By kathy iandoli Oct 7, 2011 11:32AM

Get To Know: Tonedeff – Cold, Killed, and Collected

Who: Tonedeff

From: New York, NY

Why You Should Know Him: Because Tori Amos cosigns him and there’s an army of fans with his name tattooed on their bodies.

Truth be told, Tonedeff is far from new. In fact, he’s pretty seasoned in Hip-Hop, with a fan base that stretches globally. Best know for slick battles raps and high speed delivery, Tonedeff owns and manages label QN5 Music, home to such infamous artists as PackFM and Cunninlynguists. Balancing a label and a career can be tough, but being a triple threat could be even tougher, as Tone rhymes, produces and sings on tracks – something he’s been doing long before your new favorite rapper has. As Tonedeff embarks on the next phase in his career, he discusses still being considered “new” and how an interview with Tori Amos changed his world forever.

MSNGroove: You’ve been part of Hip-Hop for a while. How do you feel about rap fans still getting to know you?

Tonedeff: Honestly, it feels good to come in with a clean slate and be judged on the work. No baggage or expectations. A fresh start with every new set of ears.

MSNGroove: You’re known for rhyming really fast. When did you realize you had that talent?

Tonedeff: I grew up freestyling to Miami bass, so it just sort of developed and I never stopped. Even when it became untrendy to do rapid fire stuff…I never stopped. It seems to be trendy again, so I’m happy I got a headstart.

MSNGroove: What would you say is the biggest difference in rap battles from when you first started to now?

Tonedeff: Well, modern battles have abandoned beats altogether, which I find ironic as hell. I get that they want people to catch every word, but if folks can’t rock to a beat, it becomes more of a spoken word competition than a traditional emcee battle. Command of rhythm is a skill unto itself, ya know? Regardless, I still find them entertaining.

MSNGroove: You recently release a collection of the past five years of your career called Cold.Killed.Collecte​d. What brought that about?

Tonedeff: I took a step back from the spotlight while building up the QN5 Music label, but I was still releasing the occasional solo joint or collab people were missing out on. They really started to add up, so people started making their own bootleg collections with poor quality, etc. I thought folks would dig an official release, so I put together Cold.Killed.Collecte​d. for the hardcore fans – completely remastered with unreleased songs, alternate takes and freestyles to boot. We blew through the entire first pressing within a month, so my hunch proved correct.

MSNGroove: You have a fascination with so many other genres, and you put that into your music. How do you react when people don’t find that “Hip-Hop” enough?

Tonedeff: It’s no secret that I’m a certified music slut. Naturally, that sort of broad spectrum of influences had a huge impact on my output. The way I look at it is, I filter everything through my own perspective, so every thing I generate is going to be filtered through Hip-Hop. If I listen to bluegrass and make a song after… it’s gonna be bluegrass-influenced​ Hip-Hop. If elitist-types can’t pry themselves away from their MPC’s long enough to appreciate that, I’ll gladly have passionate sex with their mothers. S**t has to evolve…and it has. Regardless of if they wanted it to or not.

MSNGroove: You interviewed Tori Amos, one of your biggest influences. How did that change you and your music?

Tonedeff: Tori Amos changed my life. Up until the age of 18, all I listened to was Hip-Hop and whatever was on Pop radio. I was in a vacuum. The day I heard her music, I was absolutely shell-shocked. It rattled me in a way I’ll never fully be able to explain. I started singing, taught myself how to play the piano…listening to other genres I never would’ve caught myself dead listening to before. It changed EVERYTHING for me. My entire perspective of what I could do with music was flipped on its head. With that said, interviewing her was a monumental moment for me. It really helped solidify to myself that I was on the right path. Not only did we get along like gangbusters, but I saw that we shared a lot of similarities in the way we work AND she curses as much as I do. Gotta love her.

MSNGroove: What is it like maintaining your career and other artists by running QN5 Music?

Tonedeff: QN5 is my devil in a baby blue dress. I’ve poured so much of myself into this label, and yet it’s vastly monopolized my time to the point that I’ve allowed my own solo career to simmer on the backburner a bit too long. Thankfully, we’ve built the absolute most hardcore/devout fanbase in Hip-Hop, so I’m excited to finally get my turn at bat to knock one out of the park. I’m a different person now from when I started QN5, but I’ve learned a lot and I have so much more to say. That’s a perfect storm for a songwriter.

MSNGroove: Speaking of your fanbase, you have a pretty intense cult following – tattoos and all of that. How’s that for you?

Tonedeff: Lunacy just below the stalker line is the highest compliment an artist can get. Our fans fly out for shows from all over the world, like an army. It’s amazing to watch. I’m just so blown away by the whole thing. The tattoos really bug me out, because it’s an honor to have written something that connected with someone on a deep enough level that they’d want to immortalize something I wrote on their body. That’s a true honor.

MSNGroove: So you’ve re-released some of your classic material, when will the new stuff arrive?

Tonedeff: I’m releasing a collaborative project entirely produced by Kno (of CunninLynguists), entitled Chico And The Man on December 13, 2011. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally coming to fruition. 2012 you’ll see a barrage of new material from me, including the proper follow up to Archetype. Amongst OTHER things. cheshirecatgrin