Penny Taylor Elevates His Sound with R&B Hit ‘Cuff’

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Hip-hop and R&B musician Penny Taylor drops his latest single, the catchy and vulnerable track, “Cuff.” Exploring a softer side with deep R&B roots, Penny Taylor unveils a side of his music that listeners are sure to love.

From a young age, Penny Taylor developed an appreciation for all different types of music. “Around age 7 or 8,” he shares, “I really started to enjoy music more than hearing it and it being background noise.”

What began as dabbling on Audacity with friends—trying to rap and imitate his favorite artists of the time—became a devotion to the craft. Not long after, Penny Taylor adding singing to his resume. “I moved towards singing because of the melodies,” shares the artist. “I don’t classify myself as a singer—I’m a harmonizer.” He slowly began cultivating his passion into a skill, and the rest is history.

Penny Taylor credits several musicians for impacting his work over the years, including Drake, J. Cole, Timberland (for production/beat making) and Kanye. “…Bryson Taylor, Party Next Door.. SZA is amazing… there’s so many I can name that I pull inspiration from,” adds Taylor.

How was the name, Penny Taylor, born? At the time, Penny was intrigued with 50 Cent and the number one. The combination culminated in the name coming together. “Friends started calling me ‘Penny.’ I adopted the last name from Wiz Khalifa and the Taylor Gang group. It just stuck.”

Known for his hip-hop sound, Penny Taylor ventured into R&B for the creation of his latest record. “Cuff” isn’t just a single. It’s the best song Penny Taylor has ever made, and he intended for it to be so. “I really wanted to create the best song I ever made if I included a well-structured song with lyrics and something catchy that could be played in summertime, wintertime, any time of the year. Something that could be enjoyed by different demographics.

Listening to beats, Penny Taylor came across the instrumental that would soon become “Cuff.” The beat sets the tone for a catchy hook, which informed the rest of the song. “It’s funny, because I actually had the pieces of the song made from different songs and pieced them together to fit the beat / theme of the track,” adds Penny Taylor. “Typically, I listen to the instrumental, and it’s a feeling. The beat has to speak to you. If you can’t have a conversation with it, then it’s difficult to write to it. It might be the second or third or however many beats you go through, but then the words come out of you. For this one, I didn’t have to try too hard to find the words—there were kind of just there.”

“‘Cuff’ came about because I wanted to challenge myself to make a hit record with the R&B side of myself,” shares Penny Taylor. “I’m definitely happy and grateful the listener gets to enjoy it and get what they take from it. I’m cook with whatever they get from the song, even if it’s the feeling evoked when the listen to it.”

So far, the feedback for “Cuff” has been overwhelmingly positive. “People have loved the song. I’ve heard things like, ‘this is a hit. This is a platinum record,’’’ shares Taylor. “It’s surreal. It’s crazy that I wrote this thing completely and so many people enjoy it. That’s what’s special to me. I often think, ‘I used to do this in my bedroom on a laptop and I wasn’t good, just trying my best.’ From that to this is insane.”

Penny Taylor is enjoying the moment, weaving through the unfamiliar territory that comes with widespread success. In addition to the release of his single, Penny Taylor looks forward to bringing his show to live audiences.

Make sure to stay connected to Penny Taylor on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.

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After Takes Listeners Back to the 2000s With a New Playlist

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This is SOUND ADVICE, the home of playlists created by the friends, rivals, and romantic interests of Interview. Our latest editions have included musical selections from Anok Yai, girlsweetvoiced, and Cannelle. This week, the choices come from After, a Los Angeles duo featuring Justine Dorsey and Graham Epstein, who originally matched on Hinge before becoming musical partners. Their connection began through a mutual affection for the music of the early 2000s, eventually inspiring them to blend their influences into a sound filled with irresistible nostalgia. Listening to their songs feels like driving beneath an open sky, plunging into icy water, and suddenly experiencing déjà vu at the same moment. Their upcoming first record, Fell Asleep in the Sun, celebrates a less complicated time while trying to hold onto its warmth for a little longer. To mark the arrival of the album’s title song today, the pair assembled a playlist featuring Y2K favorites such as Björk, Coldplay, and Hillary Duff. They also completed our questionnaire, opening up about the songs that defined their younger years, the items they always need while recording, and the real sound of nostalgia.

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Your favorite Y2K anthem?

GRAHAM EPSTEIN: “Blurry” by Puddle of Mudd

JUSTINE DORSEY: “White Flag” by Dido

What’s a song on this playlist you wish you wrote?

“Monsoon” by Tokio Hotel

Dream collab, dead or alive?

Adam Schlesinger

Music duo after stands in the desert wearing all black

What does nostalgia sound like?

A cold beach

Is there a song on this playlist that reminds you of a certain memory?

EPSTEIN: We listened to “Tornados” by Ben Lee a lot in the family car around the same time I was obsessed with lighthouses. So really associate this song with going on these little family trips to as many lighthouses as we could. 

DORSEY: We had a trampoline in our backyard and Mylo Xyloto was my trampolining album. It reminds me of grey days that aren’t quite cold enough, not quite warm enough either.

Three things you always bring with you to the studio:

3 Diet Cokes

Graham Epstein posing with a hat on in front of a ferris wheel

What’s a lyric on this playlist you’ll never forget?

“I defy.” – Hilary Duff

Where are you most inspired?

Wherever we’re homesick.

Name your favorite artist no one knows about:

EPSTEIN: Coffret de Bijoux, a Québécoise black metal artist I’m obsessed with. She experiments with so many genres. Some of the best songs I’ve heard in awhile.

Justine Dorsey in a selfie with a sandy desert background

Describe your debut album in three words:

Sands of time

Between the two of you, who’s always on aux?

Graham!

How do you influence each other’s taste?

DORSEY: Graham has shown me so much music, artwork, and film that means a lot to me now. He’s like The Matrix. I feel like I see so much of the world through his lens.

EPSTEIN: Justine’s taste and vision has definitely changed the way I perceive things. Like in the imagery she gravitates towards, and in fashion, and color, it’s all very true to herself. She has a crazy eye for small things that end up being game changers in our art that I 100 percent hold on to and trust. 

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