Tone Butta Interview

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We had an incredible conversation—real talk, real music, and real vibes. Appreciate you pulling up and blessing the platform! 💯

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Transcript

SPEAKER_07 3:12

What's up, fam?

SPEAKER_02 3:14

Yeah, what's up, man? How you doing?

SPEAKER_07 3:16

Man, I'm blessed. I can't complain.

SPEAKER_02 3:18

I feel you staying here.

SPEAKER_07 3:20

Straight up.

SPEAKER_02 3:21

Oh, you dressed up and everything, man. I feel I feel on the dress now, man.

SPEAKER_07 3:24

This is what I do, man. This what I do. Gotta represent.

SPEAKER_02 3:28

I feel you, I feel you.

SPEAKER_07 3:33

We actually in the studio right now.

SPEAKER_02 3:35

Oh, for real?

SPEAKER_07 3:36

Uh-huh. Nice.

SPEAKER_02 3:40

What you got cooking up, man?

SPEAKER_07 3:42

Man, working on a new album called Give Them the Blues. About to drop an, about to release another album called The Good Life. Uh I got my my wife, she about to drop an album.

SPEAKER_01 3:56

Oh, for real?

SPEAKER_07 3:56

Yeah, Renaj just dropped his album. Then he got a bunch of uh singles coming up. So yeah, we got a lot. Then we got a movie called God Got Me that's about to come out.

SPEAKER_00 4:07

Alright. Hey yeah, man. Yeah, I see y'all, y'all, y'all doing y'all thing out there, man. I'll out, you know, I'm I'm real proud of what y'all are doing. Uh I appreciate you, bro. I appreciate you too, fam. Uh, so like for real, so I'm gonna, you know, I'm I'm gonna have to do you right because you know, uh, you know, you're doing your thing. So I gotta give you this this this this hot intro. So hey uh check this out. Peace and blessings and love to everybody. You not tune in with your boy AD from Pusher, Independent Radio, and Indy Hark, where we bring you dope artists, dope music, and dope interviews all around the globe. I'm gonna speak it into existence. So I'm your host, A D, you know. So we're gonna we're gonna plug into the independent music culture. Tonight, I got a special guest out here that's doing his thing. Uh, you know, he's just not a uh uh artist, he's a brother, you know what I'm saying? He's doing a lot of things in his community as an activist, an actor, fashion designer. Uh, this one I uh when I saw on your page, I said, Oh, he's a poet. I said, All right, bet. And entrepreneur representing the DMV area. You know, he's connected with Real Business, uh LLC, uh Saya Community Partner of the Year. And he has also stepped into the acting world with appearances including fathers on Tubi. So I want y'all to show some love for your boy, Tone Butler.

SPEAKER_07 5:31

Real business, what's happening? What's happening?

SPEAKER_00 5:34

Hey yo, so we so how you feeling tonight, man?

SPEAKER_07 5:37

Man, I'm feeling man. Look, as long as God is good, I'm good, man. You know, I love I'm blessed and I ain't worrying about the stress. You hear me?

SPEAKER_00 5:45

I feel you. I feel you on that. I feel you. Uh so like we're gonna get we're gonna get into it. So for the listeners who may be hearing about you for the first time, let them know who uh tone butter is.

SPEAKER_07 5:57

I go by the name Tone Butter. It's my stage name. Uh I'm a brother that grew up uh in Washington, DC. Um, I'm a soul rap artist, soul rap hip-hop. I I call my genre, I created my own genres called soul rap, you know, being as though I am a uh a follower of Christ, but at the same time, I didn't want to, I wanted to branch out and you know, you know, the Holy Spirit just uh led me to do my own thing. You know what I'm saying? So I feel like my music is not just for the Christian community, you know. So my reach and my audience is for those who may have no association with Christians or church, you know what I mean. So I call it soul rap because I want my music to reach everybody, I want my story and my testimony to associate with others who may not have the same faith or belief that I have. Everybody does have a soul, you know what I mean, and what the way I deliver, you know, it comes from my soul by the way of the Holy Spirit. So, you know, from my soul to yours. That's that's the uh basically the breakdown of why I call it soul rap. Uh, I'm an actor as well, I'm a professional actor. Uh, like you just announced, I'm in multiple movies on Tubi, Amazon Prime, Hulu, you know what I mean. Uh, I'm also a poet as well, and an advocate, a community advocate, and an advocate for a lot of different uh causes. You know what I mean? So um, yeah, you know, I I'll be on here all day if I keep going down, you know, but just just to sum it up, you know, just to make it short and brief.

SPEAKER_02 7:35

Amen. Look, look, you ain't gotta make it short and brief.

SPEAKER_07 7:37

Yeah, CEO, CEO of Real Business Music. These three stars right here is is is is is one of our logos that represent, you know what I'm saying? So basically, each star, for those who never knew what the three stars mean, because I am from DC, for one, those three stars represent and also Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, because the God is the one who gave me the organization. So, real business music is uh based on the scripture, Luke 2.49, when Jesus looked at his parents and said, Why do you search for me? Don't you know I must be about my father's business? So it's giving God the glory with our talents and gifts being about the Holy Father's business. So that's what real business music stands for. We also have, I'm also the founder of Real Business Apparel, the clothing line as well. So, yeah, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 8:31

Yes, you got that, you put out that far, man.

SPEAKER_07 8:33

Uh praise, praise be to the Lord, man. I just I thank God for all that He's doing because you know it once wasn't like this, you know. So that's why I'm here to just share my testimony and do what I do. You know, he saved me, and you know, now it's my job to keep, you know, to keep my to keep my end of the bargain and lay down my life and do what's right for him, you know what I mean, and follow the Lord and do what the Lord tell me to do. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 8:59

So um what you starting your business, what what made you start your business and what uh what gave you the the artists? Like, you know, because I know like people they start their own music, music label and artists that's come out. So what how did you know God send the artists that you needed your way?

SPEAKER_07 9:18

So I went through a lot of different phases uh with this music thing. Um far as the artists that I have now, they like it was it was divine, it was divine interventions. It was well, let me say divine connections, it was divine encounters and connections. Like my wife is one of my artists, totally divine connection. You know what I mean? That happened by the way of God. I waited, I waited, and I and I and I and I stayed submitted and stayed in the presence of the Lord, and He promised me that He would send me a wife. I waited and I waited and it happened. You know, I actually met my wife at a Christian radio station through a through a through another through another good family friend of mine, okay uh named uh uh uh Bishop Wall. So I I met him, uh, you know, that that's a good brother of mine as well, who was also associated with the real business music family. I know you haven't seen him or uh uh heard of him, but I actually met my wife through him. Okay. So he he he he uh he had a um an interview, I think. I forgot the name of the Christian radio station, but it's here in the DMV. Right. And he we I went with him and he would constantly keep telling me about her and her mom and her sister are all uh um very, very, very, very great and anointed singers. But he will always keep telling, my man, this one you gotta hear it, man. She man, so you know, and uh by him, by him being uh, you know, on the label at the time, it was like uh it's like you know, it's like all right, you know, I I understand, you know what I'm saying? You find something, but I trusted the fact that if he's saying that so much because of his character at the time, you know what I mean? It's if if he's saying that, I I need to see it. Yeah like if he's giving that much accolades, like I I can't wait to see it. So and it was everything and more than what I expected when I first heard her, you know what I mean? Because at the time, it was just me and him on the label. It was just me and him, and uh, because of course I'm also an artist on the label, on my own label, you know what I mean? So just me and him, and God promised me that too. He would promise me that he would send, you know, through prayer and submission, you know, uh just being in his presence. The Lord promised me that he would send the artists, the people that he wanted to be a part of this this business, this organization, this music label uh uh that he gave me. So ultimately, it was everything by him. He gave it to me, then it's it was up to me to submit to him and allow him to make the provisions and provide for it. And that's one of the things he said, I will send singers, I will send the people who I feel as though are fit and suitable for what I'm doing with this. Right he did just that. Me and Reynars, we met. Uh, we I never had, I never, I never had heard of Ray Nars, I never knew who he was. And me and my wife, my wife, we had got invited to uh she had got invited to perform at a uh album release party. Shout out to the brother um Nate World Changer, that's fam. Um yeah, we went out and um while we were there, you know, we we we loving the whole atmosphere, you know, bro doing his thing up there on the mic for his album release party, and he also had brought other artists up to perform with him at his album release party. So while we there, and shout out to um uh uh Pastor Curtis, too, DK, he was the one who reached out to us and and inquired about my wife performing there. So shout out to uh brother uh Pastor Curtis, uh DK, um also formerly known as Demon Killer. He's a rap artist from Washington, D.C., a Christian rap artist and a DJ. But um, while we were there, you know, we up there, we you know, scoping out the scene, we looking at the performances. And one of the things that I was talking to the Lord about a lot, and you know, with the other, you know, with my wife and others, like I wanted to bring back. Remember back in the 90s, that hip hop and that reggae, that time where it was just, it was, it was a thing. It was authentic. Exactly. You know what I'm saying? So I was like, I want to bring that back. I want to start, I wanna have a because my wife is also a Caribbean artist, right? But I wanted a male Caribbean artist to kind of bring that old hip-hop and reggae vibe back, like uh, I think that was Super Cat and Biggie and them, like that vibe right there. I wanted to bring that back, and this is where I first was introduced to Reynards Peoples. He grabbed, they did a song called I Hold My Bible Like a Draco or something like that. I think that's the name of the song. If I mess it up, forgive me, y'all. But they did a song and he came up, the his turn came, and he had on this black jacket with white sleeves, like an old uh letterman's jacket with OG on it. And he stepped up and grabbed the mic, and he had this, he had his own unique style with kind of like his own Caribbean twist with the hip-hop, and it blew me away. I was like, oh, I was like, I was tapping my wife, like, hey, I gotta work with this dude. I'm like, he's what we've been looking for. It was like God unctioned it at the time, like you you gonna work with him. But the crazy part was though we had though we had um met each other, greeted each other and everything. I forgot, I think, no, I think we exchanged cards, but something happened where I lost it, or I think I gave him my card or something like that. And I think he said he lost. It was something like that, but we never got to link up, and I was like, man, I just felt it, I felt it in my heart, felt it in my gut, like this is supposed to be a connection. So uh time passed, and I kept telling my wife, like, dang, man, I felt like we were supposed to connect, like he was supposed, we were supposed to do some work together. And she, you know, through prayer and submission unto the Lord by the way of the Holy Spirit, you know, she even mentioned to me, like, if it's God's will for it to happen, it will happen.

