You may catch him playing Unreal Championship, or maybe you’ve downloaded his MP3s. He’s Tonedeff, a musician and Web designer from Queens, New York!

TriXie: So, what’s Tonedeff?

Tonedeff: I try to keep things simple… so I used my stage name as my Gamertag. That way, I can blaze somebody at Unreal and yell “TONEDEFF.COM” really quickly before they sign off. It’s convenient and a lot more unique than a name like “S0NIKILLZ39ZXZ.”

TriXie: Stage name?

Tonedeff: I’ve been performing and recording professionally since the age of 12, writing since 9. I’m 26 now. And even though I’m still at an “underground” level, I’ve managed create a stir around the music, and with no money or major distribution behind me, I must be doing something right.

TriXie: How would you describe your music?

Tonedeff: It’s pretty hard to describe. It’s definitely true blue hip-hop music, infused with a lot of innovative tinges of different genres. Overall, it’s very eclectic, never the same thing twice, but always invigorating and interesting.

TriXie: What is your biggest musical accomplishment?

Tonedeff: That’s a toughie. I think it’s a three-way tie between starting my own label, QN5 Music, recording a song with KRS-1, and being on The Arsenio Hall Show when I was 16. I think there are a lot of great new things that are gonna happen in the future, so the best is truly yet to come.

TriXie: How long have you been on Xbox Live?

Tonedeff: Well, since Day 2. It took me a day to find a Starter Kit, because everyone was sold out. Eventually, I found a local shop that price gouged the hell out of me, because I was too impatient to wait another week for the restock at the normal chains. I’ve been hooked since then.

TriXie: Do you have an arch enemy on Xbox Live?

Tonedeff: My main enemy on Xbox Live is my best friend in Miami. I hate him.

No, really.

TriXie: What’s his Gamertag?

Tonedeff: GETSUM55. Please. Someone… anyone. SON HIM. He needs to be humbled.

TriXie: What’s your greatest Xbox Live moment?

Tonedeff: Well, you’d have to know the history leading up to the moment to fully get the impact of why it was so great. Basically, my best friend is UNBEATABLE at every sports game known to man. I’ve trained for more than 16 years, and even though I’ve come close to winning a few times, he always manages to beat me in the last minute.

Well, all that changed last month when I freakishly beat him to a bloody pulp in NBA 2K3 by 60 points. He even forced me to quit the game. I jumped for joy and hugged my girlfriend, kissed my cats. It was great.

Immediately following my glorious victory, he obliterated me in NFL 2K3. He actually scored 100 points.

I hate him.

TriXie: Does Xbox Live allow you to hang out with your best friend more often than before?

Tonedeff: Absolutely. We basically grew up together, but since I’ve moved away, it’s been about seven years since I’ve lived back in Miami. As you get older, phone calls slow down, life steps in. But since convincing him to get an Xbox Live account, we’ve talked more in the past few months than we have in years. It’s a really great way to pass time.

TriXie: How much time do you spend on Xbox Live?

Tonedeff: I play about 10–13 hours a week. I’m a night owl, so, I’ll generally play from 11:00 p.m. to 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. the next day. If I could play all day, I would. Unfortunately, having a job and a woman in your life requires a little extra time and effort.

TriXie: Yeah, some girlfriends get a little touchy when the Xbox gets more attention than they do.

Tonedeff: She doesn’t mind it too much. She knows I work hard, and even though she’s not much of a gamer herself, she understands that it’s actually fun for me to holler obscenities at the top of my lungs to people I’ve never met… and then cry when I get pummeled by 50 in a game of NBA 2K3. Maybe that’s why she even encourages me to play, sometimes.

TriXie: She likes to see you cry?

Tonedeff: Yes. Yes, she does. Even though she won’t admit it.

TriXie: What’s the best feature of Xbox Live?

Tonedeff: Seriously? It’s kind of a toss up between the downloadable content and the voice communicator. But for now, I’ll have to go with the voice communicator, because it wouldn’t be as much fun without all the banter.

TriXie: What feature would you like to see?

Tonedeff: Wireless controller and headset. Either that, or a webcam mounted on the controller. So you can see your opponent crying.

TriXie: Does it bug you when people curse on Xbox Live?

Tonedeff: I love it when it’s done tastefully—kinda like a good Eddie Murphy movie. Nothing punctuates a frag in Unreal better than a quick utterance of “Die, bitch!”

TriXie: What is your favorite offline Xbox game?

Tonedeff: Definitely Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4. I have every edition of this game. Multiplatform—you name it. The Xbox version runs on such a high frame-rate, it looks incredible. It’s completely addictive because it’s so free-form.

TriXie: Quick, what’s the best game of all time?

Tonedeff: All time? Tetris. Hands down. There is no game on earth that I’d rather be playing at any time of the day. It’s like… a great pair of sneakers. It just fits. Any mood. Any time. It’s a masterpiece of simplicity.

TriXie: Best film?

Tonedeff: As an avid film buff, it’s really hard to gauge. My top five list shifts every year. Right now, it’s between The Godfather 2 and Boogie Nights. Yeah, I’m odd.

TriXie: Those are two of my all-time faves, too! Plus, Goodfellas and Full Metal Jacket.

Tonedeff: Ahhh! Goodfellas! That’s a great one. If it weren’t for that flick, there’d never be The Sopranos. Excellent choice.

TriXie: Best album?

Tonedeff: Being a musician, that’s a real toughie. There’s no real answer. All I can offer is my choice for what affected me the most as a person. That would have to be either Tori Amos’ Under The Pink or Common’s Resurrection. I love them both equally.

TriXie: Best TV show?

Tonedeff: Anything HBO has to offer. Mainly, Tony Soprano & Co, Sex & the City, and Six Feet Under. The freedom to curse and show naked people is always alluring, no matter the medium.

TriXie: Choose a superpower.

Tonedeff: I’d love to be able to freeze time. Then—and only then—will I be able to RULE THE WORLD!!!

TriXie: If you could trade places with anyone for one day, who would it be?

Tonedeff: Whoever Mandy Moore is dating right now.

TriXie: Do you prefer red or black licorice?

Tonedeff: Red. Black has a funny aftertaste.

TriXie: Ginger or Maryann?

Tonedeff: Mary Anne. Ginger is cool and all, but I like to work a little bit for my dinner, feel me?

TriXie: I feel ya, Tone. Ketchup or Mustard?

Tonedeff: Ketchup. Come on, it’s 2003.

TriXie: Britney or Christina?

Tonedeff: Preferably both. I’m a man of many talents.

TriXie: Siegfried or Roy?

Tonedeff: I’ll be humane and skip them both. I don’t think either of them could sustain the heartbreak of one being chosen over the other.

TriXie: Thanks, Tone! You wanna tell our readers where they can get Tonedeff’s music?

Tonedeff: Absolutely! You can catch everything you’d ever like to know, listen, and see about Tonedeff at tonedeff.com. It’s all there: videos, songs, lyrics, pictures, store, you name it. Or, you can visit the label site, QN5.com, which features all the releases from Tonedeff and the others on the label.