Damn shame. This brotha's debut CD was off the fuckin' chain. He was like Kirk Franklin meets Prince...NO LIE!

Yesterday, (1/22) in a shocking revelation to Aundrae Russell during the popular gospel radio show known as Spread the Word on 102.3 Radio Free KJLH, Award-winning, Verity Records artist Tonex announced his retirement from the gospel industry. Originally scheduled to appear on Spread the Word to talk about his participation in the upcoming BET Gospel Celebration, Tonex began to explain his disappointment in the industry and the direction the music is taking...

And while Aundrae and guest co-host Lester Barry were shocked to hear this first hand from the ground breaking artist, Tonex went on to discuss his position. He also pointed out that his blog on www.myspace.com/tonex would explain some of what he is feeling... The blog starts out like this:

"TONEX RETIRES FROM THE MUSIC INDUSTRY



Salutations 2 all,

After long contemplation and much financial & emotional hardship I have decided that Tonex needs go on hiatus from the music industry. I have tried very hard to endure all that I can from being misunderstodd to being down right lied on and I don't physically or emotionally have the capacity to continue on anymore under the current circumstances. My record Label ZLG (Zomba Label Group) has repeatedly ignored my requests for help and they just don't get me as an artist. But I'm not blaming them, it's hard for anyone to really get me as an artist because I am not the normal type of artist. I bow out. And I don't know when I'm coming back. "

We'll have more about Tonex's retirement as the day progresses.. and will post the entire interview with Tonex on our website so that you can hear first hand, the analysis of the gospel music industry and Tonex's retirement announcement... Keep checking www.kjlhradio.com to hear more of Tonex and his sudden retirement from the industry...

Bringing you the news first, It's 102.3 Radio Free KJLH.....
[Edited 1/27/06 17:58pm]

just heard about him today in another thread...I must check him out...

i agree with his statement on how real artist are being overlooked by these manufactured artist. and how certain artist are fake and not being themselves.

I wonder, though, if this isn't like Prince's "retirements" back in the day.

Tonex will be back. With a voice and presence such as his, he'll be back.

ThreadBare said:

You may be right and I sure the hell hope so. (Can I use the word "hell" when discussing a gospel artist? )

I really hope that he changes his mind. I liked that he bought something different to gospel music. His cd "Out the Box" is one of my favorites.

NOOOOO!!!! i wanted to see him live!!! , i saw him on some gospel awards thing and he blew me away!! i understand his reasons tho

Tonex is off the chain!!! I have his Out the Box DVD (which one many awards), and the brotha is smokin and on fiyah!! My relatives and friends brought his DVD after I showed them mine! This man can sing any kind of music with those high octaves, he preaches, dances, thoroughly entertains to the hilt! I pray he returns!! The brotha is toooo powerful and strong for this wack music industry. Tonex is surely an innovator! He definitely is Prince and MJ meets Kirk Franklin with his own flava! Tonex say it isn't so!!

THE MUSIC INDUSTRY SUCKS !!!!!
I feel his pain...

Shame shame shame...
I'am bumping Bout A Thang and Pass Me By from his album O2 right now.
Its amazing, best uptempo stuff I have heard in 10 years, Jamiroquai the only exception.

Here's the complete explanation from Tonex:

Sunday, January 22, 2006
TONEX RETIRES FROM THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

Salutations 2 all,

After long contemplation and much financial & emotional hardship I have decided that Tonex needs go on hiatus from the music industry. I have tried very hard to endure all that I can from being misunderstodd to being down right lied on and I don't physically or emotionally have the capacity to continue on anymore under the current circumstances. My record Label ZLG (Zomba Label Group) has repeatedly ignored my requests for help and they just don't get me as an artist. But I'm not blaming them, it's hard for anyone to reall get me as an artist because I am not the normal type of artist. I bow out. And I don't know when I'm coming back.


Honestly I don't feel that I fit into anyone's catergory but my own, but in a world that's filled with labels, sections & catergories people can't function if they can't put you in a certain box.