SPEAKER_01 15:47

It's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_07 15:48

So, funny part about that, Lord Time passed, and brother Nate actually invited me to do a um a performance with him with a song I have on one of my uh on one of my projects called Never See Me Coming. I have a song featuring Nate World Change on there called Cover Covered in Blood.

SPEAKER_01 16:08

Right.

SPEAKER_07 16:09

So he invited me out at this um at this church, I think this African church out in uh well don't let me get it wrong. It's out in Maryland somewhere.

SPEAKER_01 16:19

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 16:19

And he invited me out. So going there thinking nothing of it, just focus on the mission at hand to go out there and do our thing with the song. As we in there before we perform, and I'm watching the other performers uh come on stage. Here goes this guy again, the hip hop with the Caribbean style. And I'm like, that's the dude. That's the dude. So I get excited because I'm like, this time I'm gonna lock it in. Because just like even like my wife said, if it's the Lord's will, then it will happen. So, you know, after that, me and him greeted again, and we locked it in this time and was like, look, this is this this this is the Lord for sure. I heard him. Me and my wife, my wife confirmed it. It's like, I know my spirit, this is the Lord. He said the same thing. We locked it in, and we've been locked in ever since, you know what I'm saying? And doing great things, you know what I'm saying, in the Lord and for the community, and with our music and talents and gifts, and you know, we we we brothers, you know what I'm saying? Brothers. So we gotta we also got a collab album called Blood Brothers, right? So, you know, that nothing but God connection. So, you know, just to you know, just to kind of summarize that, you know, that's how God did it, man. God, God did it his way, God did it his way.

SPEAKER_00 17:38

Yeah, and I feel you on there, because uh listening to your story is kind of like mine. Um shout out to uh Mr. Corps Stevens. Shout out to Mr. Cor. And so it's 25 years leaving high school, been to a friend at a at a at a show.

unknown 17:54

Right.

SPEAKER_00 17:55

It was like, hey, like she was supposed to show up to the show, but you know, something happened. Uh then we we end up getting connected, and you know, I this is new. Uh so she was like, yo, she wanna, you know, we started a show, and it was like, yo, you can do this, you can do this. Uh and now I'm out here doing interviews. Uh I think about my my band, shout out to Lock Band. Uh shout out to Chuck, Isaiah, Rodney, uh, Cam, um, Shania. Uh, shout out to those guys. Um, because I was at an artist shed when I met my uh my homeboy uh Chuck. So he's like my right hand. Right. Um I brought my equipment in and he was like, yo, I want you to come up here and play. Uh I was kind of like, man, like I like what you're doing. Uh he prayed about it a lot. We saw each other again at an album release where I was like, hey, that's you. He's like, we so we log in and he was like, yo, let's, let's, let's, let's uh work together. Uh he's been like, you know, he's like, I don't have I don't have any brothers or sisters, but he's like blood. Right, right, right. So he's been there and we we've been been hanging together, and pretty much the my band is like family. So it's like we we met and crazy, like guy needed a drummer. Right. He was like, all right, yo. So I was like, yo, you uh, if you need something, let me know. He was like that. If you need something, let me know. So we all like got close knit as like a family because um pretty much it's crazy because we we did a women's history uh event last week, and we talked about, so all these interviews are are are pretty much uh confirming a lot because we've been talking about alignment. Uh right, right, yes, yes, everything is aligned and how it's supposed to be. There you go. Even with what you're doing, like meeting you, you know, um, it just aligned perfectly that we were able to meet. Um and you're you're doing what you're doing for the community, uh, also putting out music, you know. I not a you know, I didn't know about the poetry, but I was like, oh, okay, he's a poet. And uh I look at what you're doing in the DMV um with the community. Um, and and I guess my question is um what advice would you give uh because we did on our show, um me and my me and uh Takor, we did on our show uh about the 10 uh commandments that the artist should follow. And one of them was pretty much like um just not doing music, but giving back. Right, right, right, right. So I guess like my my thing would be what would be your advice for artists that's in the area that feels like nobody's hearing them, but they also want to, you know, just not just give back with their musical talent, but with like just just to give back because it's like pretty much people giving back to them. Like, what would be your advice on that?

SPEAKER_07 20:52

Well talking about alignment first, uh me personally, uh my advice would be this I think that first they should seek alignment so that they can know where to properly place themselves to use or give back with what they have. So seeking alignment with God first and having that personal, you know, really, and even if you feel like, well, I'm not religious or none of that. No, you don't you don't have to be religious to have a relationship with God. Just get in his presence, talk to him, he will show you, he will guide you. Your prayers will be answered, especially if you're seeking righteous things, if you're seeking things that are right and wanting to do things the right way. God will show you where you belong, where you should go. He will connect you with the people who you need to be connected with in order for you to give back or deliver what he's already given you. You know what I mean? So that would be my advice seek alignment first so that you can align. With your tribe or the audience or the people, because with the gifts, with the talents, with the testimonies that we had, the struggles we've been through, we all have an audience to give back to. You know what I mean? Just like a person who may once was an inmate, their giving back may be geared more to people who are in the same struggle that you were once in. You know, for those who may have been in the streets, for those who might have been abused, been in domestic violence relationships, your audience may be somebody that's going through it right now, and then God will place you there. You know, so seeking alignment is the I've just me personally, you know, uh just led by the Holy Spirit, seeking alignment to be led by the Holy Spirit so that you can be properly placed where you needed to be and rooted so you can give back and flourish in what you're doing. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 22:59

Yeah, so uh even with flourishing and stuff, I guess my other thing would be like um when people do that, like I think it's about like motives as well. So nobody can do I know you have to have discernment on like people's motives of stuff because I know like sometimes you want to do things and it's like hey, I see tone butter doing this, so let me jump on tone butter's uh ventures. Right. I ain't really there for tone butter, but I'm I'm there because I know he's he's out there, he's doing movies, he's doing this and that. Yeah, um, so how do you I mean I know it's this it's more of discernment and alignment, but how do you you deal with stuff like that?

SPEAKER_07 23:37

I mean, you you really just you really summed it up. I mean, I hate to give a short answer, but I I just always want to be true and honest, uh, through through the Lord's discernment, because sometimes it's hard. You don't know you we can't see the motives of people hard. I mean, you can say, you know, it'll be cliche to say judge people by their actions, but that's a 50-50 thing because sometimes people's actions don't line up with their motives. Sometimes the actions look better than what the motive actually is about, than the intent. So, you know, somebody can come to you, real smiling faces, you know, giving gifts. Some people will give gifts gifts to you to get in your good graces or support you just in just in return for you to find out that they never was for you in the first place. So you need the Lord's discernment to be able to discern because the Lord will give you discernment of the intent before you even see an action, before action is even committed. God will show you somebody like don't don't even engage with them, don't engage with them. And you might not understand it, but if you listen to it, you'll be blessed by it. You know what I mean? It's just man, for me personally, I I just stay stay in the Lord's presence, man. Just stay keeping my ears open to the voice of God to hear him to give me direction on who to deal with, who not to deal with, what business moves to make, what business moves not to make. If you really tap in with God, man, God will guide you in the perfect in the most perfect way. It won't be the way that you think, but it'll be the most perfect way. He'll have you to not sign a contract that may look good to you, yeah, and they smiling across the table, like, yeah, you know, offer you a big lump sum of money, but you not knowing that maybe in the dotted lines or in between the lines that you're really about to get finessed.

