Eternal Tone: “Artists like Dizzy Wright, Brother Ali, and Satsang truly changed the trajectory of my music from hip-hop to genre-bending, purpose-driven music meant to heal, guide, and assist”
Kansas-based rapper Eternal Tone recently delivered a seriously powerful track titled Kodaks, and it's a tune that’s been living in my headphones non-stop ever since. Teaming up with Kali Katana and Keyboy, AKA Meaningful Music, the trio have crafted a hard-hitting piece of hip-hop packed with electric energy, clever wordplay, and beats that instantly pull you in.
Keen to get to know the artist better and tap into his perspective, I was stoked when he said he'd be down to chat with us!
Taking us through his early days of performing around McPherson, his surprising love for emcees, given that he grew up a metal head, and his firm belief that holding back one's passions, creations, or communications does a huge disservice to the world, please welcome our new friend Eternal Tone!
Eternal Tone! Welcome! I'm really excited to introduce you to our ever-growing audience!
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, please tell us a little bit about your musical journey so far. I know you released your debut single, Keep it Cool, back in 2021.
Although Keep it Cool is my first single released across streaming platforms back in 2021, Keep it Cool is actually a return to the art form for me and the continuation of an album, Peace and Good Vibes, that I originally envisioned and started in 2017. It consisted of my first three singles, Love in Ya Cup, Peace and Good Vibes, and Make Moves.
I always resonated dearly with music as I was very much the loner, isolated, and closed-off type throughout my childhood, and music quickly became an escape for me to venture off into and not feel so alone. For the first time, I heard others who faced the same hardships and life experiences as I, and that made everything okay and gave me evidence that I could rewrite my story.
I eventually felt inspired to offer that same feeling of not being so alone to others that I had often received, and that got me through some of the darkest times of my life. I thought, if I could give that hope to one person, everything would have been worth it and then some.
At the age of 14, I picked up the pen and got to telling my story the best I knew how. By 16, I wanted to share that story with as many others as I possibly could, and as soon as I was of age, I started performing in local venues in the small town of McPherson, KS, where I was raised and where the fire was lit.
After a 3-year hiatus due to an unhealthy relationship and the death of our beloved friend and engineer, Jacob MixMaster Muller, I picked the torch back up, vowed to never put my passion and self down again, and we've been creating art consistently ever since.
Now, I’m sorry to pose such a tough question, but if you could choose one of your tracks to skyrocket to the top of the charts and achieve massive success, which would it be and why?
That is a very tough question, and I think I'd have to split the decision between 2 of my songs for different reasons.
First, my single Broken Wings from the Metamorphosis album, which was the second project ever recorded, brings with it such a strong and impactful message of overcoming, taking the pieces of you others would call broken, and making something absolutely beautiful out of it. That alone is a message I would love to bring to any and every ear, heart, and soul I possibly could.
My second option would be my upcoming single My Story from my currently releasing album Where the Wind Blows, set to release in its entirety on January 11th. My Story brings with it a similar sense of vulnerability and willingness to take that vulnerability, be proud of it, and sculpt it into a story others can relate to and be inspired by. It's easily one of my favorite songs I've written, and Steven Shields, AKA Audio Paradolia of Nest Records, did such an incredible job of creating the instrumental for it with beautiful live instrumentation and top-tier production.
Kodaks was my introduction to your sound, and I’m genuinely annoyed at myself for showing up late to the Eternal Tone party.
It's a genius piece of music that I can't stop listening to - and I'm wondering what that initial spark was that set the track in motion?
I appreciate you greatly for the kind words, first and foremost. Thank you!
Kodaks was sparked forth entirely by Kali Katana, who has been an awesome and super talented producer that I've been blessed to work with throughout the years. He sent me the beat, I sat down at the park one day to check it out and do some writing, and the chorus wrote itself instantly!
After wrapping up the first verse, I couldn't help but feel pulled to contact another artist in the area, Keyboy, AKA Meaningful Music, to add to the single and join me in making an impactful, heartfelt, and catchy jam that could get people dancing while also leaving them motivated to take on the road ahead.
Take us through some of your biggest musical influences.
And, just for fun, if you could pluck one song from history and add your name to it, which would it be?
For someone who grew up as a metal head, my early years as an artist were surprisingly and greatly inspired by emcees and groups such as Tech N9ne, Z-Ro, Eminem, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, 2Pac, Nas, The Fugees, and Outkast. But it was artists such as Dizzy Wright, Brother Ali, and Satsang who truly changed the trajectory of my music from strictly Hip-Hop to genre-bending, purpose-driven music meant to heal, guide, and assist listeners along their individual journeys.
They showed and shared with me the impact our voices carry and the importance of using our abilities and voices for empowerment and the greater good.
If I could pick one song to be a part of throughout history, I think I would go with Get By by Talib Kweli featuring Mos Def, Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Busta Rhymes. To me, this song represents Hip-Hop so incredibly well and with such a beautiful representation of the craft spanning across all eras of the art - and who wouldn't want to be featured alongside such legends!
Do you feel artists have a responsibility to comment on the times we’re living in, or is music’s role more personal and timeless?
I don't know that I feel artists have a responsibility to comment on anything other than what is placed on their hearts, per se, especially outside of our music. In my opinion, artists should never allow others to dictate or influence what it is they create or the actions they take along their journey, but I do feel we all have a responsibility to share what our souls wish so dearly to express.
I believe this pull to be a sort of tugging from the divine and attempt to communicate with us through different and magical methods, and I believe that keeping or holding back any of the passions, creations, or communications our hearts wish to share does a huge disservice to the world as a whole.
You never know what message and impact upon another the divine could use you to get across or accomplish, so share your heart and make your art!
German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said, “Without music, life would be a mistake.”
What would your life look like without music, and what fills your days when you’re not busy creating?
I can honestly say my world would be a much darker place without music, and I don't think I would have made it through some of the darkest times of my life without it. Music is an absolutely crucial part of my life, and it gives me a sense of purpose and connectedness in sharing with and offering hope and guidance to others traversing this wild world we live in.
I try to make it a point to create or work on music every day, but when I am not creating, I am spending my days enjoying quality time with my family, adventuring in the outdoors, and going to live music events as much as possible.
Which of your lyrics would you like to see printed on a T-shirt?
If I had to pick one lyric to represent my message the best and have it on a T-shirt, I would have to go with "It's more about faith than staying strong" from my song Keep Your Light On featuring Adrian Hill.
Eternal Tone, it's been an absolute pleasure getting to know you better! Thanks again for taking the time.
Before we say farewell, what comes next for you musically, and do you have any words of wisdom you'd like to leave us with?
Thank you so much, and I appreciate the time I've got to spend with you. Coming next for me is the upcoming release of my newest album, Where the Wind Blows, dropping in its entirety on Jan.11th across all platforms. Also, lots of new shows on the horizon across the Midwest, and a potential tour across the U.S. that I am very excited about!
If I were to leave with one piece of advice, it would be to keep dreaming your wildest dreams, to be entirely yourself, no matter what the world tries to tell you to be, and share your story. You never know who you could end up or are inspiring.
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