From Emmy Time to Prime Time:
Rap Artist T.O.N.E-z to be Featured on FX Hit Series Justified
Many musicians have it, but most don’t have “it”– that being the celebrity wow factor to leap from acclaimed musician to certified media star. That crossover appeal is driving the rapid rise of T.O.N.E-z, the Emmy-nominated rapper generating the sort of buzz that lifted the profiles of predecessors like ICE-T and Will Smith. And now primetime television viewers will get a glimpse of this incredibly versatile artist through his appearance on the 3rd season of the hit FX series, Justified.
“I had an amazing time. The whole cast and crew are the best people to work with and the “koolest” people… period!” T.O.N.E-z says of his experience on the set.
T.O.N.E-z plays a character named “Barnes,” one of Mykelti Williamson’s bad guys, in the 4th episode of the series and worked alongside many acclaimed actors including Timothy Olyphant.
Having penned the Emmy nominated theme song, “Long Hard Times to Come,” for the hit FX series, T.O.N.E-z started to become a household name. And when the Justified Season 1 Box Set featuring the video for “Long Hard Times To Come” sold over 1,000,000 units (so far), his claim to fame was stamped in pure platinum.
“From the moment we heard the lyrics and the song, we all knew it HAD to be the main title theme for Justified, says Graham Yost, Producer for the show. “It’s everything we hope our show can be — emotional, evocative, with a feeling for the past, but yet utterly contemporary. Usually, when you work on a show and it comes time to view a new episode, you skip through the main title because you’ve heard and seen it again and again. But those lyrics captivate me, and I want to watch — and listen — every time.”
But his past stint as an actor is equally impressive. T.O.N.E-z starred alongside two of the biggest names in Hollywood, Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks, in the movie Philadelphia, (Hanks won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the movie). So while he is no stranger to the screen, his attention for the past several years has been focused on his music.
“Acting is definitely something I’ve always wanted to do and I will pursue more roles that will challenge me, but music will ALWAYS come first so keep your ears to the streets & radio for my new album/singles and collaborations,” he states.
T.O.N.E-z’ last solo release, The Lime Light, gained thousands of hours of airtime on college radio stations. And his upcoming release, High Voltage, is already anticipated, promising to pick up where The Lime Light left off.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azHbm7dFp0g
But for T.O.N.E-z, who signed his first record deal in the early 1990s with Select Records, his enviable success is less a stroke of luck and more an outgrowth of countless years of hard work and planning. So while his crossover appeal may seem like a fluke, he carefully models himself after two other megastars: Jay-Z and the late great Michael Jackson. T.O.N.E-z uses Jay-Z as an example of the will to succeed, and Jackson is his model of the consummate performer.
T.O.N.E-z also has two other notable role models closer to home: brothers Special K, formerly of the The Treacherous Three, and T La Rock, both Hip Hop legends in their own rights and pioneers of the early rap scene. With that sort of pedigree, it’s no wonder that both the music and television worlds are taking notice and lining up to get a piece of the action.
T.O.N.E-z’ musical style has been called Bold, Innovative and History-making. It’s easy to see why these same words fit the bill when it comes to T.O.N.E-z as an artist… and a celebrity for a new generation.
