bobby Fishscale. After the success of that project, Tafia’s focus is on his upcoming debut album Mention My Name, which came out on March 18th release date and maintained his momentum in 2022.
Links:
instagram | spotify | twitter | youtube
“Paper Route” ft. Young Dolph: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tog7xoI91YQ
Mention My Name: https://tafia.lnk.to/mmn
“Nobody” ft. Vory: http://tafia.lnk.to/NobodyVid