His often chameleonic image and genre-bending musical style (which he himself has dubbed Nureau) have made him alternately revered and reviled among conservative fans of Gospel music. Nonetheless, he has carved out a niche for himself as a formidable vocalist, and prolific songwriter and record producer. After honing his producing skills with a series of experimental independent recordings, TON3X made his national debut with a re-release of his most successful independent album "Pronounced Toe-Nay." His first high-profile television appearance was performing a medley of "Trinity" & "One Good Reason," blowing the crowd away on the Stellar Awards, which was a coup as TON3X (then Tonéx) was a relative unknown at the time.
A single and music video from Pronounced Toe-Nay were serviced to media outlets for "Personal Jesus". Upon its release, the album bore 5 different record label logos: Rescue Records, the independent label that originally released the album; MSS Records, TON3X's then-active vanity imprint label; Tommy Boy Gospel, the label to which TON3X was signed as an artist; Verity Records, the label to which his independent label Rescue Records sold his album's masters; and Jive Records, the mainstream umbrella over Verity Records.
Two years later, he delivered the musically progressive and pop-leaning album "O2" which got off to a great start with the popularity of the upbeat music video for the single "Bout A Thang" featuring energetic hip-hop dance and an edgy urban image not usually associated with Gospel artists. The album received it's greatest boost from the momentum gathered by the single "God Has Not 4got" on Gospel radio. The song was nominated for multiple Stellar Awards the following year. Reminiscent of the style of R. Kelly, an additional single "That's When" also garnered much radio airplay.
His 2004 double CD "Out The Box" earned him the most widespread acclaim so far, debuting at #1 on the Billboard Magazine Top Gospel Album Chart in September of 2004. He also netted a Grammy nomination for Best Soul Gospel Album the following year, and had a bonafide radio hit with the ballad "Make Me Over". The same year, TON3X won a total of six Stellar Awards including "Artist of the Year" for Out The Box.
Following Out The Box, TON3X took the independent route, gaining creative control as well as control of his brand as a whole. TON3X has been releasing old albums, mixtapes, EP's, and singles through iTunes and his online store under the label heading of Nureau iNK. Among these releases are, a 2-track single from his hip-hop alter ego T. Bizzy, an exclusive remix album "Pronounced Remyx", and a sprawling two-disc confessional opus called "Oak Park 92105" previously only available through underground websites. A special version of "Oak Park 92105" was given a limited release to the Christian market and re-titled "Oak Park 921'o6" featuring a new song "Fail U" as lead single. Fail U was supported by a urban Japanese themed music video which is available on YouTube and iTunes. A primarily Jazz collection entitled "The London Letters" was released through Nureau iNK on iTunes and has garnered rave reviews and strong support from the Jazz community and gained secular fans that knew not of TON3X.
In March 2007, a reconciliation with Zomba Label Group was announced, which would be a joint venture for his Nureau iNK label. The deal was struck under the auspices of new Zomba president Jazzy Jordan who has previously guided the careers of R. Kelly and Salt-N-Pepa. However, as of June 2007, a split with Zomba was again announced. In the wake of several candid and revelatory songs and video blogs, TON3X is facing much scrutiny, with the bulk of criticism centering on his use of profanity in both his songs and his blogs. Though a single, "Joy," was released to radio as of May 16, 2007, his new album "Stereotype: Steel & Velvet" was stalled by Verity Records. The release date of September 11, 2007 was pending on the Verity Record label, and ultimately canceled.
Most recently, TON3X has released two mixtapes which fans consider actual albums as they both contain 20 tracks. "The Naked Truth" and "Bapost.o.g.i.c." were both released in on CD as limited edition pressings. Fans and supporters scrambled to their copies of The Naked Truth as it contains material that resulted in him being shunned by the Gospel community as well as material documenting his struggles, challenges, and revelations over the last five years. The Naked Truth and Bapost.o.g.i.c. could have been released as a set as they completely support each other in documenting where TON3X had been and where he was going. Bapost.o.g.i.c. is a new era that took TONEX from his old self to the new and improved TON3X. Bapost.o.g.i.c. is a vision, and a focus to erase the lines between C.O.G.I.C., Apostolic, and Baptist religions and bring the focus back to God. Supporting and citing the movement of 1906's Azusa Street Revival, TON3X wants unity and focus on God and not on religion and traditions.
Currently TON3X is completing a three week run starring as James "Thunder" Early in the musical play DREAMGIRLS at The Lyceum Theater located in downtown San Diego. The musical play received rave reviews and is the first of many musical and acting endeavors in the near future for TON3X. From November 2008 to January 2009, TON3X will also be starring in The Princess And The Black Eye Pea at The Lyceum Theater in downtown San Diego. TON3X is also working as a writer and staff producer for Nextlyfe Entertainment (Brandy, Eric Benet, Something for the People, Ne-Yo). TON3X wrote and produced songs for upcoming/current projects by Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Brandy, Usher, Pussycat Dolls and Danity Kane.
