
Taiyamo Denku
1/22/2026 | 26m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
Milwaukee-based emcee Taiyamo Denku performs and records in the Melrose Audio Studio.
Milwaukee-based emcee Taiyamo Denku performs and records in the Melrose Audio Studio. An established Hip Hop veteran for more than two decades, Denku is a prolific writer and freestyle artist and has collaborated with some of Rap's biggest names. Denku also sits for an interview to talk about his writing style, favorite collaborations, and more.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Melrose In the Mix is a local public television program presented by WUCF

Taiyamo Denku
1/22/2026 | 26m 46sVideo has Closed Captions
Milwaukee-based emcee Taiyamo Denku performs and records in the Melrose Audio Studio. An established Hip Hop veteran for more than two decades, Denku is a prolific writer and freestyle artist and has collaborated with some of Rap's biggest names. Denku also sits for an interview to talk about his writing style, favorite collaborations, and more.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch Melrose In the Mix
Melrose In the Mix is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship[BEATBOXING] >>From the second floo of the Orlando Public Library.
Welcome to Melrose in the Mix, our series of liv recording sessions from here at the Melrose Center.
Hi, everyone.
I'm Jim Myers.
Today's session features Taiyamo Denku.
A Milwaukee native, Denku is an emcee equally adept at controlling a crowd with his substantial catalog of material, or with his solid freestyle ability.
He has worked with a number of hip hop luminaries during his career, including Busta Rhymes, Snoop Dogg, Lil Kim, KRS-One, and many others.
Before the session, we had a chance to talk with Denku about some of those memorable collaborations, how he got started in the business, and more.
[VOCALIZING] >>When it rains, it pours.
It pours within you.
Yeah yeah yeah yeah.
Oh, when it rains, it pours within you.
Yeah, within you, within you.
Oh.
When it rains, it pours within you, yeah.
Within you, oh within you.
Yo.
When it rains it pours on the same slab of concrete.
Tricked by your spouse she was giving another her sacred treat.
On all hallows eve I float thru the wind tunnels, giving my soul away for penny's on a Buddy Christ Mantle.
Black flame candles melt to wax to craft vinyl.
On the back of blac rhino soul searching in Cairo.
By no means necessary wil I walk among enchanted fairies.
Mixing poison berries with your baked pie cherries.
I walk on water and sink ferries, no God mother accounted.
Draw a circle in the snow to keep me surrounded I dont belong in the average day , the Devil said okay but God kept me away and pulled me to heaven like Kay Slay Play my tunes once a day when I'm gone I beg you.
Over your strawberry salads and side of barbecue tofu.
Health trips and face plants on ant hills that are empty.
When asked how many hate me I replied with plenty.
My identit don't match with my outer shell.
When the judgement gates realized and sent me back to hell.
When the Devil asked how I got here I told him I fell.
He reincarnated me for a chance to resell my story in song bird bellowed from a vulture carcuss.
I want to be chosen Cesar Marcus, cinematic like Spartacus, making love under moonlight to a Megan Fox Artemis.
But when it rains, it pours.
I wash away all of this.
When it rains, it pours within you.
Yeah.
Within you, oh within you.
Oh, when it rains, it pours within you, yeah.
Within you, oh within you.
Oh.
When it rains, it pours, it pours within you.
Yeah.
Oh when it rains it pours within you, yeah.
Within you, oh within you.
Oh yeah.
Multiples of seven is the album that I wanted to put out as my first solo release, because I was in a grou for a while called Wastelands.
Back in the day.
I don't know where I'm from, where I'm from.
I feel I don't know where I'm from, where I'm from, but they tell m I'm from Earthrealm, Earthrealm.
And I know I don't belong here.
No, no, no.
But they said that's where I'm from.
Yeah.
I feel like a creature of habit.
Massacre manic depression with ahhh I'm being dramatic.
I got a scorpion on my left hand, tarantula on right.
So when I punch you its two venoms on site.
I'm in area 5 doing 51 things to alien ladies, if I'm not of this planet I have alien babies I was born in the 80s grew up like was in a hair band.
Real life bear man with a 70/30 farmers tan.
Eff with us, Blam.... thats my Mega man arm blaster.
That might make an earl vacation for you to meet Casper.
I'm a joker without laughter Christopher Lambert a Highlander.
That might turn you two face with this high powered sander.
Had a freckled chick name Amber, bikini football player.
She'd do the splits on me in bedroom as a favor.
I feel like I never belonged, every step I took was wrong.
So when I'm not in earthreal I'm going to perform this song.
I feel I dont where I'm from, where I'm from.
But they tell me I'm from earthrealm.
Earthrealm.
And I know I don't belong here.
No, no, no.
