After serving in the U.S. Army for a full decade, singer-songwriter, Tonio Armani, who hails from The Fountain City, opted to hang up his military uniform in order to further pursue his passion for music.
Let’s hop right into this single, “Sooner or Later,” produced by Shoutout To DFord, and taken from the Death Row Revue compilation — Tell me about this particular track; how did it come to fruition?
I wanted to represent myself as (an) every day person that has to wait on whatever they need in life. Wait on God ‘cause it goes…it’s gonna come soon. And Snoop asked me what song did I want on the compilation, and I told them “Sooner or Later” because (it) represents me the best, and the rest of the world out here that is waiting on a blessing, waiting on a promotion, waiting on anything that they want in this life.
How then does "Sooner or Later” either differ and / or compare to previous Tonio Armani entries?
It compares because it’s giving you a story, a guideline about how my life was because I believe that my life stories can help other people in this world. It differs from my previous music because I’m at a different stage in life. I’m not the man that I used to be. My responsibilities are different, so if anything my music now speaks to who I am as a man and where I am in life now.
From a songwriting standpoint when you sit down to pen your lyrics, where do you draw inspiration from?
My life, my emotions, what I’m going through, and what I’m feeling at the time, so every song that I have comes from a genuine and real place. It comes from the heart, from an emotion I feel in that moment or what the beat in the melody of the music made me feel at the time.
Tell me your whole inception into music — When did you first become interested in it? And how did it all begin for Tonio Armani?
I mimicked and I studied the artists I liked, to create my own sound. When I realize that what I say is how I feel and I put it into song, I see that my words help people, not just me; I knew I had something. The same things that I’m feeling and going through, somebody else feels the same thing but they’re not able to speak out like I’m able to speak out, so I’m pretty much the voice of the people and that makes me feel good to know that I have a voice out in this world.
Now you hail from Columbus, GA, correct? So growing up in the ‘Peach State,' who all did / do you consider to be your strongest musical influences?
Joe because he’s an R&B singer. I wanted to be an R&B singer as well, so Chilli from TLC was an inspiration, just to see somebody make it out of Columbus. It impacted me, and gave me the courage and belief that I can make it, too.
That said, how do you classify your overall sound and / or style?
How do I classify my style? When you hear me, I want you to hear the great feelings of Al Green, Luther Vandross and Teddy Pendergrass. Those great sounds that made you feel good. They created feel good music, and that can fall in different genres; whether there is gospel, country, R&B or soul, so I make a mixture of everything.
What particular string of events actually led to your initial linking up with Snoop Dogg, and ultimately signing to / with Death Row Records?
I ain’t gonna lie, it was Instagram. That platform changed my life! Along with TikToK. He called me on Instagram on the day of my birthday, asking for us to sit down and negotiate about me being a part of the winning team Death Row Records. But, he had actually been watching me for a while. I remember being excited just because he followed me and reposted me. I never imagined it would come to this.
Switching gears here, what exactly do you want people to get from your music?
A motivating message that keeps you going. Life is gonna bring you down, but how are you gonna get back up? One thing I can say is…my music and the words are gonna get you through the day, all you have to do is listen.
If you could collaborate with any one artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?
(The) Isley Brothers, Al Green, Luther Vandross (and) Gerald Levert, because these are the sounds that I sound like now. These are the sounds I studied and listened to growing up. These voices convinced me that I had something similar. These voices changed my life, and I’m happy to know that my voice is changing other people's lives as well.
If you could play any venue in the world, which one would you choose and why?
If I can play any, it would be the Super Bowl because that’s the biggest in the world. To be able to watch my team, and be the Super Bowl highlight of the halftime show would be a dream come true.
On a more serious note, are you happy with the current state of R&B?
No, I’m not. I believe that we need to have more messages that motivate us than what we’re basing R&B off of. R&B is not just about making love and heartbreak. R&B is called rhythm and blues for a reason. Feel good music Is R&B music. Music that makes you wanna get up and dance is R&B music. So, if I could change anything I would be able to bring in that type of style of music to the R&B genre
What do you feel has and will continue to be the key to your longevity?
Timeless music that is just not relevant for today. We wanna make music and continue making music that’s gonna be relevant for everyday life and the future.
Do you have any other outside / additional (future) aspirations, maybe even completely away from music?
Yes, I dream to hear the music that I make in movies, television commercials, even in the elevators. That’s a dream come true to me
To date, what has been your biggest career moment(s), at least thus far anyway?
Performing the same song three times in front of an energetic audience who knew every word. It was the greatest I’ve had, thus far, watching those people singing with me and dancing with me…just made me feel this is what I was supposed to be doing. And, Snoop Dogg calling my phone of course! Lol.
What’s an average day like for you?
An average day life for me…let’s get started with aggravation, just kidding. If it’s a good day, I try to start my day in the gym…outside of that, taking care of my wife and my children. I usually try to record something, go live, and do content in lieu of any other responsibilities I have for my family. So, my days are pretty busy, and my weekends are even busier because, you know, I’m traveling and I’m performing for the fans.
Please discuss how you interact with and respond to fans...
I love to talk and laugh with my fans and take pictures, but my favorite thing is to hear what their favorite song is and why. I get the most wonderful, most inspiring stories about how my music has helped them, and how it’s changing lives, and that’s what means the most to me.
What is your favorite part about this line of work? Your least favorite? And, why?
My favorite part is performing and being in the studio because that’s where I get to be myself, and that’s where I get to express the emotions that I’m feeling and be creative. My least favorite part is the business because this decision making makes people love you and hate you at the same time. And, people want the most for the least and it can be a dirty game.
What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Establish your style, figure out who you want to be, figure out how you want to be represented and show them what God showed you. Because if you can’t do that, you’ll never be able to make it in this industry. It’s hard and it ain’t easy. What you present out here in the world is what they're gonna receive and they’re gonna judge you for it, so be ready for that. if I can change anything, just be patient and understand that it’s a process. It’s not a race, it's a marathon, it’s a journey. Once you learn that, you’ll be OKAY in this game.
Looking ahead, say five or maybe even ten years from now, where do you see yourself?
I definitely wanna see myself on the Forbes list. We already discussed the Super Bowl, and I would love to be on stage with other great R&B artists and maybe even getting ready to retire and go behind the scenes and help develop new artists, write music for others, and produce.
As for the immediate, what's next for you, Tonio?
What’s next for me is new visuals, new music, new collaborations, new tours, but it’s really up to God at this point. I’m just trying to position myself to receive all of the opportunities and the blessings He has for me.
Is there anything I left out or just plain forgot to mention?
Beyoncé is one of the greatest artists of all time…Chris Brown, too, and I would love to be on that mountain with the greats.
Lastly, any “parting” words for our readers?
Not much, I just wanna thank you for your time today. Thank you to the fans for taking the time to look at my interview, and just remember God is good all the time, and all the time God is good!
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