I don't fit totally into Gospel because I don't sing JESUS JESUS JESUS all day and I don't fit into mainstream because I don't sing SEX SEX SEX all day either. I'm at a serious crossroads right now in life. And I don't have the answers. I cried and cried and cried last night to God for help because I can't go any further.

I'm not writing this so that people can feel sorry, I'm blogging my thoughts out. And I think I need to just bow out gracefully while I'm still on a fairly successful run off of OTB. I will continue to sell my projects online and things like that via YOTONEX but I think I need to just dissappear until I can find a place where I can live at least comfortably. Right now I am an 8 time Stellar Award winning , 2 time Dove award winning, Grammy nominated, Gold Selling artist with no furniture, Divorced, No chairs, No money. The label doesn't give me advances because my contract a is real wack. And they don't communicate.I don't know what else to say world.

What's funny is I still have people writing to me kicking me while I'm down. So now I say y'all can have it. Tonex will be out of your way once and for all. You win. Please congratulate Ex-Ministries, some Chick from England named Alexandria and a host of other so called Christians who have literally destroyed,defamated , embarrased and fatigue my life, my family and my spirit. I'm done y'all. Really. Sorry that I let some of you down but it wasn't intentional. I don't have ANY options right now so I have to do what I have to do which is "Nothing".

They don't even ask me what the real deal is but they use and twist my words for controversy sake to sell CD's DVD's and magazines. I had no idea Christians get down like this ????

Now the Gospel industry can finally be at rest because the funny guy isn't around any more.

Lauryn Hill said it best. " You superstar you Stupid star they hail you to nail you no matter who you are." Until I find peace and a real reason to get back in this game called the record business, I retire. I might still write for others and stuff like that but as for me and my house?, y'all take it and have it because i've been nothing but slung in through the mud. I haven't done everything right, but what I 've been expericencing here recently is wrong.

My faith in Christianity is fading because I'm not understanding alot of "Christians" mentality when it comes to love. I have found nothing but anguish, lies, hatefulness and deception.

I believe in the Kingdom of God and I definitely believe in Jesus. But western civilization's version of Christ is very disturbing because they have totally disconnected Him from real life.

He lives in THEIR church and THEIR church only. I don't wanna hear any scriptures and I don't wanna hear any Oh, God's gonna bring you out type stuff right now. I need a miracle and I need it fast. I've still been pastoring and that's been the only thing that really brings me joy, to see others blessed. But now I'm at the point where I'm drained and I don't have the physical energy anymore to continue on. God gives me the strength to deliever a rhema word every week for others but it's crazy when you still need one yourself.

I see so many Gospel Artist that literally HATE each other and when I see them celebrated like oh God is so pleased with them and I'm just being me and now I'm the ANTI CHRIST ? I'm like y'all niggaz can have this. I can't take the fakeness no more. I'm wide open and now I'm like y'all take a hit cuz I ain't got nothing to lose. I've lost everything so you really can't hurt me anymore than I've already been hurt. And that's what hurts. So many people call themselves ministers but they don't minister they COMPETE. I'm gonna tell y'all the truth what you see on TV ain't real..... because if you're "real" then you're a sinner, if you're real then you're out of the will of God. But I don't have the energy to be fake. I never have been and I never will be.
Until God sends me a word through somebody for real that don't care that I'm Tonex but cares about the man of God who really needs the love of Christ to be demonstrated through a human being , I don't wanna hear it.

This is not a ploy to get you to worry about me or start more rumors; so let's clarify something right now.....tonex is IS NOT leaving "Gospel" to go sing the dreaded "R&B". TONEX is retiring from an industry and religion that has completly stipped and cut and scarred his heart to the point he feels there's no repair. And yes I blame CHURCH FOLKS. You have caused so much hurt and pain to so many people that needed to see the Love of a Real Christ. I'm done with Church. I'm all about kingdom now. And in my pursuit of the real Jesus I leave your fictious, vindictive country club and cancel my membership to the industry and denounce it. I don't fit in and I don't want to. Whatever my mission is for God I wanna do it with the right heart and the right spirit. But that's just it I don't have a spirit right now. I'm too bruised to know what to feel.

