Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services

NNSL (Mar 12/99) - Unonymus, the local duo of Taj Johnson and Aaron Hernandez, has been pegged for recognition. From over 1,000 band entries sent to YTV's Achievement Awards, Unonymus made it to the finalist stage -- one of five.

Just barely into adulthood, determined and dedicated, Taj Johnson and Aaron Hernandez are proving that they know what they're doing and they're doing it right.

Playing what Hernandez calls a mix of hip hop, R&B and funk, they're working on a brand new CD -- just a bare few months after releasing Redemption in the fall.

Redemption, according to Hernandez -- vocalist, writer, composer and producer -- has pretty much sold out.

"The first week it was really hot, and then it was pretty much steady," says Hernandez.

And as the young musician points out, there are approximately 30 copies circulating in Toronto and Calgary.

Recently, Hernandez and Johnson were asked by CBC's television program Street Cents to write a new song and perform it for the show. Taped in Centre Square Mall last month, it will air in the fall.

Whether or not they win the top prize -- a $3,000 honorarium and an all-expense-paid trip to Ottawa for the taping of the national telecast of YAA! -- the very fact that they achieved finalist status means they will come to the attention of producers and record companies.

And, either way, Unonymus is guaranteed precious national air time when the finalists are listed before the winner is announced.

As for their current project -- the CD to be named How the Northwest was Won -- Hernandez and Johnson are changing a bit.

"This album will have a lot more mainstream hip hop," explains Hernandez.

He adds that their subject of choice has evolved as well.

Says Hernandez:

"On this album, there are more tracks involving females. Normally, we didn't rap about topics that involve... relationships. We're playing around with a lot of new stuff."

Unonymus has also applied for grants to make a couple of videos, and are talking to a couple of videographers in Toronto about visual concepts for two of their songs, The Buck Stops Here and Nothing but the Funk.

Both Hernandez and Johnson are finishing high school at St. Pat's, hold jobs, and spend five hours a day, six days a week at Big Daddy Production's recording studio.

Asked about whether or not there's time for a social life, Hernandez laughs and replies:

"It really does interfere with our social lives, but it pays off."