SPEAKER_01 25:28

Yep, true.

SPEAKER_07 25:29

And discernment will lead you right around it. You know, so yeah, that's just my thing.

SPEAKER_00 25:34

I got you on that. Um, but uh taking it a step further, what does support look like for you?

SPEAKER_07 25:44

So support comes in many different forms. The way I look at it, uh support comes in many different forms because some people who may support you in one season, their support may diminish in another season. Some people who you'll have some people who come along and and are are not just seasonal people, but they'll be with you uh, you know, through the whole journey. But you'll have some come and you'll have some who are sometimey. They support you then, they support you now. But I think the thing with with me is just appreciate it why you have it, but doesn't do not make focusing on the support of people your priority. Focus on your approval of God and your support from God because people are fickle, man. People are sometimey. People got things going on in their own life as well, to where in this season they may be good and in the next season they may be down. You know what I mean? So you can't focus on things that constantly change just like this. You can't make that your your uh number one focus. It's like appreciate it while it's there, but keep it going. Stay focused on God because God's support never changes. If he's called you into something, it never changes. If somebody leaves, he's gonna be there, he's gonna be able to always fill that spot. When other people ain't clapping, God is gonna always be a clapping to what he approves of.

SPEAKER_01 27:08

Right.

SPEAKER_07 27:08

So if he approves of it, God is gonna always celebrate you, he's gonna always cheer for you, no matter who don't. You may have people that feel a certain way about you that may be offended or even be wrongfully offended by you, you know, because sometimes people are wrongfully offended because they feel like you did something to them that you might have not done or that they might have done to you. So you got you're gonna go through all of that with people. Like I said, so it's just appreciate it why you have it. If you support me now and I appreciate it, like I hear a lot of people will always say, um, uh, don't forget about the little people when you make it. And I laugh at that because I always tell people, if you supported me and your intents and motives were good concerning me, you'll never be little in my eyes. The only little people that I will see as little people are those who hated and plotted on my downfall. Those are the little people in my eyes because as God is taking me to the top, I'm not even gonna be able to see you no more.

SPEAKER_01 28:10

True.

SPEAKER_07 28:10

I ain't gonna be able to hear you, so you're small to me. But if you had good intentions toward me and you know what I mean, and and didn't mean me no harm or try to sabotage me, no one is little in my eyes, because even the smallest act of support is a big thing, especially on this journey that we on, and especially on a faith journey where you don't understand everything God is doing. So you can get into these, you know, you could get into um uh times where you like, man, and when you really walking with God concerning certain things, I mean, concerning your journey or your calling or whatever you're doing, it is you're not gonna be able to figure everything out. Yep, and it's tough, and sometimes you're gonna feel like you're by yourself and nobody understands what you're doing. It's just like Noah building the ark, and God is promising you that a flood of favor is coming, but everybody else looking at you like you're doing something foolish. You know what I'm saying? And it's gonna be times where you just gonna have to trust that God is gonna be the only one you can trust and look to for approval and celebration because your people will be looking, some people won't even get on and support you until you win, right? And that's the real thing. Some people won't support you like you may want or expect until they see success, and often when it comes to people, they just success by money, right? Because they won't be able to see the vision that God only gave you, so they want to see how profitable it is, right? Because you can have a great vision and a great talent and be doing a great thing, and people could look at the fact that, well, I don't really see the numbers like that, and I don't see the money coming in like that, and they overlook it, and they say, Okay, you know, you got your little hobby and stuff, I get it. You're chasing your dream, you know, but but it doesn't mean that you don't have gold at the same time. So I often I don't look to people for approval because then you'll have those who also have their opinions about what you're doing that is in opposition to what God has already told you that He gave you, or what God has already shown you that He's gonna do with it. So I don't look to people for approval. I I always just look to God like is this the right thing? Am I doing the right thing? Because He's the one that's gonna give me the strength to keep going, He's the one that's gonna provide me with the provisions and the connections and the resources that I need. People, man, people listen, the same people that cheerful you today will crucify you tomorrow. So you can't you can't focus on people, it could be family, friends, be your closest relatives. One day they speak good about you, the next day they saying something else. So you can't focus on people's approval. You gotta stay, stay tapped in and stay locked in with God. That's just me personally.

SPEAKER_00 31:03

Yeah, I feel you, but uh so uh what I guess I'm gonna take it a little step further than that. Because I know that uh we we're in the DMV, and I know you probably heard it as well as being an artist where uh people in DMV feel like they don't um pretty much we don't support our own. Right. Uh what is your opinion on that?

SPEAKER_07 31:26

Uh I mean, can't act like that's not a true statement, you know, but that may be true for some, and it may not be true for others, because you do have guys and people in in the DMV who have an outstanding support system, but you do have a majority that don't. You know, you do have artists that people really take to that's from home, that have the city that have a DMV backing them and showing them love. And you do have kind of like the clicks and everything where if you in a click, then they support you. If you're not in a click, then they ain't rocking with you. My thing is just this. Um, sometimes you do have to leave from a common place to get uh uncommon support. Sometimes you do have to travel, sometimes you do have to go to another place where they're not familiar with certain things concerning you, or they're not familiar with a certain sound to where you could be new and fresh. Because, like I said, sometimes it takes for you to win for people that's close to you and in proximity to you to become a true believer that what you got, even though you already had it. Been in the D. I've been doing music in the DMV for 20, 20 something years now. And you know, it music goes through its different phases. Certain seasons I had more support than I had in others. A lot of my support had often came from out strangers and out of towners. And one time in one era though, I had a lot of support from home because of my sound, because of the way I carry myself, you know, they they relate it to it. But sometimes when you got a gift, or you, you know, sometimes it's just people. That's why I say you can't put your full confidence in people. Sometimes people just they like what they like, sometimes they just don't, you know, they be your closest friend. You would expect me like you should be supporting me, but I I learned this too. Don't nobody owe you support, right? It's your job to carry out the vision and make them a believer. They don't owe you, they don't have to support you, whether brother, sister, mother, father, whoever. They don't have to support you. We would want that. You would think that would be the most integral, moral, right thing to do to support your own, support your people, but it's more our responsibility, because sometimes that's the challenge for you to go harder. That's the motivation that some artists actually needed to succeed. So where you see the people around you not give you their support, it make you go harder because something in us as human beings that when we when we are rejected, it motivates us to succeed even more. Or when we don't have the right support or or or the right backing, or when somebody downplays us or overlook us, it motivates us to use our gift or to go even harder with what we're doing. But here it's like that, like I said, that's true for some and not true for others, but it's like if if people were to understand how more powerful we can be if we if everybody was to come together, but that that makes sense, but it's it's another side to that as well because everybody don't do the same thing. So it's it's not everybody don't like just because somebody certain people might not like the style of music somebody else do, it might go against their core values or their integrity or the way that they respect certain things, the way they respect women, the way that they they might not like that, and it's okay if they don't support it. That's not, you know what I mean, if that's not their thing. So you it's it's kind of a two-edged sword with that because everybody don't have to support you. But what you should focus on is the audience that's for you will draw to you if you keep if you stay consistent and do your thing. You know what I mean? The audience that's for you will draw to you. Sometimes the people around you are not your audience, yeah. Just because they grew up with you, just because they know you, just because they related to you. Sometimes that's not your audience, right? But the audience that's for you will see you if you continue to stay consistent and do your thing.

SPEAKER_00 36:01

Yeah, so uh and the reason I asked you that because I I hear a lot of artists in the area that say, you know, I don't I don't deal with the DMV because they don't do this, that, and the third. But I sit here and I and I look around and I'm like, uh sometimes you have to put yourself out there. Sometimes, you know, you it's like sometimes you have to go to stuff that uh, because even as me being uh having my own label as well, uh one thing with artists I would deal with would be like I would just tell you to go to a go to a spot. Don't I don't know who's gonna be there. But like I tell people like, you never know who's gonna be there. So I might tell you, hey, go to this little church, might be a little bar lounge. But I don't know if who, you know, people don't know who's gonna be there. But they go in there and they like, and then they see like somebody like you or another artist, like, hey, you know, I'm looking, I've been looking for a singer for like a couple weeks. Right, right. And like some people like, you know, look at it like, I don't want to do that because that's how my comfort zone is. And I said sometimes you gotta be uncomfortable. Yes, you do with with a lot of things. Because I I look at even um looking at your promos with your digital uh promos that you do for your for your for your songs and stuff. Um and I and I sit there and I'm like, man, these these guys they go above and beyond. Shout out to my wife, man.

SPEAKER_07 37:16

Shout out to my wife. That's all her work. Shout out to Hannah G.

SPEAKER_00 37:19

She's clicking with those those that that promotion. And I I ask when I look at the time and effort, like, do you guys get like discouraged like that with the work that you're putting in? Like, let's say if you're not getting the reception that you want, or you or or if you are getting the reception that you need.

