TAPZ GALLANTINO IS A PUNK RNB MUSIC BRAND THAT BLENDS THE REBELLIOUS ATTITUDE OF PUNK WITH THE SOUL OF R&B.
WITH A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE JUST AS GENRE-BLENDING AS HIS ROOTS, GALLANTINO WAS BORN IN POST-COLONIAL ZIMBABWE, HE AND HIS FAMILY RELOCATED TO NEW ZEALAND AT THE AGE OF 10. AS HE REACHED YOUNG ADULTHOOD, HE SOUGHT OUT THE U.S. FOR GLOBAL EXPANSION AND INDUSTRY DISRUPTION. INITIALLY ESTABLISHING HIS ROOTS IN NEW YORK AND NOW BASED IN LOS ANGELES, TAPZ IS ON A MISSION TO SHARE HIS VISION THROUGH MUSIC, FASHION AND STORYTELLING.
FULL BIO
TAPZ GALLANTINO’S UNIQUE SOUND, A GENRE HE DUBS PUNK RNB, IS A MASTERFUL BLEND OF PUNK AND R&B ON THE CANVAS OF THE HIP HOP SONIC PALLETE, REFLECTING HIS DIVERSE AND STORIED BACKGROUND. BORN IN POST-COLONIAL WEDZA, ZIMBABWE, TAPZ'S JOURNEY BEGAN IN A CULTURALLY RICH ENVIRONMENT, SPLIT BETWEEN HIS GRANDPARENT’S VILLAGE IN CHIVU AND HIS FAMILY HOME IN WEDZA, DEEPLY INFLUENCING HIS ARTISTIC SENSIBILITIES. AT THE AGE OF 10, HE RELOCATED TO NEW ZEALAND, WHERE HE BEGAN TO EXPLORE HIS MUSICAL TALENTS AS A MEANS TO COMMUNICATE. WHILST LEARNING TO SPEAK ENGLISH, HE DISCOVERED ART AS A MEANS OF TRANSLATING HIS WORDS, DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM THE EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL CULTURE CLASH HE WAS EXPERIENCING. HIS QUEST FOR GLOBAL EXPANSION AND INDUSTRY DISRUPTION LATER LED HIM TO THE UNITED STATES, INITIALLY ESTABLISHING HIS ROOTS IN NEW YORK AND NOW BASED IN LOS ANGELES. TAPZ EMBODIES A GLOBAL FUSION OF SOUNDS AND STORIES, CREATING ART THAT TRANSCENDS BOUNDARIES.
"I’M A WALKING CULTURE CLASH; THAT’S WHY MY ART IS THE WAY IT IS," SAYS TAPZ, WHOSE VOICE IS BOLD, UNAPOLOGETIC, INTROSPECTIVE, AND AUTHENTIC. HIS MUSIC PROVIDES BOTH EDGE AND EMOTION, CHALLENGING CONVENTIONAL NORMS AND OFFERING A FRESH PERSPECTIVE. TAPZ HAS ALREADY CAPTIVATED AUDIENCES WITH HIS PERFORMANCES ON PLATFORMS LIKE 'ON THE RADAR' AND HAS GARNERED ATTENTION FROM NOTABLE PUBLICATIONS SUCH AS PIGEONS AND PLANES, THE FADER, COMPLEX UK, I-D, HYPEBEAST, HIGH SNOBIETY, MTV, IHEARTRADIO, NOISEY, FORBES, AND 10 MAGAZINE.
TAPZ'S CREATIVE JOURNEY IS DEEPLY INTERTWINED WITH FASHION AND MODELING, INFLUENCED BY HIS MOTHER, WHO TAUGHT FASHION. THIS EARLY EXPOSURE SPARKED HIS CURIOSITY AND LED HIM TO DESIGN AND MODELING, VIEWING THE HUMAN SILHOUETTE AS A POWERFUL CANVAS FOR EXPRESSION. "ANYTHING THAT CAN BE PERCEIVED WILL BE PERCEIVED. THEREFORE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DESIGNED SHOULD BE DESIGNED," TAPZ ASSERTS. HE HAS MODELED FOR PRESTIGIOUS BRANDS SUCH AS 10 MAGAZINE X LOUIS VUITTON, NIKE, PYER MOSS X CANADA GOOSE, H LORENZO, BRAIN DEAD LLC, AND ADIDAS. ADDITIONALLY, HIS CREATIVE PROWESS EXTENDS TO SCRIPTWRITING AND CAMPAIGN DEVELOPMENT FOR BRANDS LIKE ALO YOGA AND VALAS LOS ANGELES.