But they said that's where I'm from.
Whoa whoa whoa whoa yeah yeah yeah yeah whoa whoa whoa whoa yeah yeah yeah yeah.
I feel I don't know where I'm from, where I'm from.
But they tell me I'm from Earth realm.
Earthrealm.
And I know I don't belong here.
No, no, no.
But they say that's where I'm from.
[BEATBOXING] Yeah!
The collaborations that stand out most are probably the artists that also inspired me.
So not necessarily the real big name I've worked with, which is cool.
Awesome.
But, it's the artists that most inspired me stylistically, I think that are the ones that stand out.
So like Chino XL, rest in peace.
He recently passed, but definitely a big one.
There's a song that' actually now released with me, him and Lord Have Mercy, which was part of Flipmode Squad.
Busta Rhymes crew.
And those are.
That's probably my favorite one of all that one.
And, the work I did with Onyx, I always loved Onyx.
The fact that I'm kind of in that, you know, in that circle now is cool.
But the songs we created are cool.
Yeah.
Check.
Daylight, do you wonder where the day went?
Do you know why the sun spies behind the clouds where the sun spent.
Daylight, do you wonder where the day went?
Do you know wh the sun spies behind the clouds where the sun spent.
I'll stare at the sun till I'm blinded by the rays of light.
Did I see the heavens during my secondary sight?
Cloud mountains with rain water fountains.
Wind gusts keep me ungrounded.
Am I a hero but unsuper.
Cuz I can't perfect my Omni-Man maneuvers.
I mean on my off days I'm a hell of a this way that a way, Wyatt family demeanor just not fully Bray.
Say who goes there?
This cloud covers great shaded.
My locust infestation fully raided, pesticide grenaded.
I've aided the ultraviolet t burn skin of my enemy clusters.
And drop chemicals on mother - uh - from the belly of crop dusters.
I've flooded a lot of Noah' lifted the Ark of the Covenant.
Hand to hand combat with the grizzly bear in the Revenant.
Skylights in my rooftop to see the day become evening.
When the night let's me locat the stars, its the dream world, I'm leaving.
Daylight.
Do you wonder where that day went?
Do you know wh the sun spies behind the clouds where the sun spent its shine.
Daylight.
Do you wonder where that day went?
Do you know wh the sun spies behind the clouds.
Where the sun spent its shine.
Daylight.
Do you wonder where that day went?
Do you know wh the sun spies behind the clouds.
Where the sun spent its shine.
Daylight.
Do you wonder where that day went?
Do you know wh the sun spies behind the clouds.
Where the sun spent its shine.
Daylight.
Do you wonder where that day went?
Do you know wh the sun spies behind the clouds.
Where the sun spend its shine.
Yeah.
That be that.
This joint right here is called "They Ask Me" I'm loving it I'm loving, I'm loving.
Goes like this.
Check it.
Bars.
Raps.
Lyrics and sheesh, let's go.
They ask me who's the best show I deliver verse.
I hope you spill your Campbell's chunky on the collar of your shirt.
Bury your dollars in the mud.
that's dirty money.
You been early ugly since ejection from the womb buddy.
Not hubby material, I eat fruity pebbles cereal.
I'm a bit shabby imperial, you are bacterial.
In stereo live with the goon music.
Spoon feed mucus to you untuned students.
I'm a movement by myself, my bars only carry top shelf.
Conscious as a Lil Nicky devil and a Will Ferrell Elf.
I don't liste most my decisions need revision.
Kinda like a non guilty , calle guilty behind walls of prison.
I'm a killer envisioned in a non deadly deception.
So when you find the bodie there's always more questions.
My life lessons are throat slit speech impediments.
That might dilate ya peoples and leave without evidence.
They ask me who's the best in the rap.
When I don't say they their name they throw a fit.
I might bury ya top five with ease.
So you swap out that top five with better emcees.
They ask me, who's the best in rap.
When I don't say their name they throw a fit.
I might bury ya top five with ease.
So you swap out that top five with better emcees.
I'm a strange individual.
Doctor zombie with cranberry Indivisible Milwaukee Fonzee.
I want my girl wearing edible panties in a Chuck E. Cheese ball pit.
Head into a Timberland outlet store for my fall fit.
I'm the culprit of every trash rapper eliminated.
In a silk shocker category that rhythm hated.
Every vers obliterated, put fire on water.
You drink me as wine after every Our Father.
God tier, Zeus be like why bother.
I been in Hercules attire since a young toddler.
I don't care if you praise me or every record exec chased me.
Clown you bozo pastries like John Wayne Gacy.
That's a killer bar cancel me soon.
The elephant in the room in a Alien sand dune.
Move mountains the way gravity shifts moons, don't move.