SPEAKER_07 37:38

Yes, we definitely get discouraged. We and we all go through it because like I said, it's a thing to be, it's one thing to be operating off of walking in your calling and and walking in your purpose, and it's another thing to be the first of something that you don't have a blueprint for. I don't have in my nobody in my family or related to that's doing what I'm doing. So we're building an arc, all of us. We're we're really building an arc with this business, with the way we do things. So, yes, it gets discouraging because you can sometimes the road to success don't it often don't feel good. And it often don't feel like success when you building and building, and you don't have the if the support that you expect, even with just shares and likes and when you don't have the support that you expect to have, it can get very discouraging. It can get very discouraging when the money isn't coming right away, and you like, man, am I doing this for nothing? But that's why it's important for us to be rooted in God, because when we go through those seasons and be able to hear God's voice, we're able to encourage each other in the Lord to keep going when God gives us reassurance that we see. That's the reason why it's not to get focused on people, because people, even unknowingly, can can influence that discouragement. Say, hey man, you think you might want to try something else? Yeah, hey man, you think you might want to have a plan B or C, and you got God in your ear telling you that plan A is gonna work. I just need you to trust me, stay down, and you'll have people and family and friends, and you know, they'll feel like they, you know, they want what's best for you, but they don't know what's best for you, like God knows. Half the people don't even know what's best for themselves, but they'll try to tell you, you know, and it's not always in malicious intent, but regardless, even if you don't mean no harm, you still can cause harm. You see what I'm saying? So that's why it's important to not put your confidence in people. Sometimes you not having the support you expect will be the reason why you win.

SPEAKER_01 39:57

Yep.

SPEAKER_07 39:58

Because it'll keep it'll keep all the hearsay, it'll keep all the chatter, unnecessary opinions out of your mind. Because sometimes that's the worst thing you struggle and fight with on this journey, this entrepreneur, this entrepreneurial journey, this uh uh independent grind. Sometimes the main thing that you fight and struggle with is the opinions of others who never done what you done before, who never, who never had a um, hold on, I'm getting a call on my phone. My bad, brother.

SPEAKER_00 40:27

Oh no, you go ahead, man.

SPEAKER_07 40:29

It's Reynolds Peebles, bro. I'm gonna call you back. I'm in the interview. All right. Yeah, that's Reynolds Peebles right there. Shout out to Bro Ray Nars Peebles. He must have he he probably knew I was gonna interview. He tried to get some air time. He's gonna laugh when he sees this. But yeah, you know, that's just how that's just how I personally feel about it, bro. Like on this independent grind, and you know, you you can get discouraged when things don't happen right away. But if you lean and if you depend on God, I'm telling you, he's gonna always, always, always come through. He's gonna always come through. So it's not like what we always tell each other, it's we're not chasing a dream, we're pursuing a calling. See, chasing a dream, it can be a hit or miss. Yeah, but pursuing a calling, that means God has already established what he's gonna do. All you gotta do is walk in what he tells you to do. It's gonna happen. Chasing a dream, you can sometimes you'll realize that that dream was not your reality. You know what I mean? Every dream is not your reality, and that's the importance of having discernment. Because you could be chasing one thing and really called to do another thing, right? You see what I'm saying? That's a lot of people's lives. You see what I'm saying? So, yeah, I just, you know, with me, I just feel like I know it's gonna sound funny for audiences that's listening, but a lot of things I'm gonna say at the end is you gotta lock in with God. You gotta have that alignment, man. You gotta have that alignment. People are fit, people are sometiming. Can't put your confidence in people, love them, but you can't always trust them and put your confidence and look to people for your approval, especially for them to approve something that they don't even have an understanding of that God has shown you or is doing with you that they never seen happen in their life. You know what I'm saying? You got family members who never did, never even thought about doing what you're doing.

SPEAKER_01 42:33

Yep.

SPEAKER_07 42:34

So their ex their their opinion and advice is only gonna be based off of their reality, not yours.

SPEAKER_00 42:41

Yep.

SPEAKER_07 42:42

You know what I mean? So that's that's just me personally.

SPEAKER_00 42:45

I like that. I like what you what you what you hitting on all points. Uh uh, when they hear this on these on these podcasts, on these multiple platforms, they're gonna definitely be like, man, they're gonna they're gonna really be in tune to this. So I got one other uh a couple couple more things, but I just wonder what where did you get your vision for real business music and what is the vision that going forward for what you you're trying to accomplish?

SPEAKER_07 43:10

So funny as it is, when I started real business, it came from being a it was a street thing. We used to say it in the street. I was selling drugs, I was a hustler, always was a hustler. I shoot growing up, I never had a job, ain't had no summer job, I sold drugs. That's what I did. So at that time of my life, that's what was real business. That's what we say each other. I make a drug deal, I dab somebody up, real business. You know what I'm saying? Right. I was chasing money. It was get rich or die trying with me. But when I gave my life to the Lord, when I laid down my life and gave it to the Lord, when the Lord saved me, He turned that negative into a positive. And that's where the scripture came in from Luke 249 to it being about the father's business. And it was like God was letting me know like, you wanna know what real business is for real? Do what I tell you to do, and you're gonna see real business in every sense it's been up. So the vision going forward is that we're gonna keep doing what the Lord tells us to do, and we're gonna keep winning. Shout out to the whole real business music family. You know what I'm saying? Like I said, I got a uh new album that's about to drop called The Good Life. Shout out to my bro YP the Prophet, shout out to Brother Amos and Tenable Music. Um we we we're uh we're I don't know, I don't have the date and time yet, but it's it's dropping real soon. It's called The Good Life. And it's really just, you know, this album right here is really luxurious, it's really prophetic, um, and not in a religious way. It's just us speaking, it's us speaking into existence what the what God has already shown us in visions of the lives that we are about to live and that we're living already. You know what I mean? So it's called the good life, the joint. It's a hip hop album. I got my wife on there, RB. Got my brother YP the profit. Shout out to my bro, uh, who's also from Washington, D.C. And I got my bro Reynolds Peoples on that joint. We got a go, go, we got some uh hip, we got some uh hip-hop RB on the drink. We got some hip hop Caribbean style. We got some this joint gonna be tough, man. It's gonna be tough. It's and it's grown. It's a real grown vibe, real grown, you know what I mean? So this joint gonna be yeah, this is gonna be one of my favorite drinks to drop.

SPEAKER_00 45:25

All right, you you know the you know the you know the deal, you know. When you when you drop that, you know, let's send it, send that to me.

SPEAKER_07 45:31

I got you, look. We locked in, man. We fam. Matter of fact, when I get off here, I've been told you I gotta keep my word. I'm gonna send you a bunch of songs that I already told you that I was gonna send over. Just be kind of you know getting caught up recording and doing this, that, and the third. But tonight, I'm sending them drinks. Even the joint I just dropped called dropping bombs. I'm sending that drink straight over to you.

SPEAKER_00 45:52

What was your inspiration from dropping bombs?

SPEAKER_07 45:55

Uh it was it was like it's a conversation basically I was having when I was just in, you know, in the presence of God. It was a conversation about like people are not about to see this coming. You know, uh, I was kind of just asking them and consulting to him about questions about the war and everything going on. And he was like, don't focus on that, focus on what I got you doing. And he let me know it was like, I'm about to drop you like a bomb, like you about to blow up, and they're not about to see it coming. And it was like, okay, okay, dropping bombs, like okay, real business. Like it's a you know, it was it's it's basically a meta metaphorically saying, I'm dropping like a bomb, like I'm finna blow up. You not even about to see it coming.

SPEAKER_00 46:44

You definitely blowing up now. I think when I be listening, right? I want to know what these these these metaphors about these these these turkey kisses and things. Oh I'm like, yo, he he he be he be on it. But I just I just I always want to ask you, like, man, what what what is it, what is it, what what's on there?

SPEAKER_07 47:03

I love look, I love the fact that you asked me that because I love to break it down. I ain't gonna hold you. So I mean, what ball you wanna go with first? I'll break it down for you. Just break it all down. So I mean, basically, like I said, a lot of times, my thing is this a lot of a lot of my metaphors may be very spiritually inclined. But I know that everybody is not spiritually aligned. So I have to break it down or spit it in a way of parable form. So I may say something that for the person who may not be spiritually inclined, but still can get it on the surface. But if you go, but it's like even though you get it on the surface, there's still another part to it if you go deeper.

SPEAKER_00 47:46

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_07 47:46

You know what I'm saying? So if you sit down and really listen and tune in, it's like, oh, I heard when he said this, that grabbed me, but now I'm listening back to it, like, damn, he really saying something deeper than what I thought he was saying.

SPEAKER_01 48:01

Right.