VISUALLY, TAPZ’S IDENTITY IS AS STRIKING AS HIS MUSIC. HIS DESIGNS ARE BOLD AND EYE-CATCHING, UTILIZING A COLOR PALETTE OF REDS, BLACKS, AND WHITES. HE SEAMLESSLY BLENDS REBELLIOUS ICONOGRAPHY WITH SOFT, DREAMY VISUALS, INCORPORATING MOTIFS THAT PORTRAY THE SOUL AND SPIRIT. THIS UNIQUE AESTHETIC RESONATES THROUGHOUT HIS WORK, MAKING HIS BRAND INSTANTLY RECOGNIZABLE AND DEEPLY IMPACTFUL.
TAPZ GALLANTINO IS NOT JUST AN ARTIST; HE IS A VISIONARY RESHAPING THE LANDSCAPE OF MODERN MUSIC AND FASHION. HIS JOURNEY FROM ZIMBABWE TO NEW ZEALAND AND ULTIMATELY TO LOS ANGELES IS A TESTAMENT TO HIS RELENTLESS DRIVE AND PASSION. WITH A GROWING FANBASE AND A CLEAR VISION, TAPZ IS POISED TO MAKE A LASTING IMPACT. THIS IS MORE THAN LIFESTYLE MUSIC; THIS IS LIFETIME MUSIC.
MUSICAL STYLE
TAPZ GALLANTINO'S UNIQUE BRAND OF RNB FALLS UNDER A GENRE HE CREATED CALLED PUNK RNB. THIS GENRE IS A DISTINCTIVE FUSION THAT BORROWS FROM ALT RNB, HIP HOP, ALT POP, RNB, AND MELODIC RAP. TAPZ SEAMLESSLY BLENDS THE RAW ENERGY AND DIY ETHOS OF PUNK WITH LUSH MELODIES AND HARMONIES, CREATING A SOUND THAT'S BOTH EDGY AND EMOTIONAL.
AUDIENCE AND MARKET
TARGET AUDIENCE:
YOUNG TASTEMAKERS (18-35) WHO ENJOY A REBELLIOUS ATTITUDE, APPRECIATE DEPTH, AND ARE DRAWN TO ART THAT DEFIES GENRE BOUNDARIES. THEY VALUE AUTHENTICITY, CREATIVITY, AND INDIVIDUALITY, SEEKING OUT ARTISTS WHO CHALLENGE MAINSTREAM NORMS AND OFFER A FRESH PERSPECTIVE.
UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION:
PROVIDING BOTH EDGE AND EMOTION, TAPZ OFFERS A UNIQUE MUSICAL AND VISUAL EXPERIENCE THAT BRIDGES THE TWO. THE SONIC EXPERIENCE EMBODIES PALETTES OF DISTORTED SYNTHS, THUMPING SUB-BASS, DRIVING RHYTHMS, AND LUSH MELODIES/HARMONIES.
VISUAL AND BRAND IDENTITY
VISUAL LANGUAGE:
THE VISUAL IDENTITY IS CHARACTERIZED BY BOLD, EYE-CATCHING DESIGNS THAT CREATE CONTRAST. THE COLOR PALETTE INCLUDES REDS, BLACKS, AND WHITES. THE IMAGERY INCLUDES REBELLIOUS ICONOLOGY (PROVOCATIVE AND EVOCATIVE), JUXTAPOSED WITH SOFT DREAMY VISUALS, AND RELIGIOUS MOTIFS TO PORTRAY THE SOUL/SPIRIT. VINTAGE TYPOGRAPHY WITH FONTS SUCH AS COURIER, HELVETICA, AND OLDE ENGLISH, STYLIZED IN ALL CAPS, IS USED.
BRAND VOICE:
BOLD, UNAPOLOGETIC, INTROSPECTIVE, AND AUTHENTIC.
LOUIS VUITTON: DAYDREAM BELIEVER
Photographer ELLIOTT MORGAN
Fashion Editor and Text ROXY LOLA
Talent TAPZ GALLANTINO
Fashion Assistant PEYTON LAKE
Production RICHARD VILLANI for Villani Productions
Shot at THE FORD ESTATE
Thanks to THE PRESIDENT GERALD and BETTY FORD ESTATE
“I’M A WALKING CULTURE CLASH, THAT’S WHY MY ART IS THE WAY IT IS.”
FOR THE SIXTH COVER OF 10 MEN ISSUE 56, ZIMBABWE-BORN, LA-BASED MUSICIAN TAPZ GALLANTINO WEARS VIRGIL ABLOH’S FINAL LOUIS VUITTON COLLECTION. SHOT BY ELLIOTT MORGAN AND STYLED BY ROXY LOLA.
TAPZ BRINGS UNBRIDLED INTENSITY TO THE "TRUST NO STARS IN THE DAYLIGHT" MUSIC VIDEO BY JACOB MOORE