I been destroying rhymes so long there is nothing else to prove.
They ask me, who's the best in rap.
When I don't say their name they throw a fit.
I might bury ya top five with ease.
So you swap out that top five with better emcees.
They ask me, who's the best in rap.
When I don't say their name they throw a fit.
I might bury ya top five with ease.
So you swap out that top five with better emcees.
With better emcees.
You swap out the top five with better emcees.
With better emcees.
You swap out the top five with better emcees.
With better emcees.
You swap out the top five with better emcees.
With better emcees.
You swap out the top five.
With better emcees.
I started out freestyling before I started writing, which makes my writing, it just comes to me faster.
I don't know what that is.
I would just probably say it's a God given talent.
People ask me.
I don't have any answers of why the freestyle thing is my thing, but I don't freestyle songs.
I do write them.
They just come out faster.
I could probably get done with a song, a full song in 30 minutes as far as writing, maybe even 20, and then record it and be done with the whole song in like an hour.
But as far as writing it down, I do write to beats, so I pick out the beat that I'm writing to and kind of just free write.
I mean, there be concepts.
I'm all over the place with it, to be honest.
Sometimes I start with a hook, other times I start with the verses and then that leads to where the hook is.
But always to the beat.
Yeah, I love the bassline on it.
It's nice.
It's nice.
Yeah.
It just makes you want to do, like, some weird, you know, whatever.
Like, Yeah.
Check it.
I'll punch a rapper in the face with Hawaiian cosmetics.
Channe the turmoil with Ames synthetic.
Die for cas , swipe to respawn sum credit.
Only resuscitat bills need a lawyer and a medic.
Suicide watch , Harley Quinn in a padded room.
Conquer your worst doom, while facing your own tomb.
Stone Kurt Russell face, Doc Holiday Kilmer.
Draw on your childish ways with Bob the Builder.
Heard you're a Gambino stealing America's track.
Your only concept of hip hop's mumble rap and trap.
Dumbo dap ya ears, every breath concrete cracks.
Beg and stretch to replay my tracks.
Used to crush on Ms Milia till she slept with Lil Wayne.
Now her inner demon are growing something strange.
Since I'm a God emcee that chick no longer my type.
Now I keep a lady who elevates me through life.
Let's go.
Jussst, cuz you came in here talking shhhhhh please!
Don't make me catch a case on em.
Justin Case on em.
Jussst, cuz you came in here talking shhhhhh please!
Don't make me catch a case on em.
Justin Case on em.
I could ghostwrite for you bu you can't read it, Mayweather.
You're lightweight like Forest Gump intro feather.
All in together, we are the world reprise.
You press your beef record at Five Guys.
Like my brother say, hair steez unpredictable lettuce.
Watch you bleed all ove the place like Anthony Pettis.
Straight menace, my tea will eff ya team up like Khabib.
Punchline directed to your face, follow my lead.
Eff you and your rapping buddies.
You're mad at the world, cause this new rapping's ugly.
We keep it funky town , honke tonk, strangle guitar strings.
All hatred is interwoven with a violent king.
And if that's not enough hot air to contaminate your space.
You need to change your real name to Justin Case.
Yeah.
Come on man.
Jussst, cuz you came in here talking shhhhhh please!
Don't make me catch a case on em.
Justin Case on em.
Jussst, cuz you came in here talking shhhhhh please!
Don't make me catch a case on em.
Justin Case on em.
[BEATBOXING] Just in case.
Cyphaden's pretty much that it's a gathering of like minded individuals.
More of a crew, not a record label.
For people who might get that confused.
That's more so what it is.
And it branched off into these things.
So we got the Cyphaden chat podcast, which we do.
I've, I always put the logo on the tour fliers for the most part.
Yeah.
It's just it' just like a brand is what it is that represents me.
And if you think about it, I'm from that era where Cyphering was always around.
So the cypha or cypher is the front part of it.
And then the den where like I said, it's the gathering of these like minded individuals ciphering their ideas to get Cyphaden.
Yeah.
Check.
Beat's nasty.
Like.
Yeah.
Check.
You ever wonder why we live life this way?
Nah, I don't I just keep on moving on.
Yeah.
Every news channel I go through, it's the same old thing.
Another meeting with the devil.
But is that what them gun roars bring?
I'm from Milwaukee.
Too afraid to stroll outside at least after nine.
You never know what you find.
It's like this new gen is proud of the violence.
'Til they at a wak surrounded by cries and silence.
Ya never get them back, that's a fact brother.
That was your best friend, what you gonna say to his mother.
You better swallow your guilt, take in the lesson.
What made you pull the trigger?
Did you feel under pressure?
Pop, pop pop.
It's all over.
You should hold your family closer.
