 |
Anthony “The Twilite Tone” touts himself as the DuSable of ‘Go, ILL’. The average Joe might consider the claim a lofty comparison — taking on the name of the black man credited as the founder of the Windy City — but Tone’s quip is more than warranted. Along with legends Common and NO ID, Tone has been pegged as one of the men who helped bring hip-hop to a city once dominated by house and techno. Tone, calm and cool as ever, sat down for an interview with rolling out in a studio at Digital Youth Network. The music legend shed light on his fall out and reunion with Common, what he likes about “the New Chicago” and being a musical father. –gavin philip godfrey
So how does one physically bring a genre of music to a city? I don’t want to take credit like I was the first person to play hip-hop in Chicago, but I was able to be a conduit for the music and its aesthetic to the mainstream club scene, meaning I was the first guy to do parties playing real hip-hop. As far as putting it together, people didn’t have a clue. Because we were such students and so excited about it — like we were actually the first people to make hip-hop songs.
Do you like what you see on Chicago’s hip-hop scene? I love the synergy, I love the progressive energy. Chicago used to be so disenfranchised when it came to hip-hop, if not music period. … I’m very happy and just very inspired by it. It’s not like [a] grandfather looking at his grandkids, it’s actually like this inspires me to do what I do whether it’s music or whatever it is.
How has your relationship with Common evolved since first meeting as teenagers? Me and Rashid’s relationship started off as me being his producer and deejay, but I rhymed too and then it became a competitive thing, which I would always win. …The confusion of the music industry and ignorance of it, kind of caused some distance between our relationship in the mid-‘90s. [But now] I’m really happy about the movies, who he’s dating — it’s great. I support him.
You have two very creative sons, how important as a father is it to foster and support their artistic talents? I’m an enthusiast about them being creative and getting into arts. Yeah, parents want their children to go to school, but if they chose to be musicians, I’m with it and they would have my support.
