For those unfamiliar with Tonedeff, you’re now about to be enlightened. Aside from exploring this in depth interview regarding Tone’s long awaited official debut Archetype, you can also check out an interview (conducted in 2002) here which includes more insight into the producer / rapper / designer / entrepreneur.

2005 appears to be the year where all Tone’s hard work comes through to fruition.

MVRemix: What made you originate QN5 and what do the letters stand for?

Tonedeff: Basically, I started QN5 as an outlet to release the music projects that I was working on. QN5 essentially means 5×5x5. The idea is to be 5-steps ahead of the game creatively at all times.

MVRemix: The other “def” man, Mos Def recently released “The New Danger” to mixed reviews. His experimentation and singing brought about mixed reactions. What made you decide to mix up rapping and singing on Archetype?

Tonedeff: Ahhh, yes. Me & Mos are gonna form a duo called The Deffersons, and release an album on Def Jam. “The New Danger” is a completely different album than Archetype. Those fans that have been following my work for some time won’t be suprised by the singing, as I’ve included a ton of singing/melodic work on all my previous albums (ie. “Homecoming King” on The Monotone EP, “Fast” on Hyphen, “Morethanthis” on Underscore). It’s something I’ve always worked into my music, because it truly comes from the heart and it is not an attempt to “be smooth” or any shit like that. I hate modern R&B music with a passion…but I don’t feel we’ve really scratched the surface with what hip-hop is capable of musically just yet. Archetype is basically the first prototype in a series of steps towards that change. Word.

MVRemix: What do you think of artists like John Legend and Van Hunt?

Tonedeff: They’re talented dudes. I wonder what College Dropout would sound like without John Legend’s input. Prolly woulda been a very different story. I definitely think they’re on the right path for their genre of music. But they’re singers by nature. The standards are different. It’s a very different thing to be an MC by its very definition and sing from the heart on the same record.

MVRemix: Good point. So, how long has Archetype now been “in-the-making” for?

Tonedeff: The concept for the album has been rummaging around in my brain for years…and I’ve started the album a few times…and some ideas I kept, and others I tossed…some I turned into b-sides and released on other records…but as far as actual production time, start-to-finish…this album probably took about 2 years to finish in its current form. Most of that was due to me being all over the place trying to build the label up and produce mad shit for everyone else at the same time.

MVRemix: Tell me about “Archetype.”

Tonedeff: It’s a new sound. I can’t put it any other way. I know everyone says that in just about every interview in every fucking music magazine known to man, but anyone that’s heard this album will vouch for me. I’ve taken issue with people’s reluctance to accept change in this particular genre of music. Then everyone gets pissed that “everything sucks.” That’s not a good look for the music itself.

The idea behind the album was to create something sonically beautiful in a way that a hip-hop album hasn’t done yet. It’s very lush, very melodic and versatile. Like a great rock album, it will accommodate every mood you may be in. Every song is different from the next, yet it all sonically works together. It’s a real demonstration of my full range of talents. And most importantly, I feel like it’s a true reflection of my creativity as opposed to the ‘assembly-line’ approach I see in hip-hop nowadays.

It’s not the typical MC album you hear now – where the label hires 25 of the “hottest” producers to craft the record, and throws their “artist” into the booth to record their “hot 16s” to a track with a ready-made hook. Archetype a real-deal album that should be listened to as one piece of music, and not on some 30-second Winamp skip-through review shit. I did damn near everything on it – from the writing, to the hooks, to the singing, to the production (on 10 of the 15 tracks), to the engineering, to the design of the artwork. There aren’t that many MCs that will take that much responsibility for their albums, but I will, because I know that it’s supposed to be done this way.

It’s one of the most honest and challenging albums you’ll hear. It’s a hip-hop album for people that genuinely love music, not ‘elitists’ or ‘snobs’ that want to criticize a high-hat on the 4th measure of the 3rd verse, cause they can ‘do it better’.

It’s got production by Domingo, Kno, Elite, Versifier & E-L (Sweden), and a track with Wordsworth, Rise, Supastition and Extended Famm.

MVRemix: What sort of subjects do you discuss? Which track has the most meaning for you?

Tonedeff: The album is pretty much life-music. I talk about everything from being a kid in modern America, threesomes, my inner struggle with temptation and religion – and everything in between. I say a lot of shit, and people will definitely have a better idea of who I am as a person through repeated listens of this record. There’s plenty that people will be able to identify with.

It’s hard for me to pick just one track off the record, because I’m fond of all of them for different reasons. They all represent some sort of personal milestone for me. But my personal favorite tracks are “Masochist,” “Porcelain,” and “Gathered,” but I don’t want to give away the surprise for those who want to experience everything fresh upon the first listen.

MVRemix: Compare the album to a designer label or car and explain why that was chosen.

Tonedeff: I wouldn’t even know where to start on this one, ‘cause I’ve never really been into fashion or cars. Haha.

MVRemix: What’s going on with The Plague and E-Famm?

Tonedeff: Extended Famm is on hiatus until everyone drops their solo albums this year. We already have an album’s worth of concepts and they’re already above and beyond the bar we set up on ‘Happy Fuck You Songs’ – and to me, that’s pretty impressive in itself. The tentative title is ‘The Second Coming. Pause.’, but we’ll probably change that.