Why why why I get a wish.
So much hatred in this world how does love exist?
Like this.
You ever wonder why we live life this way.
Nah, I don't, I just keep on movin on.
Cuz my mind is strong.
You ever wonder why we live life this way.
Nah, I don't, I just keep on movin on.
I hope my daughters don't have to go through.
Cuz the run around here is hard legit.
There's no healthy tone.
If your schools outside 'least my house made of stone.
Stay clear of the windows, watch the stray shells.
Presents more fake than Santa's sleigh bells.
Well, ring the cops they won't show.
But they'll sur take care of that speed patrol.
It's cold out here and it ain't even snowed yet.
Getting robbed of your pride hard to settle your debt.
Now they gettin blasted at the after set.
If we can't settle ou differences that's what's next.
C'mon, we need to get better people.
Make sure the next morning we have a sequel.
Evil won't continue to be our balance.
Love peace and happiness shouldn't be a challenge.
You ever wonder why we live life this way?
Nah, I don't, I just keep on moving on.
Cause my mind is strong.
You ever wonder why we live life this way?
Nah I don't I just keep on moving on.
Cause my heart is strong.
You ever wonder why we live life this way?
Nah, I don't I just keep on moving on.
Cause my mind is strong.
You ever wonder why we live life this way?
Nah I don't, I just keep on moving on.
Cause my heart is strong.
I think it's mor so that inspiration of artists that I've gotten a chance to build with and work with, whether they're famous or not.
I think those are the ones that more inspire me.
As far as music goes.
But I grasp from all things, so I'm not just in the hip hop.
That's not that's not what it is.
I like a lot of instrumentation, a lot of breakbeats.
Touring I don't even liste to hip hop in the car, usually.
I usually listen to, like that, like either breakbeats or some R&B or.
Yeah.
Check one.
Yeah.
I got a reckoning with records before you spin them on the table turn.
Able earned how much cash we got there's no concern.
You church u-turn with a stern voice radio.
Your carcass turns fossil fuels study by the paleo.
Galileo had an image from a distance he wanted me to starship.
Bars slip it in your drink champ before you take another sip.
Rubber-tipped arrows embolden a pharoh.
Toss away this Popeye's chicken start chewing on a sparrow.
Marrow tough enough to crush through a bolder brick.
Scold the script for talkin shh to your oven mitt.
Bake a chip, I'm a Raider, Jos Jacobs through the front line.
Confuse my listeners to wher they think I spit a dumb rhyme.
Just can't comprehend the deeper intelligence I start to send.
From the outskirts of the crop circles to the Cyphaden.
Sniper pen, Chris Kyle with a sick smile.
Cuz he took out your baby mama from about a mile.
While I wild and start to cook up raw.
Frostbitten amm ain't got enough time to thaw.
Law abidin, Jamie Foxx Citizen Kane.
Ridalin brain unmatched and untamed.
Denku my name, never be ashamed of my focus.
In the middle of Orlando where no one else will take notice.
Bofaat on the beat generation on the feature.
If you don't get the gist of it I'll crawl thru the speaker.
Move thru your eardrums like this.
I'll say what through your mind state like this.
Crawl through the tweeter of the speaker box.
claw through most of you rapper flocks.
Move thru your eardrums like this.
I'll say what through your mind state like this.
Crawl through the tweeter of the speaker box.
Claw through most of you rapper flocks.
I spend a lot of my time not talking to you.
Use a lot of my lines and walk them through you.
Bring a cane along on some pimp.
Bring a cane along society menace clip.
Bet the strip don't write this straight and bit thru hate and bite thru fate.
I keep punches that are Tyson great.
Break your eardrum you need better insurance rates.
Bring you along for the ride third wheel on a date.
So basically around thru Hip Hop you feel out of place.
You take up space and your face in the picture cut out.
Unstought in Stella, you ridin on a bum route.
You whack rappers can hang in your clubhouse.
Alfalfa roots, troops with a dumb spouse.
Four wheels on the couch pull up watching view.
Cuz it's pure comedy the bull that you try to do.
Move thru your eardrums like this.
I'll say what through your mind state like this.
Crawl through the tweeter of the speaker box.
Claw through most of you rapper flocks.
Move thru your eardrums like this.
I'll say what through your mind state like this.
Crawl through the tweeter of the speaker box, claw thru most of you rapper flocks.
[BEATBOXING] [BEATBOXING] >>Thanks for joining us for this episode of Melrose in the Mix featuring Taiyamo Denku.
We'll see you again soon for another live recording session here in the Melrose Cente at the Orlando Public Library.
[BEATBOXING]
Support for PBS provided by:
Melrose In the Mix is a local public television program presented by WUCF















