Taylor Burgess, better known in the North Carolina hip hop scene as Tab One didn't always love running. In high school he was on the track and field team, but it wasn't until he got to college at NC State University that he really started to embrace the sport.
"Since the pandemic I started running a lot more," he said. "It was a way to get outside and not feel secluded and trapped in the house. It was also really helping my mental health. My mind always gets flowing when I run and lots of ideas come to me."
Burgess has been an important part of the Raleigh hip hop scene since forming Kooley High at NC State in 2005 with fellow MCs Charlie Smarts, Rapsody, Foolery, Sinopsis, J Sol and DJ Ill Digitz. What started off as a student organization turned into one of the most respected local hip hop groups of the last two decades.
"I remember meeting up with Charlie and Rapsody in a room at DH Hill library and filling out all the paperwork to start an official student organization," he said. "And from there we met Digitz, Sinopsis, and Foolery and started making music together."
His latest record, "I'm Going For a Run," is inspired by exactly that. It's all about both the literal and metaphorical act of running. "We all run from things and to things. What are you running from? What are you running towards?" he postures when describing the album.
While everybody has their own exercise routines, music and running go hand in hand for Burgess. "I'm a music fan before anything, so of course, I run with music," he said. "I don't necessarily listen to up-tempo stuff. I'll listen to a lot of jazz and R&B." Burgess said that artists like D'Angelo and Wes Montgomery have been recent go-to's on his treks.
The record opens with the mission-defining track "Running." It's a mid tempo track that sees Burgess rapping about how running fuels his creativity.
Another highlight of the record is "Vibes Like This" which features legendary North Carolina rapper Median.
"He's one of my favorite MCs," Burgess said. "I love his style and I think he's such a unique artist."
The record was recorded at In-Law Studio in Raleigh, which is exactly what it sounds like. Burgess' in-laws have a space in their house that he uses as a creative space and studio.
"I'm Going For a Run" is available now on Bandcamp.
