Tau (rapper)

{{Other uses|Tau (disambiguation)}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Tau | image = Medium rapper.jpg | image_size = 200px | landscape =  | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Piotr Kowalczyk | native_name = | native_name_lang = | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|06|25|df=y}} | birth_place = Kielce, Poland | origin = | death_date =  | death_place = | genre = {{flatlist| * Hip-hop * Christian hip hop<ref>{{cite web|title=Tau - "Remedium"|url=http://www.cgm.pl/recenzje,38706,tau_remedium,article.html|publisher=cgm.pl|accessdate=15 September 2015}}</ref> }} | occupation = {{flatlist| * Rapper * singer * record producer }} | instrument = | years_active = 2000–present | label = {{flatlist| * Asfalt * Bozon Records }} | website = }} '''Piotr Kowalczyk'''<ref name=convert>{{cite web|title=Nawrócenie Medium. Raper zmienił pseudonim|url=http://wmeritum.pl/nawrocenie-medium-raper-zmienil-pseudonim/|accessdate=14 September 2015|date=2013-12-16}}</ref> (Polish pronunciation: {{IPAc-pl|ˈ|p|j|ɔ|t|r|-|k|ɔ|ˈ|v|a|l|t͡ʂ|ɨ|k}}) (born 25 June 1986), better known under his stage name '''Tau''' ({{IPAc-pl|ˈ|t|a|ł}}), and formerly as '''Medium''' ({{IPAc-pl|m|e|d|i|u|m}}), is a Polish rapper, singer and record producer. In 2008, he released his underground debut album ''Seans spirytystyczny'' (''Séance'') under the name Medium. His next underground album ''Alternatywne źródło energii'' (''Alternative Energy Source'') was released in 2010, which helped Medium to be spotted by Marcin "Tytus" Grabski, CEO of Asfalt Records, who offered him a contract.

On 22 November 2011 Tau released his official debut album (performing as Medium) titled ''Teoria równoległych wszechświatów'' (''The Theory of Parallel Universes''), which, despite slight promotion, sold over eight thousand copies in Poland.<ref name="teoria">{{cite web |title=Medium sprzedał 8 tysięcy sztuk debiutanckiego albumu |url=http://glamrap.pl/1/9347-medium-sprzedal-8-tys-sztuk-debiutanckiego-albumu-video |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304193342/http://glamrap.pl/1/9347-medium-sprzedal-8-tys-sztuk-debiutanckiego-albumu-video |archive-date=2016-03-04 |accessdate=14 September 2015 |website=glamrap.pl |publisher=Glamrap}}</ref>

In 2012, Tau announced that he had converted to Christianity.{{r|convert}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Medium nawraca - T-Mobile Music|url=http://www.t-mobile-music.pl/najnowsze/medium-nawraca,artykul,20047.html|publisher=T-Mobile Music|accessdate=14 September 2015}}{{Dead url|date=February 2024}}</ref> A few months later he released his second album ''Graal'' (''Holy Grail''). The album was highly criticized by many reviewers due to its radical lyrics. In 2013, Medium and producer Galus formed a one-album-group Egzegeza.<ref name=egzegeza>{{cite web|title=Medium/Galus - "Egzegeza - Księga Słów"|url=http://www.cgm.pl/recenzje,31570,medium_galus_egzegeza_ksiega_slow,article.html|publisher=cgm.pl|accessdate=14 September 2015}}</ref> The album ''Księga słów'' (''The Book of Words'') was released on 28 June 2013 in a limited number of copies.

On 6 December 2013 Medium announced that he had changed his pseudonym to Tau due to the fact that his name Medium may have been seen as connected to mediumship practice, which is in opposition to Christian philosophy.<ref>{{cite web|title=Polski raper Medium zmienił pseudonim|url=http://muzyka.onet.pl/newsy/polski-raper-medium-zmienil-pseudonim/kzg04|publisher=muzyka.onet.pl|accessdate=14 September 2015}}</ref> A few days later, on 13 December 2013, he declared that he left Asfalt Records in order to form his own label, Bozon Records.<ref>{{cite web|title=Medium Opuszcza Asfalt Records!|url=http://glamrap.pl/1/11872-medium-opuszcza-asfalt-records|publisher=Glamrap|accessdate=15 September 2015}}</ref>