SPEAKER_07 48:02

You know, so it'd be that, and just you know, coming from that era where bars and metaphors was the thing. You know what I'm saying? Today's today's rap generation, you know, a lot of it is about the vibe. You know, they may do a yeah, yeah, yeah, through half the whole song. But I come from an era where your bars and and and metaphors was, yeah, that was important. So, you know, I still I still have that side of me, like I'm gonna spit, I'm gonna be clever. I like to be clever, I like to be witty, I like to still say something that make people, ooh, you heard what he said. You know what I'm saying? I still I'm from that era, so yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_00 48:39

Yeah, because I remember when you sent me that joint, I was like, yo, I said, because I had to really like listen to it again. Right. I was like, I said, because you know, like people was just sending music. Right. And I was just like, I would just, you know, save it and send it. So it was one day I was just listening to, you know, pusher or whatever, and I and I heard the song, and I was like, so I had to go back, I was like, man, who sings this song? And I was like, yo, these bars, like, like he like really dropping these dropping these bars. Like, and I said, and so when I started listening to it, I was like, yo, man, this guy right here, I definitely got all of this guy because absolutely like pretty much, because even with everybody on your label, it's like y'all giving that 90s two early 2000s vibes. Facts, facts. It's not, it's not the yeah, you know what I'm saying, you know what up, you know. It's like, yo, you really, it really got you thinking, like, yo, like, you know, I really want like want to know what he's really taking with these queen doors. And then you're gonna have to show that you like you put a lot of uh passion into what you what you're doing.

SPEAKER_07 49:40

And and you know, it's good that you got artists that shares the same passion as you because uh once you got a lineman, brother, a line for sure.

SPEAKER_00 49:50

So we're gonna we also I need to ask you about your your what how did you I mean I know you all you you do your thing uh MC and all that, but like I want to know how you got into like poetry. Uh and let's let's talk about your your feature in uh in feathers.

SPEAKER_07 50:07

Oh, and feathers, yeah. Okay, awesome. Uh first and foremost, just to piggyback off the last thing we was talking about, I always gotta say this God is my ghostwriter for sure, for sure. So that's where the bars really come from. I always tell people I'm just spitting proverbs, you hear me? And so when I'm dropping bars, I'm just speaking proverbs, you hear me? So um, but to go in the poetry thing, the funny thing is this, I started doing a lot of people knew me as a poet before they ever knew I was a rapper.

unknown 50:39

Okay.

SPEAKER_07 50:40

I started doing, yeah, I started doing so. You have some people who still are more acquainted with Tone Butter the poet, the poetic minister, uh, instead of Tom Butter, the the sole rap artist, the recording artist. Right, you know, but um I started doing poetry live before I ever was doing rap live. Ever. I've been rapping daggone there all my life though. But live and uh professionally, I started doing poetry first. I started doing poetry for organizations like shout out to Miss Minyang Anderson uh from Washington, D.C., and the Lakeisha Brown Foundation. It was a foundation founded by uh Miss Ming Yang Anderson, who also shares the same birthday as me, August 7th. Shout out to my sister. Um her daughter was killed in Washington, D.C. due to domestic violence. So I did a lot of work with, you know, as a community advocate and just a supporter, you know, because growing up in DC, I experienced a lot of those same hardships with the murder and the killing and losing people and the violence. So I I uh God, you know, God used me to be an advocate in that lane. And and they accepted me with open arms. And and at their events, they would ask, could I come up and do, you know, did I want to come and do poetry? They would host events and everything. And in my poetry, I called myself the poetic minister because through my poetry, God, you know, the Holy Spirit would lead me to write poetic sermons. Right. It wasn't just poems, but they were like poetic sermons. So that's how I actually started live. So a lot of people still, you know, and a lot of women, like women were very supportive of me, but you know, and and that's in return because I was supportive of them. Right. And I am supportive of them, you know what I mean? And and especially for causes like domestic violence and suicide prevention and bullying prevention. So I I was doing poems and stuff. I was doing poems in churches. Man, I would probably have I would probably be doing, I did the bus boys and the poets. I would probably be doing poem event, poetry events, probably like every it was like every other day for a while.

SPEAKER_01 52:57

Right.

SPEAKER_07 52:58

Yeah, we and we had our own uh we had our own showcase at one time called the Real Business Showcase. Uh shout out to Shirley Laster, and um that that she's a family friend of mine. Uh, we call her Pearl. And uh and um and uh please I will ask everybody to keep her and her family and in their prayers. She just lost her brother Harvey. So, you know, uh ask anybody who's listening, you know, to please keep her and her family in their prayers, and your prayers. Uh, but yeah, man, we had our own showcase called the Real Business Showcase. I partnered with her and we would bring poets out. We actually used to do it at the uh what's that over there by Iverson Mall. What's the name of that place? It's called Rio, Buffet and Grill. Yeah, we used to do that during every weekend at Rio, and we used to pack it out. So we used to have poets, hip-hop artists, singers, and it was a it was a it was a grown atmosphere, you know. So I also used to do my poetry there as well. And uh, some of the I still have a lot of my poetry events recorded on YouTube, on Facebook, and everything. So, yeah. And feathers, feathers, feathers, feathers, feathers. Shout out to my sister Takola. That was a divine encounter. So this is this is a funny story. Rest in peace to my good brother and my barber, my former barber, his name was Ronnie. He was the owner of um Anointed Hands, barbershop over there. I think it's in Allent, not Allentown, but going toward Allentown, but it's in Clinton, I think. But it was Anointed Hands Barbershop, my brother Ronnie, he was also my barber. Um, he knew the writer, Tacola of Feathers. So one day I'm in the joint, and this is divine, this is where we talk about divine connection again. I'm sitting in there getting my hair cut. She walks in, sit down, him and her talking while I'm sitting in there getting my hair cut. I got my eyes closed, you know, just vibing in the barbershop music playing, they talking, and I hear her talking about it's just like I I don't know, it's like the Holy Spirit made me just tune in. I heard her like, yeah, you know, I got a grant, and I just got this so-and-so grant, and I'm about to film this movie, and you know, it's a face-based movie, but and it was like everything she was saying, and I'm like, yo, I'm perfect for this movie, like right. She's like, it's a face-based movie, but it's about reality, and you know what's going on in the community, and it's three stories that come together. That's and I'm just listening, I'm asking the Lord, like, should I should I approach? And the Lord told me, No. See, this is the importance of being able to have a rel a hearing relationship with God, because every open door is not for you to walk through. Every open door is not for you to walk through. You're supposed to walk through the the doors that God has intentionally designed for you to walk through, not just because the opportunity presents itself. So I you know, I consulted the Lord, like, should I say something? So that and I'm geeking too. I'm like, man, I'm finna get on this movie. You try it's in a DMV too, right? And all that, and she's naming people and actors that she worked with, and I'm like, I work with all the same people, so I'm like, Oh, and the Lord said no. So I'm sitting there and I'm just like, you know what? I'm gonna just be obedient, even though I'm geeking, I'm gonna be obedient and listen to God. And then the more she kept talking, though, and my gut just was like, ooh, like this is meant for me. But you know, God is such a perfect father. Where He knows see, He wants He teaches us to be obedient, but He also loves the element of surprise. It's like when your parents get you a gift, but don't let you open it yet, but you just know it's yours, and you like, What's that? They're like, Don't worry about that, don't even worry about that. But you know it's yours, right then and there, as she's talking more. The Lord said, Go ahead, approach her. He finished my head. He said, Approach her. So I approached her and was like, Hey, how you doing? You know, I'm Tone Butter, I'm an actor and a recording artist. Uh, I would love to be a part of your movie. And Ronnie was vouching for me. Look how God works, man. Yeah, when when it's for you, God will not only make provisions, but he'll bring the support you need. He was vouching for me, like, yeah, Tone and movies, and Tone do this. And I'm like, Yeah, if you need any music for your movie, I'm down. And she was like, sure. So we we we was name dropping certain uh certain producers and everything that we both work with. Come to find out, guess what? We both was in another movie together and didn't even know it because we wasn't on the same set.

SPEAKER_00 57:58

Look at God.

SPEAKER_07 57:59

Look at God. We both was in the same one because she was like, Yeah, I forgot what movie it was. I think it was uh could have been Roosevelt Jackson, Residue 2, or I think it was Kazar Coleman, rest in peace to Kazar Coleman, film producer Kazar Coleman in the DMV. That's my brother. I think it was Kazar Coleman, I believe, but we were both in the same movie, we just wasn't on set at the same time. So when we started talking, and she was like, Yeah, I'm in that movie. I was like, for real?

SPEAKER_06 58:32

She was like, Yeah, I play.

SPEAKER_07 58:33

I was like, Oh, we just wasn't there. So that that really bonded it, and man, she brought me on, and man, it was it was a blessing from there, man. That joint doing numbers on Tubi, Tubi being one of the biggest platforms right now. That joint well over, I think, uh, got a hundred hundreds of thousands of streams or something like that on Tubi. It's doing really good. Shout out to all the um actors and crew members uh that's a part of that uh production. Yeah, man.

