Today we’d like to introduce you to Antonio Jones.
Hi Antonio, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
A kid from the Eastside of Cleveland grew up in a single-parent household with my mom and two brothers. Heavily influenced by music growing up listening to my mom play oldies when she cleaned the house. I started rapping after graduating from Euclid High School. When I got to college at The University of Toledo, I realized school wasn’t for me, so I dropped out and picked up writing music. I had a ton of family members that were big in the Cleveland music scene and watching them pursue their passion inspired me to focus on mine. I started making music, got my feet wet and learned from the great artists around me. Amongst the artists was one of my cousins, who was like a brother to me, had passed away. Coping with that major loss, I continued to create music through the pain because he was one of my biggest supporters, and not too long after that my mom passed away. I was going through so much emotionally at that time all I could do was submerge myself into music. I couldn’t hear anything but sounds, numb to everything. After that, I moved out to Philly and started working on my music full-time with my brother. That led to different opportunities, opening the door to working and writing music with Earl St. Clair. That opportunity got me connected in LA to record, and then I moved out here full-time to write and rap with Artist/Producer Gov White.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Life is never a smooth road, my mother used to always teach us that “in order to be great, you have to have a great story, and every great story isn’t always pretty”. Of course, growing up with just my mom, we struggled, but that’s most families around us growing up at the time, we had to figure it out and find a way. My family motto is “we small, but mighty.” It’s in me and on me. I’ve always had that underdog mentality that I want more because I’ve always had to be a sense of support to my family.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My name is Tony Tru, and I am an Independent Artist from the eastside of Cleveland, OH, currently living on the West Coast. I specialize in emotion being able to connect with people through music. Like my latest single, ‘Tell Me’ – it’s about showing the people you love how you feel without saying words—speaking through actions. Or like my project Equally Opposite, with Gov White, that speaks to the emotions of those trying to turn up vs. those tapping in mentally and dealing with some shit. Equally… Opposite.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Be prepared for anything, literally. The more you know, the more you can do with yourself.
Contact Info:
- Email: bookings@tonytru.com
- Website: tonytru.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonytru216
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/tonytru216
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/tonytru216
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyXLvtE9os3wHE_dam-55Ww
- Other: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/tony-tru/1052261205
Image Credits
https://www.instagram.com/photocredned/ @photocredned
