Friday, 23 October 2026 08:00 PM
Advertorial
Thrust back into the spotlight after producing "Shine" and "Step With Me" for fellow DMV native Nino Paid's Somewhere Over The Rainbow album, Tone P is no longer the nation's capital's best-kept secret.
WASHINGTON, D.C. / ACCESS Newswire / October 23, 2026 / Recorded and executive produced by the triple threat's performance platform Tha Carry Out, in partnership with Hvmane Studios, Nino's live rendition of "Shine" was acquired and released by Signal / Columbia Records. The collaboration represents the outlet's debut major-label release on streaming services and marks the second occasion in which Tone P has brought a Bounce Beat track, a sub-genre of Go-Go, to a global audience.
Raised in the Southwest quadrant of Washington D.C., he acquired his interest in music playing for a local band where he attended high school. Known around the district for his accomplishments in both basketball and football, he graduated in 2005 and was accepted to Elizabeth City State University. After completing his freshman year at the HBCU, he dropped out to pursue his passion for music.
Feeling the pressures of his parents' discomfort in his decision making, he formed the production team Best Kept Secret with his first cousin. Tone immediately began to brand the group in the streets, popping up in studios across the city daily, while he left his partner to work solely on the music. His persistence led to him connecting with scene titans Raheem DeVaughn, Tabi Bonney, Kenny Burns, and 2009 'XXL Magazine' Freshman Wale.
The Go-Go influenced sound appeared when Wale asked B.K.S. to flip a JAY-Z quote from his American Gangster album. Those sessions eventually led to classic mixtape cuts "Ice Cream Girl" and "DC Gorillas," but "Pretty Girls" solidified the seamless merger between the Go-Go and Hip-Hop genres. The group would soon land placements with blog era darlings Young Chris, Rhymefest, Skyzoo, and Phil Adé. After producing records for Robin Thicke, Logic, Kingpen Slim, and Rick Ross, Best Kept Secret split following the release of Wale's debut project Attention Deficit. Although the original B.K.S. had dissolved, Tone consented to let his cousin retain the group's name before heading off on his own path.
Looking for a fresh start, Tone relocated to Atlanta. Struggling to get by in the ‘Hollywood of the South,' his career saw a resurgence following his success on Wale's 11.1.11 Theory project, on which he produced 12 of the 20 tracks; including "Chain Music" and "Bait." Those songs and two others, incredibly instrumental in shaping the musical brand and signature sound of Maybach Music Group (MMG), would make Wale's second studio album Ambition. The producer would also pick up a writing credit, penning the chorus for the LP's title track. He would soon after go on tour with Wale and 'The Board of Administration (B.O.A.)', where he would find a home at the D.C. based label.
Fast forward, Tone has produced songs for talent across the globe including Wiz Khalifa, Nick Grant, Giggs, Black Alley, Teyana Taylor, Fivio Foreign, Curren$y, Swipey, and Dave East. He's also contributed to soundtracks for CROSS, Project X, Entourage, TV One's The Beat Don't Stop, Carter High, and Immutable, which won Best Music Score at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival over the summer.
Beyond music, the Billboard chart-topping producer cofounded the Don't Mute D.C. movement in 2019 to help establish Go-Go as the city's official music and secure its cultural legacy. The Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage then partnered with Howard University's Department of Communication, Culture and Media Studies to record interviews, photo portraits, and transcripts to document the moment in time.
In 2025, Tone P founded GOGO Global, co-founded National Mambo Sauce Day, and created Tha Carry Out to preserve D.C.'s Go-Go culture and unite the local community.
Now CEO of District Funk Records and signed to Universal Music Publishing, Tone leads a genre-defying band. Their "GOGOPUNK" sound blends Go-Go's soul with punk energy, taking D.C.'s rhythm to the global stage. As a producer and cultural architect, Tone P keeps Go-Go potent and ever-evolving.
The latest episodes of Tha Carry Out include MIMS, Black Alley, Raw Image, 3OHBlack, UCB, SunniThaRapper, Tray Chaney, Kenny Sharp, J. Addo, Breezy Supreme, TOB, Lizzle, Will Tha Rapper, and more.
PR Contact: Quinelle "Coach Q" Holder // [email protected]
SOURCE: Tone P