To Know You Lord
Tonéx Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To know you LOrd in all of your glory
To know you Lord in all of your ways
To know you Lord in all of your majesty
O how I long to know you Lord
O how I long to know you Lord
[Chorus:]
[verse 1]
[verse 2:]
To know you Lord in the power of your righteousness
To know you Lord in the power of your mind
To know you Lord in the fellowship of your suffering
O how I long to know you Lord
O how I long to know you Lord
[Chorus]
[Hook:]
To know you
To know you
To know you Lord
Oooooh to know you
To know to know yea heee yeeaa!
To know you
To know you Lord oooohhh
Such a privalige to be able to go before
Your face and sacrifice my self oooohhh
So glad I know you
And dnt know of you
Cus yous a friend of mines
I talk to you all the time
So glad I know you Lord
And dnt know of you cus yous a friend of mines I talk to you all the time.
So glad I know him for myself I went down in his name I've neva been the same
Neva been the same
To know you to know you Lord to know you oooooohh.
Gota know him in spirit and in truth can't fake the funk nono
Can't fake the funk o no no no no
I know him yea
I know him yea
I know him yea I'm so glad I know you
Lord
O how I long to know you Lord
O how I long to know you Lord
The lyrics of Tonéx's song "To Know You Lord" express a deep yearning to know God intimately in every aspect of His being. The first verse speaks of desiring to know God's glory, ways, and majesty. This goes beyond just having head knowledge; it is a desire to experience God in a personal way that is authentic and real. The chorus repeats verse one, emphasizing the longing to know God on a deeper level.
The second verse speaks of knowing God's power, righteousness, and mind. It acknowledges the privilege of being able to fellowship with God in His suffering. This reflects the idea of knowing God not just in times of joy but also in times of difficulty, and this can help us to grow closer to Him. The bridge exclaims the desire to know God, and how amazing it is to be able to go before Him and sacrifice ourselves for Him. The entire song is an expression of the desire to know God personally and to have a genuine and authentic relationship with Him.
In conclusion, Tonéx's "To Know You Lord" is a beautiful expression of the deep yearning and desire to intimately know God. The lyrics go beyond head knowledge and emphasizes the importance of a personal, authentic, and real relationship with God. The song encourages believers to seek to know God's glory, ways, majesty, power, and righteousness, and to fellowship with Him even in times of suffering.
Line by Line Meaning
To know you LOrd in all of your glory
I desire to have an intimate relationship with you and experience your splendorous presence.
To know you Lord in all of your ways
I wish to deeply understand your actions and decisions so I can follow in your footsteps.
To know you Lord in all of your majesty
I aspire to bask in your great and supreme power and recognize that you are above all things.
O how I long to know you Lord
I yearn and eagerly wish to have a personal relationship with you and grow in your wisdom.
To know you Lord in the power of your righteousness
I desire to understand and be empowered by your just and moral ways.
To know you Lord in the power of your mind
I seek to understand and learn from your infinite wisdom and understanding.
To know you Lord in the fellowship of your suffering
I want to experience and understand the pain that you have endured for others, so that I may connect with you on a deeper level.
O how I long to know you Lord
I continue to yearn and eagerly wish to have a personal relationship with you and grow in your wisdom.
To know you
To have a personal understanding and connection with you.
To know to know yea heee yeeaa!
Emphasizing the desire and importance of knowing the Lord.
To know you Lord oooohhh
Continuing to express the desire to know and have a deep relationship with the Lord.
Such a privalige to be able to go before Your face and sacrifice myself
Recognizing the honor and privilege it is to have access to the Lord and give oneself up in service to Him.
So glad I know you
Expressing gratitude for having a relationship with the Lord and acknowledging how it has positively impacted life.
And dnt know of you Cus yous a friend of mines
Having a personal and loving relationship with the Lord, as if He were a true friend.
I talk to you all the time
Having frequent and ongoing communication with the Lord through prayer and worship.
So glad I know him for myself I went down in his name I've neva been the same
Having a life-changing experience through accepting the Lord into life and being grateful for that transformation.
Gota know him in spirit and in truth can't fake the funk nono
Understanding the importance of truly knowing the Lord by having genuine faith and being honest in one's relationship with Him.
Can't fake the funk o no no no no
Reiterating the importance of having an authentic and truthful connection with the Lord.
I know him yea
Affirming the truth and certainty of one's knowledge and relationship with the Lord.
I'm so glad I know you Lord
Continuing to express immense gratitude and appreciation for knowing the Lord.
O how I long to know you Lord
Continuing to yearn for and express the desire to deepen one's relationship with the Lord.
Contributed by Gabriella B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Arris Stephane Ibouily Boucka
on Cry No More
Still waiting on the next...