SPEAKER_00 59:04

So uh what you doing? So I know like since uh the movie that you did was pretty much like a uh uplifting, you know, type of movie. Are you uh actually are you just doing those type of movies, or are you are you just sticking to like, you know, because the other people, you know, the other two be movies, are you just sticking to the ones that you do now?

SPEAKER_07 59:26

Uh no. Look again, like I say, again, like I let the Lord lead wherever he wants me to do. Whether he gives me the approval to do it, that's what I do. If he don't, then I don't. Like, so even Feathers, Feathers was even though it's a face-based movie, it still had reality in it. You got you got killing, you got gun, you got selling drugs, you got all types of stuff in it because even though it's faith-based, it's reality. Yeah, faith-based is actual reality. You know, it's not a really religious movie, it's a re is reality. But how people uh got rooted in faith because of reality, you know what I mean? So, but I'm also in movies like Detective MJ. I don't know if you've seen that joint, but go watch that joint. That's on take 2v2. That's the joint I was telling you about the day at the barbershop. Well, like a lot of smokers like that movie.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:19

All right, I'm gonna take that one out.

SPEAKER_07 1:00:21

You know what I'm saying? So, yeah, man, it just be whatever the Lord allows me to do. I I go just based off of his approval and his denial. That's just how I go off of everything. I approach everything with consulting the Lord first, seeking God first, and if he gives me the approval and the confirmation to do it, then I do it. If he says no, that's not what we're doing, then I don't even pay no attention. But that joint detective MJ, our nation's capital, it's a crime comedy, not a faith-based movie. So for all the religious people, you might not want to click on that one. But but for those who aren't, and for the smokers and everything, you might love that movie. You know, it's a funny movie. Shout out to my brother, shout out to my brother, uh, the film director, actor, uh, my brother Smalls, man. Shout out to him. Uh, that joint won so many awards, it's not funny. That joint won so many awards that it's not funny. You gotta check that joint out. Shout out to uh my brother too, John Thompson, who's also in the movie. Uh uh, he's a he's a comedian. I don't know if you ever heard of him. You gotta check him out too. All right, he's a comedian, he's a famous comedian, well-known comedian. I think he's about to be on uh The Voice, or I think it's The Voice or something, but he's also in the movie. Uh, he's one of my co-stars. Funny dude, hilarious. He's gonna be the one that plays the character Wheels. He's gonna have you cracking up laughing. All right. Um, who else was in there? Uh I'm trying to think of somebody you might know. Uh, Tony, Tony, uh the comedian from here, Tony. Um I don't know. I can't. I know what you're talking about, yeah. You know what I'm talking about? Yeah, yeah. So yeah, you got check that joint out on to be Detective MJ, our nation's capital. Also, it's another movie I'm in that's not a faith-based movie, but it's a it's a great. It's I think it's it's more like a crime drama, but the message, the message, it's it's not necessarily a face-based movie, but you can kind of you can kind of put it in the in that aspect almost. It's called penance. Shout out to my good brother Thomas Lee. That's my good brother Thomas Leah. That he's the film, uh, the film director, uh, uh writer for that movie. That's on Tubi as well. It's an awesome movie, awesome talent and actors in that joint. Go check that joint out as well. Uh, it's a slew of other movies I'm in too, but don't I don't even want to mess nothing up right now. So they just gonna have to follow me. I don't want to get to messing names up. I'm like, man, Tom, what's up, man? You know what I'm saying? But it's a slew of other movies I'm in as well. But yeah, man, I do a lot of different things, and we're filming our own movies as well right now. I'm in another movie. Shout out to uh shout out to uh Andre Hearse. I'm in another movie called The Battle that's based off of uh shout out to the artist, DC artist 9 Millie, uh who was the you know who who the movie was written about him. Okay, you know what I mean. Um another another movie. Uh I don't I don't I'm not sure if it's out yet, but it's called Um The Battle, and it's a movie with a great message written based on uh the uh DC artist 9 Millie. Um shout out to the writer uh and film director Andre Hurris and everybody, all the casting crew that was a part of that. Um also I'm in a movie called Black Thunder, which is a war movie. So I'm a I'm in a war movie called Black Thunder, uh, written and directed by Dexter Brains. Shout out to actress Tammy Rogers, Shanetta, all the casting crew who are part of that. That joint is awesome. When that joint dropped, I'm trying to tell you this joint is crazy, and that was one of the movies that I I prayed and asked God about so much, because I'm a big war buff. You know, both grandfathers was in the war, Vietnam, World War I, World War II. I'm a big war buff ever since I've been little, so war movies like that's my thing, you know. I'm saying I I always I always considered myself as a soldier more than I did as a thug and a gangster. Always considered myself as a soldier because I love the camaraderie, you know what I mean? Not just the shooting and exploding, but the camaraderie that they had as a band of brothers, you know, that stuck that stuck beside each other and fought together and got and went through hardships together, just like one of my favorite scriptures, you must endure hardship as a good soldier in Christ. You know what I'm saying? So when that joint dropped, Black Thunder. I even got a song out based off the movie called Black Thunder. So yeah, you know, y'all go check that joint out too. Tone butter Black Thunder on YouTube and all streaming platforms. You're dead.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:06

Hey yo, your boy is busy, hella bit. Hey, shout out to hey man, keep working, real bit, bro. Appreciate you, bro. So we on we on on to your other uh your your acting, your you, you know, you you rapping and all that. Let's talk about your fashion. So, what made you decide to start your own clothing line?

SPEAKER_07 1:05:25

Oh man, hey man, look, shout out to you because you this interview is fire because you asking all the right questions. It don't even feel like an interview. That's what I like, though. It just feels like two brothers just just just shoot, you know what I mean? Just fellowship or just kidding. You know what I'm saying? But um, the fashion, this is crazy, right, bruh. I all I wanted to do, I always wanted to have my own clothing line or something one day, but I never really got. And this is the part again, I can't stress this enough of putting. In your trust in God because God will do things that you never thought you could do. In your own, you know what I'm saying? God will do, God will open doors that you never even knocked on for you. I wasn't planning on starting the clothing line. I just wanted t-shirts and hats for when I perform at the shows to just get people support and then push the brand to push the movement. That's all I wanted to do. Some t-shirts when I perform at the shows to sell a little bit of merch to make some money rather than what I'm just getting paid at the show. That's all I wanted to do. So what happened was people started coming to me like, man, we love the logo. You got any more? You got jeans, you got jackets, and I'm like, whoa. And the Lord, it just took legs of its own. And the Lord was like overflow. And that's exactly what it was. So it was like, would you want me to go get this stuff? Like, get it. Let's rock. You know what I'm saying? And I end up getting man everything that they were asked for. You got sweatsuits, you got hoodies with the logo on it. I'm like, nah, not yet, but I'm about to have it by next week. Don't worry about the place you order. Next thing you know, bruh, I have people over in other states and other countries wearing real business apparels. I mean, from United States to UK, um, India. I had people ordering online from India and other countries, Africa, like no lives, like ordering real business apparel too. I was like, I was mind blown. I never thought that it would have the, I never even thought it would. I didn't know what the heck to expect. You know what I mean? And it just took legs of its own. And I just thank God, you know, I'm just thankful to God. That's why I understand that listening to Him is imperative if you really want to win. Listening to the voice of God is imperative if you really want to win the right way.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:57

Right. I agree.

SPEAKER_07 1:07:59

You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_00 1:08:00

So uh drop that link in in the message messenger chat so I can I can um because my lady she likes she likes hoodies as well. So I told her she you had hoodies and stuff. She's like, oh yeah, you know, especially oh, most definitely.

SPEAKER_07 1:08:13

And shout out to shout out to your lady, man. Shout out to your woman. Tell I truly appreciate the support as well, man.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:20

Yeah, yeah, because she she really um she really feeling uh your wife. Uh oh, real business, real business. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 1:08:26

I'm gonna make sure to let her know too when I go back in the uh booth.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:30

She's like, yo, I love me some Panda G. I was like, Oh, she's gonna love to hear that. Yeah, yeah. So she's like, yo, she said, one, you know, hopefully I can I can do a song with that.

