Taco Hemingway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Taco Hemingway
Taco Hemingway performing in Warsaw in 2018.
Background information
Birth name	Filip Tadeusz Szcześniak
Also known as	Taco, FoodVillain, Fifi, Pan Śmierć
Born	(1990-07-29) July 29, 1990 (age 34) Cairo, Egypt
Origin	Warsaw, Poland
Genres	Hip hop alternative hip hop trap pop
Occupation(s)	Rapper songwriter
Years active	2011–present
Labels	Asfalt 2020 Taco Corp Warner Music Poland
Associated acts	Dawid Podsiadło Quebonafide

Filip Tadeusz Szcześniak (born July 29, 1990), known as Taco Hemingway, is a popular Polish rapper and songwriter. He started making music in 2011.

He first released English songs under the name Foodvillain. Later, he changed his name to Taco Hemingway. His Polish EP, Trójkąt warszawski, made him famous in 2014. This led him to join Asfalt Records, a big music label. His albums quickly made him one of the most popular musicians in Poland.

Taco Hemingway has sold over 400,000 albums in Poland. This makes him one of the country's best-selling rappers. Many of his albums can be downloaded for free from his website. His album Soma 0.5 mg, made with Quebonafide, sold over 150,000 copies. Other successful albums include Szprycer and Marmur. He has received many platinum, gold, and diamond record awards. His songs like "6 zer" and "Tamagotchi" became huge hits. They quickly got millions of views on YouTube.

He has been nominated for the Fryderyk Awards many times. He won the Hip-Hop Album of the Year award four times. He is the only artist to win this award three times in a row. Taco Hemingway was also nominated for the MTV Europe Music Awards. Despite his success, he rarely gives interviews or appears in ads. He doesn't focus much on awards.

In 2019, he was ranked 10th among the Most Influential Poles by Wprost magazine. He is also the first Polish artist to have over a billion plays on Spotify.

Early Life and Education

Filip Szcześniak was born in Cairo, Egypt, in 1990. When he was two, his family moved to Guangzhou, China. He went to English and Chinese preschools there. In 1996, his family moved to Warsaw, Poland. Filip learned both English and Polish from a young age. He spoke English with his mother and sister. He spoke Polish with his father. His father also introduced him to rap music.

Filip went to high school in Warsaw. There, he met Maciej Ruszecki, who would become his producer. He also studied cultural studies at the University of Warsaw. In 2012, he began studying anthropology in University College London.

Music Career Highlights

Early Music and First Success

Taco Hemingway performing during his 2017 tour.

While studying in London, Filip wrote songs for his first mixtape. He posted his early songs on YouTube as Foodvillain. He rapped in English over downloaded beats. On December 26, 2013, he released Young Hems. This was his first EP under the name Taco Hemingway. He got the name from the video game FIFA. This album was recorded in Brussels.

On December 19, 2014, he released his second EP, Trójkąt warszawski. This album was in Polish and was available for free online. A day later, he played his first concert in Warsaw. In June 2015, he released "6 zer." This song became his first big hit. On June 27, 2015, his third EP, Umowa o dzieło, came out. It was also free to download.

Taco sent his music to Marcin Grabski, who owns Asfalt Records. Grabski liked his music and signed him. In August 2015, Trójkąt warszawski and Umowa o dzieło were re-released. They became very popular. Umowa o dzieło became a gold album. The song "Następna stacja" reached number 1 on Polish radio charts. He then went on his first tour. In 2016, he won a Fryderyk award for Umowa o dzieło. On July 5, 2016, he released "Deszcz na betonie." This song was also a big hit.

New Albums and Collaborations

In 2016, Taco released Wosk, another mini-album. Critics liked it, and the song "Wiatr" got nearly 10 million views. On November 2, he released his first studio album, Marmur. It sold well and became a gold album. He went on his second tour, the Marmur Tour.

Taco Hemingway with Quebonafide during Ekodiesel Tour in 2018.

In July 2017, he announced a new EP. On July 30, he released "Nostalgia" and the EP Szprycer. This album reached number 1 on the Polish charts. He changed his music style on this album. He also recorded "Nowy Kolor" with Otsochodzi. This song became a huge hit. Szprycer won a Fryderyk award in 2018 and became a platinum album.

Taconafide and More Success

Rapper during Café Belga Tour, 2018

In March 2018, Taco announced a joint album with Quebonafide. They formed the duo Taconafide. Their first song, "Art-B," came out on March 16. They also announced the Ekodiesel Tour. Tickets for their concerts sold out very quickly. This was a huge success for Polish rap concerts.

On March 22, they released "Tamagotchi." This song was a massive hit. It broke records on Spotify and YouTube. It also became a big radio hit. Their album, Soma 0.5 mg, was released on April 13, 2018. It quickly reached number 1 on the Polish charts. It sold over 150,000 copies and earned diamond status. Taconafide performed at the Open'er Festival in Gdynia. They drew a huge crowd, one of the biggest for a Polish artist there.

After Taconafide, Taco released two solo projects. His second studio album, Café Belga, came out on July 13, 2018. An EP called Flagey was also released with it. Café Belga also reached number 1 on the charts. It became a platinum record. The song "Fiji" from the album was popular on the radio. In 2019, Soma 0.5 mg won a Fryderyk award for Hip-Hop Album of the Year.

Recent Albums and Impact

Taco Hemingway with Dawid Podsiadło during a concert on National Stadium in Warsaw, 2019.

In 2019, Taco hinted at new music. He was a guest on Bedoes' song "Chłopaki nie płaczą." In May 2019, he announced a concert with Dawid Podsiadło at the National Stadium in Warsaw. All 73,000 tickets sold out in just three hours. This broke a Polish record for concert ticket sales.

On July 16, 2019, he announced his new album, Pocztówka z WWA, lato '19. It was released on July 23. For the first time, he invited other artists to feature on his album. These included Pezet and Dawid Podsiadło. The album debuted at number one and held the top spot for three weeks. It quickly became a platinum album.

In early 2020, his tour was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, he took part in a charity campaign. He donated PLN 100,000 to help medical workers. On July 10, 2020, he released "Polskie Tango." This song talked about Polish society and politics. It broke daily streaming records in Poland.

On July 29, 2020, he announced two new albums: Jarmark and Europa. They were released in late August and early September 2020. Jarmark debuted at number one, and Europa at number two. Both albums quickly earned gold status. Critics had mixed reviews, but many praised him for discussing important topics. In 2020, he also co-founded a new music company called 2020. He now wants to focus on helping new artists.

Personal Life

Taco Hemingway is in a relationship with Iga Lis. She is the daughter of Polish journalist Tomasz Lis. He is a fan of the football team Tottenham Hotspur. He identifies as an atheist.

Discography

Studio Albums

Extended Plays

Singles

Other Charted Songs

Guest Appearances

Tours

• Następna stacja Tour (2015)
• Marmur Tour (2016)
• 2017 Tour (2017)
• Ekodiesel Tour (as Taconafide) (2018)
• Café Belga Tour (2018)
• Pocztówka z Polski Tour (2020)
• 2020/2021/2022 Tour (2022)
• 1-800-TOUR (2024)

See Also

In Spanish: Taco Hemingway para niños