Q&A With Rising Buffalo Emcee Son of Tony

Yo Son of Tony!! We really appreciate you rocking with UGHHBLOG! You’re definitely a true stand out artist out of Buffalo, NY for 2021. Please tell us how many years you’ve been making music? For those unfamiliar, please shed some light on your background in the Hip Hop game. Please detail.

I started making music the end of 2016. This is really like, year four for me. I dropped my first project around that November.

The Golden era of Hip Hop is what influenced me. I was locked up in the county with DMX one time. He kinda put that influence in me a little harder. I used to spit bars with Hell Rell & Chi Ali on the courts in Clinton Correctional and Attica. Mc Lyte pulled me on stage before at a Teen Summit. There are many instances that let me know this life was for me. I was doing bids back and forth so, it stopped me early. By the time 2017 came, I was full fledged hungry at that point and well, here we are.

Please shine some light on your city Buffalo, how is the underground Hip Hop scene out there?

The underground scene in my city has shifted since Griselda set everything on fire. There was no network before them. No shine. No light. Because of their innovation, this city getting looks. That’s just the truth. We was dead in the water kinda. Even Rochester music scene was better than ours. They kept top notch talent coming through. We was the forgotten city until them. Since, the homegrown artists are twice as busy now and it’s a beautiful thing to see. We alway’s had the talent, just no platform. Bill’s Super Bowl bound again. It’s a wonderful time here. Despite life altering circumstances of course. Buffalo hungry. We want in. We still feel like we slept on. The world in trouble until we are accepted.

Your career has had a strong second wind over the past few years. Do you find most of your fanbase familiar with you from your old projects, or do you feel that you’ve been discovered in recent years more so on the merit of your music. Please detail.

Majority of my fanbase are those already aware of me. But the projects I’ve dropped previous I made a little noise. It’s always new people coming across the content, word of mouth. The newer music so raw I think it’s a shock initially. I think it’s been more recent years I’ve been discovered though. It’s a process to find the kind of music I like too. That took some time. I really search for sound. Finding the right engineers takes time. It all takes time. I only make music with the intent on staying power. I know music doesn’t typically last long nowadays but, if I drop something, will I still be proud of the quality and strength 1,3,5 years later. My process is intense. People love the older material but I can’t listen to it. I grew so much over a short period of time.

Compared to other artists, what makes me stand out is my content. I’m trying to make you feel something. If I can’t give you the doo doo face while your listening, I’m not doing something right. Music should make you feel something. And no matter who I’m compared to, it’s usually a platinum selling artist. I say that humbly. I get the comparisons. I overstand them too. But I’m me. I don’t sound like nobody. And this is like, just the opening act. I’ma murder everything I touch until I get the respect. People relate to what I say. These are real feelings. Real bars. Real pain. No matter how much chaos I might speak of, it’s still light in it. Light on it. You know that God sent me. The messages be clear if your listening.

Wow, your latest album “Son On A Sunday” is a true BANGER in our books, your delivery & style is truly out of this world!  Tell us the story behind your recent project, And a little about the album cover concept!

Son on a Sunday is my hello. I’m hard but I’m conscious. Before digital we had analog. The cover represents both, hence the static and blending. The old me versus the new me. Sunday’s also happened to be the day of the week that certain songs came to me. On our calendar’s Sunday starts the beginning of the week. I dropped in the beginning of the new year. I originally wanted to choose a day of the week that nobody was using. But then I started noticing people was using that day so I had no choice but to drop on a Friday like everybody else. Finally, Sunday’s are also the day I reset. Refocus and put my week in order. Sunday’s are powerful to me for different reasons.

What’s your favorite track off your latest album, and why? And please reference your favorite bar from this song that highlights your elite level lyricism.

My favorite track is Wet Stones with the incomparable Tish Hyman. For personal reasons. My mother and my baby brother has Cancer. It’s a message of hope. Yeah I keep red eyes because of trauma, but it doesn’t stop me from trying to be what I need to be so I can help mine. Help other’s. I need to make it before anymore tragedy befalls my family and I can’t help because I can’t afford the medicine or treatments or personal care aids etc. Money helps. My father meant a lot to me. I wanna keep uplifting his name. He ain’t get a chance to see this. Tish Hyman even caught tears while recording her verse. I honestly think she’s singing to me in the hook but I don’t wanna sound vain.
“ Money is the root of a tree, with no seeds/ You don’t have much to plant, but your family in need/
Shit’ll test every nerve, test all you believe, but test is a part of testimony indeed”.

For this new year 2021, what do we have to look forward to when it comes to new Son of Tony music?  Please reference your forthcoming projects that you’re at liberty to speak of.

Look forward to Son on a Sunday 2 and 3. I go on tears when I write so, there is another 20 songs that belong in the series, haven’t been heard yet. I got a couple records with producer Kyo Itachi that’ll drop soon. A record with Tragedy Khadafi & Ruste Juxx. Couple more features I can’t really mention yet but this year gonna be crazy. Bunch of new videos lined up too.

Due to the pandemic, how are you pivoting with making music around this whole Covid 19 situation?

I have a home studio. I pretty much stay locked in there everyday. But what the pandemic did do is teach me the value of content. No shows. No real interaction right? What’s left really? More music and more videos. The content is what’s gonna keep us artists alive during this pandemic. Merch. So while were down, I’m just gonna press forward. I worked too hard to just give up when I haven’t even really started yet. It’s working so far.

We have to ask, with all this social discourse and revolt, protesting and rioting, exposed police brutality toward blacks and BLM, how do you guys feel about this? We would love your perspective on the climate we are living in right now?

Last year was unprecedented for so many reasons. Showed me what and who is really important. So I’m focused on leaving these digital footprints until this world switches directions. I need the fans in tune already. Plan to use this to my advantage. With all we’ve seen recently, I’m hoping this new administration can correct a lot of wrong. That’s a high hope but a hope nonetheless. Equal rights in this country is still the topic. Still a reality. Still a fallacy. We need the conversation to be a normality now. Mass shootings are down. Police brutality has a brighter light on it now. Still hasn’t stopped either. People still unemployed. Homeless. We need more attention and love this year. A cure for Covid-19. A cure for Cancer. We need a lot and it’s gonna require each of us to give a lot as well. My heart goes out to all those who lost a loved one recently. 2020 showed us how to be accountable. We all gotta take accountability for what we do or don’t do in this new year.

Our most popular question!!  What is your definition of “underground Hip Hop”?

My definition of underground Hip Hip is that raw. That undeniable raw. Soon as you hear it, you need more. Remember the feeling of catching on to a artist and then going to find everything they did because you heard one record or melody or bar? I’m here to provide that feeling. Spread this light. This knowledge. Grow with my listeners while they grow with me. Make my mark. Aim 1st Entertainment and we not here to play.

Where can people find you on the web? Drop all the vital links.

+ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonoftonyworldwide
+ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/son_ov_tony
+ Website: https://www.sonoftony.com
+ sonoftony.lnk.to/aim1stent
+ website: https://www.aim1stent.com
+ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aim1stentertainment