Mortel - TAYO

Mortel's album TAYO presents a hybrid record that functions as a collective notebook, moving beyond the traditional solo artist format to embrace a community-driven vision under the banner of Warner Music Central Europe. Released on December 5, 2025, it's the artist's fourth studio album, concluding a journey that began with RACAILLE in 2017, continued with Depart in 2018, and reached a new milestone with Chapeau in 2022. The total duration of 51 minutes and 4 seconds features 17 tracks, with the majority featuring voices outside of the pure solo project. This structure is built on the tension between historical roots and a projection towards a shared urban future, where each collaboration serves as a step in mapping out alliances that redefine the landscape of contemporary rap.

The Alliance of Giants: AZAD, Frauenarzt, and Genetikk Redefine the French Rap Scene on TAYO.

The tracklist of TAYO is characterized by its collaborative nature, with 13 out of 17 tracks featuring established artists. The album doesn't aim to isolate the artist at the center of a monotonous sphere, but rather places Mortel at the heart of an ecosystem where each guest contributes a specific sonic element. On the track Asbest, the presence of AZAD and Dú Maroc creates a direct link to the group's history, as AZAD had previously collaborated on the tracks "PGS" from the album RACAILLE in 2017, while Dú Maroc complements this local dynamic. This configuration creates an immediate sense of continuity, reminiscent of how the project has always functioned through collaboration with its peers. Far from being a simple accumulation of names, these collaborations structure the album into a cohesive whole where the main voice constantly interacts with the voices of others. Track 4, CC, exemplifies this ambition to expand the sonic landscape, featuring Genetikk and Kaisa Natron, two artists with diverse styles who bring a variety of vocal flows and textures. Here, the collaboration functions as a mechanism for opening up to different sounds, transforming the album into a space where the main voice is never alone in conveying the message, but is supported by a network of established talents.

From Main Event to Favela: The narrative structure of a seasoned fourth album.

The sonic landscape of TAYO oscillates between moments of pure energy and more intimate reflections, a dynamic that gives the album its internal coherence. The album's opening track, Main Event, sets the tone from the very beginning, signaling a project that isn't afraid to unleash a powerful energy. Conversely, the album's closing track, Favela, featuring Nativ on vocals, introduces a narrative conclusion that seems to tie back to the themes explored throughout the album. This closed-loop structure, where the beginning and end frame the entire work, reinforces the idea that Mortel conceived this project as a complete narrative rather than a simple collection of singles. Between these two points, the inclusion of instrumental tracks or solo pieces provides breathing room between the collaborations, preventing listener fatigue that could result from an overabundance of featured artists. The density of tracks featuring other artists doesn't come at the expense of individual space, as the alternation ensures that the album remains accessible and dynamic.

A Vital Legacy: How BEKA and Maxwell Ground Mortel in His History While Propelling Him Towards 2025.

Beyond the new additions, TAYO carefully cultivates its roots by bringing back key figures from the artist's circle. Track 5, Pressé, revisits the figure of BEKA with Ramo, a clear return to past collaborations that marked the 2017-2018 period, particularly on the track "Dubai" from the album RACAILLE in 2017. This inclusion is not simply a nostalgic gesture, but an affirmation that the group's history forms a solid foundation upon which the new project is built. BEKA's presence anchors the sound in its origins while offering a retrospective perspective that gives weight to the current trajectory. The album also stands out for the variety of influences brought by other collaborators, such as LX on Brokkoli, who injects an additional urban energy into the project, and EAZ and Buds on BLEMEPRO. Each guest is selected to bring a specific element that would not have been possible to reproduce with the main vocalist alone.

A summary of a major work: the convergence between the Warner Music Central Europe label and an artist on the move.

TAYO presents a definitive snapshot of an artist who manages to condense 51 minutes and 4 seconds of their journey into a cohesive whole, without any apparent fragmentation. The validation of this release by Warner Music Central Europe marks a culmination in a career that has experienced several major milestones between 2017 and 2025. The album doesn't attempt to hide Mortel's stylistic evolution, but rather showcases it through established and proven collaborations. The balanced tracklist, where instrumental or solo tracks alternate with collaborations, helps maintain a narrative tension that remains engaging until the very end. The density of confirmed collaborations on 13 of the 17 tracks transforms TAYO into a manifesto of urban solidarity, where each voice contributes to building a collective vision. The collaborators, such as AZAD, BEKA, Frauenarzt, and Genetikk, evoke the group's history while propelling the sound towards new horizons. The album confirms that Mortel has successfully transformed their status as a rising artist into a strategic advantage, creating an album that not only builds upon past successes but also explores new configurations. The conclusion of the project with Favela suggests an openness to different sonic territories, validating the idea that this album is much more than just a simple addition to Mortel's official discography. In conclusion, TAYO succeeds in maintaining a strong identity while fully embracing its collaborative nature. The structure of the 17 tracks, with their precise durations and exact positions, confirms that Mortel conceived this project as a complete and integrated whole. The collaborations are not a random accumulation, but rather carefully considered choices that ground the album in its history while projecting it towards the future. The validation by Warner Music Central Europe and the presence of recognized names like AZAD, BEKA, or Genetikk ensure that TAYO will remain a reference point for this period in Mortel's career.

Technical Details

- Release Date: December 5, 2025 - Label: Warner Music Central Europe - Tracks: 17 (51 minutes 04 seconds) - Opening/Closing Tracks: Main Event / Favela - Featured Artists: AZAD, Dú Maroc, Haze, Ramo, BEKA, Maxwell, Alberto, LX, O.G., Genetikk, Kaisa Natron, Frauenarzt… - Previous Album: Chapeau (2022)