On 3 December 2014 Tau released his first studio album under his new name, titled ''Remedium''. The album peaked at #4 on the OLiS chart, having sold over fifteen thousand copies.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tau ze Złotą Płytą za "Remedium"! - Popkiller|url=http://www.popkiller.pl/2015-04-04,tau-ze-zlota-plyta-za-remedium|publisher=Popkiller|accessdate=15 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart|url=http://olis.onyx.pl/listy/index.asp?idlisty=906&lang=|publisher=OLiS|accessdate=15 September 2015}}</ref>

On 10 August 2015 Tau posted a picture on his Facebook profile with a caption that he had finished making a new album.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tau: "Drugi album zrobiony"|url=http://glamrap.pl/szn/32202-tau-drugi-album-zrobiony|publisher=Glamrap|accessdate=21 September 2015}}</ref> A few days later he said that it is almost sure that the album would be released in November 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title=Drugi album tau'a w listopadzie|url=http://glamrap.pl/1/32811-drugi-album-tau-a-w-listopadzie|publisher=Glamrap|accessdate=21 September 2015}}</ref> On 21 October 2015 Tau revealed that his new project was to be titled ''Restaurator'' and it was going to be released on 15 December 2015. In December 2015 Tau said he also was writing an autobiography entitled "Odszukany" (pol. ''Found''),<ref>{{cite web|title=Tau napisze autobiografię. Będzie nosiła tytuł "Odszukany" {{!}} wMeritum.pl|url=http://wmeritum.pl/tau-napisze-autobiografie-bedzie-nosila-tytul-odszukany/131583|website=wMeritum.pl|accessdate=8 January 2017|language=pl-PL|date=31 December 2015}}</ref> yet not release data was set.

In 2016, Tau stopped touring, saying that he wanted to focus on his new project that he had been working on for a while. On 8 January 2017 a single entitled "ON" was released which was to announce a new album and launching a new charitable foundation, both known as ''On''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Video Dnia: Tau "On"|url=http://www.popkiller.pl/2017-01-08%2Cvideo-dnia-tau-on|website=Popkiller|accessdate=8 January 2017}}</ref> On 28 February 2017 the second single "Newsletter" was released.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tau - "Newsletter" - nowy klip zapowiadający album "ON"|url=http://www.cgm.pl/aktualnosci,48560,tau_newsletter_nowy_klip_zapowiadajacy_album_on,news.html|website=www.cgm.pl|accessdate=1 March 2017|language=pl|archive-date=2 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302103121/http://www.cgm.pl/aktualnosci,48560,tau_newsletter_nowy_klip_zapowiadajacy_album_on,news.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''ON'' was eventually released on 26 May 2017 as a double album, which was divided into two parts entitled "On" and "Off".<ref name="TauOn">{{cite web|title=Tau (6) - On|url=https://www.discogs.com/Tau-ON/release/10376023|website=Discogs|accessdate=31 May 2017|language=en}}</ref> The album debuted at #1 on the OLiS chart.<ref>{{cite web|last1=www.onyx.pl|first1=Onyx Sp. z o.o. |title=Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart|url=http://olis.onyx.pl/listy/index.asp?idlisty=1085&lang=|website=olis.onyx.pl|accessdate=8 June 2017}}</ref>

In 2018, the rapper said that his next album would be released. In December 2018, he posted a message saying that the album would be named ''Egzegeza: Księga pszczół'' (''Exegesis: The Book of Bees'') and presented its cover. On 9 January 2019 the first single "Ul. Znaków zapytania" was released and the official pre-order was launched, and the rapper announced that the project would be released on 1 March.

== Discography ==  * ''Alternatywne źródło energii'' (2010) * ''Teoria równoległych wszechświatów'' (2011) * ''Graal'' (2012) * ''Egzegeza: Księga słów'' (2013) * ''Remedium'' (2014) * ''Restaurator'' (2015) * ''On'' (2017) * ''Egzegeza: Księga pszczół'' (2019) * ''Ikona'' (2020) * ''Remedium 2'' (2024)

== References == {{Reflist|2}}

Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:Hip-hop record producers Category:Polish male rappers Category:Beatboxers Category:Polish keyboardists Category:Polish Roman Catholics Category:Performers of Christian hip-hop Category:Musicians from Kielce