StaJe and Tailor give you plenty of What You Like with their seductive new single and video — premiering today on Tinnitist.
Hitting the sweet spot between ultra-groovy classic R&B and irresistibly dreamy pop, the collaborative single from the two Los Angeles artists is also the first single from their forthcoming album Call Me At Midnight, which will be released next year. And as both titles suggest, the pair are nothing if not eager to please. “We wanted something sensual — something persuasive,” the duo say of the track. “We will do whatever you like, whatever you want and that will be enough for us.”
StaJe (aka Justin Payne) is a Billboard and iTunes-charting artist who has received acclaim from multiple outlets. He has been on quite the journey, a journey that for some would be deemed as too much, when the trials, obstacles and hard times are all but never ending, some perish, some turn back and others crumble under the pressure of life’s darkest corners.
However, Payne did the opposite. Born in South Carolina, the artist has always had a knack for music. It was his early years that he credits to his initial exposure into music, his mother being a highly talented vocalist, StaJe reminisces on early moments spent in front of the TV with his mother singing to old classics together. A talented athlete also, the artist realized his true calling resided in his inner passion and drive for music, as such the artist had some tough and significantly life changing decisions to make. The main decision being to move away from everything he knew in search of his dreams and goals.
Justin left for the entertainment metropolis known as Los Angeles, a city scoped in history of darker stories and not just bright movie lights. The artist found out the hard way that this was not going to be an easy task by any stretch of the imagination. StaJe then ended up in Los Angeles’s most unforgiving and soul destroying place of refuge, Skid Row. An unthinkable place for most people, Justin had nothing but a dream, he stayed there for months, miraculously finding food when he needed it. Living life day by day, pushing through the internal torment with a clear vision of one day, making it, one day becoming something, he refused to give up. Incredibly an old friend from Justin’s college days had moved into town and the two reconnected, Justin was kindly given his sofa as a place to stay, then within a short time found a job. In a sudden and unbelievable turn of events Justin was finally in a better place. He exceeded in his job, whilst still keeping music as the centerpiece of focus. The artist was earning a good income which then enabled him the opportunity to focus on what was important. Music.
Opening up his own recording studio and launching his record label Fam Entertainment, StaJe has many exciting plans when it comes to music. Expanding his area of expertise to also support, nurture and grow upcoming talent, artists can most definitely learn a thing or two from StaJe. What’s most impressive though is not just StaJe’s musical talent but his undeniable and breathtaking story, that will inspire for generations.
For his part, Taylor Owen, also known as Tailor, has had a life that in no way, shape or form, has been easy. Filled to the brim with abuse, bullying, self-doubt, and just very hard times, Taylor somehow made it out.
Born on Camp Pendleton in California, Taylor and his family moved to a small town in Iowa when he was only a couple of months old. Born with a speech impediment that would still have a hold on his life to this day, made elementary, middle, and high school not the easiest thing in the world. However the only time he did not stutter, or stammer, was when he was singing. After a school project in junior year, he decided to go to school for music production. Traveling to Los Angeles to attend Musician’s Institute, he learned what he needed to, to bring his emotions and thoughts out of his mind. But due to bad choices and mistakes, he became homeless.
After he accepted the consequences of his actions, he attended McNally Smith College of Music, a private facility in Saint Paul. He attended for three years, learning engineering from some of the best in the business, until the school closed down a semester before he would graduate. After being forced to move back home, working two jobs, Taylor returned to L.A. Since being here, he has found his calling in engineering, vocal production, and, surprisingly, singing. Taylor has finally found his voice as Tailor, and as himself. One that doesn’t stutter or stammer.
Watch What You Like above, follow StaJe on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and follow Tailor on Instagram and Facebook.