SPEAKER_07 1:08:42

Yeah, we could definitely shut that up. Yeah, she loves working with she loves to network and work with people, especially people who have a heart for God and people who just have, you know, people just good spirited, you know. I mean, people just good spirited people, you know. She loves to network and connect with other people, so she's gonna love that. When I let her know, yeah, when she sees this, when she sees the interview, she's gonna gawk at it. She goes, she's gonna definitely be uh excited.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:08

Yeah, so also also uh before we go go go further. Like just I want y'all to tune in uh to Indy Hart tomorrow on Urban X uh Yes, yes, for the eight uh on Saturday and Sunday. We'll be playing your music as well as your wife's. Real business. We try and get a lot of more independent artists out there to get their music played. So uh that's where we at right now. So we just we we making moves as well, trying to trying to get you know, get get get people heard. Right, real business. And I'm just I'm just uh amazed at the people who send stuff, or you know, people that give, like you said, like divine intervention, alignment. There's people like, hey, you know, you want to show because you supported me, I'm gonna give you five slots. I was like, what? You know, two hours. It was like, man, you got a lot of music like that you've been getting. I was like, yeah, I said, I don't know what to do with it. And my guy was like, yo, I give you like five slots. You you you do what you gotta do, and you know, they don't mess with me. Uh shout out to Lipstick Nation uh radio. Shout out to them to Talk Lipstick uh shout out to them as well for giving uh opportunity. Uh I'm also gonna shout out uh Autolis and Urban X for uh giving uh me as well a platform to work with my lady on Indie Heart. Um and also to push indie artists. Um, because I know it's a lot of, I didn't know that there was a lot of talent even in this area and that's out there that's like and I was listening to some stuff. I'm like, yo, we got some fire here in this. Yes. Um I listened to like series, and it's like you give us you give us an hour of indie music. And I'm like, yo, this some this this is real fire here. Yeah, facts. Why we only get an hour? Right. You know, like I I I love, I love Drake, I love Kendrick. But like, you know, it's I feel like it's more music out there. Right. And so I I'm just glad to have a platform uh with two stations plus one with my lady that we are able to, you know, push support in the artists, and then and also to give you guys a chance to interview. Uh, because I know that was kind of a thing that I didn't see going on where, you know, artists, because I'm one of them type people, you know, you doing something, it don't matter if you sing, like, like if even if I met you, you wasn't a singer, I'd be like, just because you've been a community activist, I still want to talk to you, be like, right, hey, what you doing? Because people need to know out here that, you know, people just think, okay, we just out here singing, we doing whatever, but people are actually out here doing stuff for the community. Yes, yes. Yes. So I see that you was recognized for the Shire community partner of the year. So tell me how uh I know that's that's real big. So uh how that what does that mean to you?

SPEAKER_07 1:12:06

Well, shout out to my brother DC Gutter, too, who's also an artist that's from the DMV area. He's from artists from Washington, DC, but you know, representing the DMV area as well. But um, I was referred by DC Gutter. Um he referred me and uh and my brother, which is artist Reynolds Peoples. But um we had did an uh event with him um for his son. His son uh tragically lost his life to gun violence in Washington, D.C. And they held an uh community event, you know, on behalf of his name and an honor and tribute to him. And we came out, you know, and to s and to support him, you know, and um it feels it always feels good to be acknowledged for doing good, right?

SPEAKER_01 1:13:02

Right.

SPEAKER_07 1:13:03

Uh it just like we were talking earlier, how you could be doing work and doing the right thing, but sometimes not being acknowledged can get discouraging. So it always feels good to get acknowledged for doing good because people will definitely love to magnify when you're doing wrong. Right. So when you're doing the wrong thing, people love the shit then, throw the fingers and magnify your name and you know, maximize it. But to get that award, it was a blessing. Because, you know, like I said, it's just a blessing to be acknowledged, you know. It it lets you know that uh uh I am doing the right thing, yeah, and it and it motivates you to keep doing the right thing. That don't don't don't think that your good deeds or your good works are done in vain, right? You know what I mean? Like people actually see you and people appreciate it, you know, because that can be a thing too. You could be doing the right thing in the community or doing something positive, and when you don't feel appreciated, that can also make you feel discouraged or make you kind of decrease in wanting to do it as much. But when you're doing it for all the right reasons, you know what I mean? Your discouragement is is minimal when you're doing it for all the right reasons, and for people to acknowledge that you know they appreciate the works that you're doing in the community or serving in whatever lane or atmosphere that you're in. So yeah, it means a lot. And it also lets me know that God sees me and that God is pleased, you know, with with with my service, with my acts of service. So yeah, it definitely means a lot. And shout out to them. Uh uh, shout out to uh Sister Tiffany, I think her name is Tiffany Sunshine Brown. I'm sorry if I messed your name up, but uh I truly appreciate the award as community partner. Uh, like I say, it's it's a blessing, man. I just I take it with thanks and just gratefulness and humility, you know. I'm just thankful. It's thankful to be seen, thankful to be acknowledged, you know what I mean? And it we because we don't do it for the awards, right? You know what I mean? We do it because it's it's what's right, you know. We do it because I I do it because at one time I was a menace to my community, but now I'm able to be in service and give back to the communities that I once was a problem to, I'm able to be a solution. So, you know, that's what we do it for. And it's big when you acknowledge when people say, I see you, and thank you, and we appreciate it. It it feels very good. It feels very good, it is good to my soul.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:42

I'm glad to hear that. Uh, and uh, and uh, like I told you like before, I uh just coming out there to the barbershop uh a couple weeks ago just to see what you what you guys are doing is uh amazing thing because a lot of people just want the accolades of the awards for the music. Right. But there's more to the music. There's more than music. There's you know, people out here who's going through things, there's people who's dealing with situations that just want somebody to say, hey, I'm there with you. Uh and sometimes people look, oh, you're a musician and you're you're doing um doing things like this. Uh I want to shout out my guy uh Fon Dockrey out in North Carolina, uh similar situation. He lost his daughter to gun violence. My condolences, my condolences. And so he's been an activist down in North Carolina trying to get root uh laws passed that um require if you have a gun to have it in a lockbox. Right, right. Understandably. So he's been fighting that for about a year, but he's still in the fight for his for his uh for his daughter. Right. Uh so it's like, you know, um I never, like I said, I never lost anybody, but I have a daughter. Uh so to not see her because of something like that, you know, made me want to just, you know, help because of the situation. Sometimes people ask, you ain't lose nobody, so why you helping? I'm like, you know, it's because it's not about me. Right, because I have compassion. I've I've had I've I've I've I've had that question asked, like, why are you helping? Like, you haven't, you know, have you lost anybody? I said, No, I haven't. I said, I've I've lost, you know, grandparents, you know, stuff like that, but never uh like a family member that was like close, blood, you know.

SPEAKER_07 1:17:38

So that's just going to show you a heart, though, man. You know, for you to not even that you still sympathize with it, even though that's not your situation. Because we live in a world today where everybody is for self. If it ain't got nothing to do with me, then I ain't worried about it. I ain't, you know what I mean? And I think that's what today we really need. We need people like you, we need people that has more compassion, and that's not all about self. And well, I ain't gonna do that. I ain't, you know, because everybody has it's funny because many may have that mindset until it happens to them, right? And then now they're looking for people like you to support and get behind them. You know what I mean? When they go through it themselves, you know what I mean? But compassion, the compassion that we lack today is a scary thing where everybody is just thinking about self. So now I commend you, brother, in everything that you're doing. And I pray that you, you know, keep keep keep that same heart and don't let the world harden your heart for no reason at all.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:42

Yeah, true that same uh and the same with you, because I you know, because I had to realize even when you do stuff, and because yours is more magnified than somebody else's, but y'all both can do the same thing. Right. I'm gonna I'm gonna try to like sabotage what you're doing. But you're doing the same thing I'm doing. Right. So it should be like, hey, let's let's come together for a cause. Right, exactly. You got a platform. Yours might be bigger than mine, but all right, let's work together and make something, make something big and you know, do do what we gotta do. But it's like people like, if you're doing it and it's it's looking a little bigger than what I'm doing, they're looking at it like it's competition.

SPEAKER_07 1:19:23

Yeah, it ain't you don't have to put somebody else's light out to shine brighter, and if you with the right mindset, which is why people need relationships with God with the right mindset, if we come together, whether if your light isn't as bright as the next person's, if you connect with that light, then you will shine brighter, right? But people look at it like they need to diminish your light so people could look over here. That's not how you shine.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:51

True, that's gonna make people turned off. Yep. So uh as we as we close, you know, because we could probably do this all night. Facts, facts, but I know I know you you're a busy man and all that. You gotta, you know, so I want to know. Um, who was it? I think it was your wife said not to use fans, but supporters. So I'm gonna take that. So I'm gonna be like, where can your supporters follow and support? Yeah, because I I said fans, and she's like, nah, you're it's supporters. So I said, That's how we do it. So where can your supporters follow and pretty much support what y'all are doing?

SPEAKER_07 1:20:27

Um, so YouTube, if you want to see any of our music videos, um of um um any of our music, uh interviews, even like this one, go to our YouTube page. You can type in for me, Tone Butter, T-O-N-E-B-U-T-T-A. I'm also on um Facebook, Antonio Joseph Smith. Uh parentheses tone butter. Follow me if I'm at the max, just shoot me a message, let me know that you, you know what I'm saying, that you connecting. I show love. I always show love. I love to show love. So, you know, always come with love and I'm gonna show you love. You come with something else, and and the last thing you go, you're gonna understand. Don't let this suit fool you. But anyway, anyways, I'm on I G at the Real Tone Butter, uh, T-O-N-E-B-U-T-T-A, the real tone butter. I'm on TikTok, the real tone butter. You could Google me, T-O-N-E-B-U-T-T-A, Tone Butter. And if you see real business music, real business ministries, real business B-U-Z, I-N-E-S-S-N anything, that's us, that's the family, real business. Because I also wanted to state that as well. We all are ministers, also. All right, we all are devoted ministers, so it's just that our ministries may look different than the uh typical religious tradition. You know, I mean, but this is our ministry.