Substantial’s still workin’ on his 2nd album, ‘Sacrifice’, which is already insane. He’s definitely the most slept on member of the group. We’re rapping up production on PackFM’s ‘WhutduzFMstand4?’ and people are gonna be really surprised by how much Pack has grown as an artist. His album really evokes that wild/fun feel of those early Redman albums – real NYC style hip-hop shit. Session won’t be on the next album.

The Plague is a super-collective of solo artists/groups from NYC that includes: Pumpkinhead, Bad Seed, Extended Famm, Hydra, Mr. Mecca, Kameel-Yen and DJ DP-One. With 12 members, it’s difficult to get everyone together, but we still intend to lock ourselves in a studio for a month or two at some point and knock out the ‘OUTBREAK’ LP we’ve been intending to do for years now. I’ve just been so busy readying for QthousaN5 that I haven’t been able to focus on The Plague project. Everyone’s committed to the project…so, it’s just a matter of time. But with that roster of talent, it’s safe to say that I’m excited about it.

MVRemix: What about Chico and The Man?

Tonedeff: Chico & The Man a.k.a. CATM, is essentially my next album project entirely produced by Kno (CunninLynguists). For those that have been following QN5 for a while, they know that when Kno & I work together something beautiful happens. He has an amazing ear, and I feel that he is the most talented album-producer currently making hip-hop music right now – period. (Just wait till you hear the next CL album). He really is gifted and it’s an honor for me to work with him for an entire album.

He’s one of the few people that I completely trust musically, and he’s the first person that I allowed to listen to Archetype. When I got the celly message a few weeks later saying, “Tone, it’s a really beautiful record… I just wanted to let you know that,” I was relieved as hell. So, I remember the first conversation we had about doing the CATM project, and he told me, “Tone, you wear a million caps, and I know how difficult it is to relinquish creative control over the music… so if we do this project, I need to put on your MC cap and allow me to craft this album as the producer.” I didn’t even hesitate to agree.

Now that Archetype is about to drop…I can focus 100% of my writing energy into CATM. All the concepts and beats have been laid out and it’s just a matter of me finishing the writing and recording. All I can say about it right now is that this album is going to be something really, really special.

MVRemix: How did your speed rapping originate?

Tonedeff: Haha! I was waiting for this question to pop up!

Really, it’s something I just naturally excelled at. It’s a style I picked up as a kid and always incorporated into my style from the jump. I started recording and performing in Miami as a kid back in 1989, and all there was back then was Gucci Crew, 2 Live Crew, MC Shy D, and the rest of the Miami Bass music scene. I literally learned how to freestyle to beats over 120+ bpms, cause that’s all we had! It’s funny in retrospect, but I always liked how it sounded.

It’s a skill element and challenging to write effectively without resorting to gibberish – that’s one thing I pride myself on as a writer, because even when I’m going warp speed, I’m still sayin’ some witty shit. Ironically, I don’t even do it on too many songs, yet some folks seem to focus on it. Still, it’s just one element of my style, and I don’t ever want it to overshadow my lyricism, because I put a lot of thought and heart into my words.

MVRemix: A la “Fight Club,” “If you could fight any celebrity, who would you fight”?

Tonedeff: I would give a pinky toe to put a shotgun in Ashlee Simpson’s mouth and ask her to sing.

MVRemix: Everyone has a certain selection of music they revert back to every now and again to relax or reflect. What material do you revert back to every once in a while?

Tonedeff: Anyone who knows me, will tell you I’m a music fanatic. It’s wild, because I literally grew up on a 100% hip-hop diet. That’s ALL I listened to growing up. And it wasn’t until I was 18 that I started listening to different types of shit. Now, you should see the look on everyone’s faces in the tour van when I’m playing Bjork or Interpol mad loud. When I’m really flipped out and want to off myself via my living room window, I listen to Radiohead, Tori Amos or Jeff Buckley. I’m a sucker for a sad song.

MVRemix: Which movie impacted you the most?

Tonedeff: 8 MILE! I would never have started rapping if I hadn’t seen this inspirational film! [Sadly, someone will ernestly say this in an interview one day]

MVRemix: What’s your favourite Radiohead song?

Tonedeff: That’s a tough one because they have so many amazing songs. I think it’s a toss up between “How To Disappear Completely” from Kid A, “Paranoid Android” off OK Computer or “Steet Spirit” off of The Bends. I could go on forever, but those are the first ones to come to mind.

MVRemix: Your hands are always in different fires, aside from Archetype what else have you been attaching yourself to/creating?

Tonedeff: Right now, CATM is my writing focus, and I’m finalizing all the work on PackFM, Mr. Mecca & Session’s albums. I just started pre-production and planning on Asterisk:Four (our annual compilation album), and have been doing production work for other artists outside the QN5 camp. Needless to say, I’m a busy dude. I do have a few other tricks up my sleeve, but right now, my main objective is to get out on the road and promote the living fuck out of Archetype. So, be sure to come check the kid out at a show near you!

MVRemix: Any last words to fans or potential fans that are going to be reading this?

Tonedeff: Yes sir! I definitely want to thank all the blue-schoolers and auralarians that have supported myself and the QN5 camp all these years. They see the vision and it’s a beautiful thing. I’ve poured my entire being into this music and this label and these albums, and I hope that everyone, non-fans included, will really listen and let the music sink in.

For those that haven’t been up on QN5 Music yet, you’ve got a fuck load of homework to catch up on…but luckily, you’ve got a kick ass site and community that’ll help you get up to speed at www.qn5.com. I’d also like to give a shout out to MVRemix for letting the Latin kid get his interview on.