Maybe one day someone with real discernment will know how to minister to someone like me right now. But if there was someone like that then I'm sure that Michael Jackson, Dennis Rodman, and some random heavily pierced skater on the beach would have experienced that real agape love by now. So until I find it , I've gotta get out of this matrix before I end up never wanting to sing again ever.

Thanx to every person that wrote to me and I do my best to write you all back because I want you to know that I'm a real person with real feelings and a real family. I read everything.

Thanx to Yolanda Adams for being a real big sister to me. Kirk you really came through for me in Houston, I'm grateful. Judith McCallister thank u so much.

Until you hear from me again musically.

Kingdom Kulture Kool


2 each His own


[Edited 1/27/06 8:29am]
[Edited 1/27/06 8:30am]

ChristopherTracyParade said:

damn

I wish I could talk to TONEX personally. I would tell him to read about all the great men and women in the bible. Many of them went through things far worse then what he's dealing with now. But their faith in God got them through. TONEX will be back. And he'll have a good testimony to share.

Yall must haven't seen Kirk Franklin's blog, he dedicated a whole post to Tonex...

Even in his "retirement," the brother is ministering. He needs to read Job.

Ummm, dang. Dude's hot!! I agree with him in a lot of ways. And, as always, with Threadbare about the Book of Job.



As far as his money woes, I thought he was pastoring a pretty big church, the church his Dad pastored before he died. Oh well. I'm praying for dude and all God's people that struggle with...







































life.

All I know is...he sounds like a tortured soul...and from my selfishness alone I can't wait to hear this brotha's comeback CD = His pain and struggle and breakthrough is gonna BE ALL OVER IT AND IT'S GONNA BE OFF THE CHAIN!

I haven't heard 02 or Out The Box yet, but THIS is the CD that started it all off - A MUST HAVE!
It has somethin' for "ery'bodeh!"...So much so that he even breaks his song sections down in categories: Hip Hop/Rap, Retro/Funk, The Future, Jazz, Mellow Grooves, Soul/Gospel. Dude is talented and creative and different and not shut down to one style in his usually "safe" genre. Ya gotta love the gonads on that kid.

ABeautifulOne said:

link please!

Wow, I read the article and found myself nodding along with some of what he is saying. How sad that it's true.

Moonwalkbjrain said:

http://www.kirkfranklin.us/blog/

ABeautifulOne said:

thank ya!

that was beautiful what kirk had to say

Tone is releasing new songs on his myspace page. Check back everyday
I think he released 10 or so since he started journal entries on Myspace.
The new song is dope too. Vocal Harmonies are cool.

This must tick off his label but whatever I think that's taking a stand. Did anyone read his latest? You thought Prince had a bad Record deal. Tone's is set up like the mafia.

Anyways his blog entries are dope. This cat is a musical rebel. He released like 4 versatile records not on Verity while signed. He deserves all the props he gets as a producer/musician/vocalist/songwriter.

SOmetimes I wonder if Prince will ever ask Tone to play at 3121 jam sessions.
You know how cats talk about D'angelo? They should be talking about Tone the next time he releases something. Even though he just released a double cd on Itunes. He can get em next time I guess.


I've been into him since September 2000. Im always surprised no one outside of the gospel world calls him for production/remixes. Anyways, alot of cats know him in the industry. Michael Jackson,Stevie,Babyface,Bilal,


I made a few posts on the org about him.

Tone has been writing and producing and playing since he was 8.

Trickology said:

I am so damn mad that a whole bunch of people downloaded that Cicu$$ track he posted, I didn't even get a chance to hear it but I know to move faster next time

ABeautifulOne said:

I think I can get a mp3 of this. I also have all the others you missed.

I've never heard him

Trickology said:

I'd appreciate it so much if you have it