SPEAKER_00 1:22:00

So you want to give any uh any shout outs? So so before you give your shout outs, your yours gotta be yours gotta be a little longer than uh for Naz Peoples, though. Uh people he shout out.

SPEAKER_07 1:22:14

So I got you. Man, first of all, first and foremost, shout out to God, man. Shout out to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, man. Shout out to the Holy Spirit, man, because without God, none of this, none of this would be happening. None of it. Shout out to my wife, the wife that the Lord gave me, who who is really a powerhouse behind a lot of the things we do, from the visuals to the graphics to even the songs you hear, the engineering. Shout out to my wife, man. Shout out to my brother in Christ, Reynolds Peoples who out here doing this thing and blazing it up in the name of the Lord. Uh, shout out to the whole real business music family, shout out to the whole DMV, you know, and everybody that's doing their thing, who doing the right thing.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:57

Right.

SPEAKER_07 1:22:57

But those who are not doing the right thing, I just pray and I urge you to get on the right path. Because if you do bad, then bad will follow you. You know, you do wrong things, the wrong thing will follow you. You know, rest in peace to Pluck Johnson, who was also an artist from DC. I got that statement from him. You do the wrong thing, the wrong things will follow you. You know what I mean? Uh, shout out to Pusha Independent Radio Show and my dog Adrian. Shout out to Indy Heart Radio, you dig, and everything, everything that's powering and backing them up. You know what I'm saying? Real business, man. And shout out to all these new music. And shout, you know, shout out to my family. Also, you know, shout out to my family, to all of our supporters. We appreciate you. We appreciate every supporter, whether if I never met you before, whether if I don't even know that you supported me, shout out to you. We thank you because it uh what we're doing, your support means so much, and it's just as important as what we're doing because you help push us and keep us going and magnify our ministry so that we can get it out and impact the people. So, shout out to our supporters, man, and shout out to everybody on this independent grind. It's not easy. I know it ain't easy, but consistency and alignment with God is how you will win for certain. For certain. So if you know you got something, if you know you got a gift or you got a talent, stop sitting on it. You gotta be consistent. Don't get mad at somebody else who might not have a good message, the good message that you have, or the great talent you have because they out here winning. You know what I'm saying? You get on your job and do what you gotta do because you got a lot of people that's cursing others because of the music or whatever they doing with what they got isn't good, and they may be sharing the wrong messages. And if you got a good message, then get out here and put it out. Because you don't have to curse the darkness for you to be a light. Let them say and do what they're doing, get on your job, do what you do so that an audience can see the light. Of course, they'll be attracted to things that may be dark or you know, that doesn't have substance, and it's more of that out here. So, for you people, all of you who's sitting on your talents, this is a word of confirmation to get up and get the job done. Do your thing, do your thing, real business, man. Real business.

SPEAKER_00 1:25:34

If if I had an organ right now and I could put it in the key of key of seat. Real business, man. I love it, man. Hey yo, um, so I'm gonna give a big shout out to my guest tonight, Tom Butter, representing the DMV. Uh artist, actor, act, activist, fashion designer, and poet. Hey, my man is doing uh doing it all, representing all cultures the right way. Continue to do what you're doing, and don't let nobody deter you from what you're doing. Because you know, you're doing you're doing real big stuff, and then people can derail what they they see you doing.

SPEAKER_07 1:26:09

They definitely brother. To God be the glory.

SPEAKER_00 1:26:13

So, and please make sure to follow and support everything that tone butter, uh the real uh business music. Real business music. Make sure you follow, support everything they're doing, because they're doing big things. Yes, yes. Be on the lookout for any new music, new projects. Yes, you've been tuned in with your boy A D from Indy Hart Push Your Independent Radio Show. Yes, I'm your host, A D, where we bring y'all the dopest, dopest hits, music, interviews, songs, all of it. We doing it until next time. Keep pushing independent music, y'all.

SPEAKER_07 1:26:52

Real business. One more, hold up, one more thing. All right, I got a project, I got another album I'm about to release called Give Them the Blues. We're about to drop it. I'm about to drop it on Even Biz. Uh uh I'm taking a page out of LaRussell, uh, out of his playbook. You know what I'm saying? I'm gonna drop this project on Even Biz. It's gonna be a pay what you want drink, direct to consumer. So I'm gonna be able to share it with everybody, all of the supporters, and you can pay whatever you want for it at the minimum being one dollar. Pay whatever you want for it. It's called Give Them the Blues. You really, if you if you love the blues and you love hip hop, I'm telling you, you're gonna love this album straight up, real business. And my wife also has an album coming out, uh Beauty and Pain. So y'all be on the lookout for that. And she got a slew of uh Caribbean Afro Beat style songs coming out as well. We're about to drop a video of hers tonight. So y'all lock in and tune in. You know what I'm saying? We're dropping another song by Reynolds Peoples called Don't Wake Me Up Tonight. So y'all lock in and tune in, man. We dropping bums.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:56

Real big.

SPEAKER_00 1:28:08

We family. Let's do it. We family. So when is so so I can let my lady know when is when is wifey's uh EP coming out?

SPEAKER_07 1:28:18

So her EP is coming out soon, maybe in like a month, maybe in like a month, because she got she dropping some other projects right now. Like I said, we're releasing her video tonight called God Knows. Tonight, my matter of fact, once I get off of here, just be looking because we're about to uh drop that joint. Um, she has another album that's already out called Dreams and Visions. So the beauty and pain is gonna kind of be sort of a sequel from that joint. It's a it's a real neo soul type vibe. RB, the joint is fire, but um she has some videos and um some more. She actually has some more singles for that project that she's about to drop um from Dreams and Visions before she releases Beauty and Pain. So be on the lookout for that joint. And yeah, man.

SPEAKER_00 1:29:05

Well, we got what we're gonna do going forward, because this is what this is something I added as well. Uh we're gonna start doing music drops. Okay, what I'm gonna come back is when you let me know when y'all about to drop your music, then we'll bring y'all back, and then we're gonna do like a little review. Let's do it so like they can hear like what y'all got going on.

SPEAKER_07 1:29:24

Look, even if you even if you wanted to do a segment where you pick a song and have me break down the bars, we could do that too. Oh yeah, we can do it all.

SPEAKER_00 1:29:35

Let's do it. Ain't no ain't no problem, but like you hear me. Y'all dropping music. So we doing, we I'm introducing pusher, indie pusher music drop. So anytime you drop some new, new, new ish, send that. We're gonna be in the joint. Right. Y'all come back, we're gonna play it. Uh then we talk about the songs, and then we go, we're gonna we gonna we're gonna do it like that. Most definitely. That's another uh service that I'm that I'm offering the people as well.

SPEAKER_07 1:30:03

Let's do it. I'm with you. We locked in, fam. Let's do it, man. Let's do it. We locked in. We locked in, man. And don't forget, don't forget to to watch that movie, Detective MJ, tonight, too. Shout out, shout out to my brother. Um, shout out to my brother Moore Small, the film director. That's my dog, man. Check that joint out. Give me your feedback on that as well. And also be on the lookout for our own movie, God Got Me. Coming soon. Real business entertainment, real business films. We're dropping our first film this year. Give us a few more months. We just put in the final touches to it, but y'all gonna be blessed by this. Real business.

SPEAKER_00 1:30:44

I see y'all, man. Y'all, yeah, man. Y'all, y'all, y'all, y'all working, man.

SPEAKER_07 1:30:48

To God be the glory, man. Look, when God flows, you just flow with him. You can't lose.

SPEAKER_00 1:30:54

With these interviews, man. I'm like, you know, I'm like, man. I'm like, people like, hey, I want to interview. I'm like, and I'm like, I'm like busy on all month, but like, you know, if it's for y'all, you know, y'all, if y'all drop some next month, I I can I can make a date and time.

SPEAKER_07 1:31:07

Oh, look, let's do it. Let's do it. Matter of fact, we're gonna jump on that ASAP.

SPEAKER_00 1:31:12

All right, bet. Let's do that.

SPEAKER_07 1:31:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:31:15

All right, man. I'm looking forward to the video. Uh y'all keep working. Uh, I'm gonna work uh I'm always supporting. Appreciate y'all's support, and you know, we're gonna keep it pushing, man. One more.

SPEAKER_07 1:31:26

Keep it pushing, pushing independently. I gotta go cook this chicken and pork chops, man. I'm gonna holla at you later. All right, bro.

SPEAKER_05 1:31:33

All right, bro. All right, man.