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.
Tumblin'
Tonéx Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, sweet dreams are made of these
Opposition negativity are an unfortunate reality
Check me, check me
But you gotta know your purpose
And you gotta know your destiny
Faith is never tangibility, don’t ever trust your visibility
You gotta believe provisions have already been made
So chill and have a glass of lemonade
His thoughts of you are not evil, He has a plan for you
Yo, the devil is a liar, God’s Word is true
Name it, claim it, it's long overdue
Every mountain in my way
It’s gonna come tumblin’ down
Negative things that people say
It’s gonna come tumblin’ down
Every mountain, every hill
It’s gonna come tumblin’ down
You can’t always go by how you feel
Just know it’s gonna all come tumblin' down, down
If they ain’t sayin’ nothin’
That most likely means you ain’t doin’ nothin’
Want the anointing, gotta go through somethin’
Like people smiling but you know they frontin’, frontin’, feel it
But the harder you work the further away it seems
But if God gave you a ministry a gift or a calling
Don’t give up on your dreams
You gotta believe provisions have already been made
So chill and have a glass of lemonade
His thoughts of you are not evil, He has a plan for you
Yo, the devil is a liar, God’s Word is true
Name it, claim it, it's long overdue
Every mountain in my way
It’s gonna come tumblin’ down
Negative things that people say
It’s gonna come tumblin’ down
Every mountain, every hill
It’s gonna come tumblin’ down
You can’t always go by how you feel
Just know it’s gonna all come tumblin' down, down
Every mountain in my way
It’s gonna come tumblin’ down
Negative things that people say
It’s gonna come tumblin’ down
Every mountain, every hill
It’s gonna come tumblin’ down
You can’t always go by how you feel
Just know it’s gonna all come tumblin' down
Every mountain in my way
It’s gonna come tumblin’ down
Negative things that people say
It’s gonna come tumblin’ down
Every mountain, every hill
It’s gonna come tumblin’ down
Can’t always go by how you feel
Just know it’s gonna all come tumblin' down, down
Every mountain in my way
It’s gonna come tumblin’ down
Negative things that people say
It’s gonna come tumblin’ down
Every mountain, every hill
It’s gonna come tumblin’ down
Can’t always go by how you feel
Just know it’s gonna all come tumblin' down, down
Every mountain, every hill
It’s gonna come tumblin’ down
In Tonex's song Tumblin', he speaks to people who are going through tough times in their lives. He encourages them to chase their dreams and not to give up despite any opposition they may face. He acknowledges that sometimes people (often the ones closest to us) can say negative things, but we should not let that discourage us. Instead, we should trust that provisions have already been made for our success in life. Tonex advises us to believe in ourselves and our God-given abilities and not to trust in what we can see physically but have faith in the intangible, that higher power working on our behalf. He also warns us that the devil is a liar and God's word is true, so we should hold onto our faith, claim our blessings and know that everything we desire will come tumbling down, every obstacle and every mountain.
Line by Line Meaning
So you talkin' 'bout your hopes and dreams
You're discussing what you aspire to accomplish in life
Well, sweet dreams are made of these
Having aspirations is what life is all about
Opposition negativity are an unfortunate reality
Resisting forces and pessimistic attitudes are all around us
Check me, check me
Take a look at me and listen to what I'm saying
But you gotta know your purpose
You must understand your mission in life
And you gotta know your destiny
You need to be aware of where you're headed
Faith is never tangibility, don’t ever trust your visibility
Belief is not something you can touch, so never rely on what you can see
Are you feeling me?
Do you understand what I'm saying?
You gotta believe provisions have already been made
You must have faith that everything you need has already been provided
So chill and have a glass of lemonade
Relax and have a refreshing beverage
His thoughts of you are not evil, He has a plan for you
God has good intentions for you and has a purpose in mind for your life
Yo, the devil is a liar, God’s Word is true
Satan is deceitful, while the truth comes from God
Name it, claim it, it's long overdue
Declare what you want in life and believe you will receive it
Every mountain in my way
Any obstacle that's in my path
It’s gonna come tumblin’ down
It will be demolished and removed from my path
Negative things that people say
Unfavorable comments that others make about me
Every mountain, every hill
Every obstacle, big or small
You can’t always go by how you feel
Your emotions can't always dictate your actions
Just know it’s gonna all come tumblin' down, down
Believe that all obstacles will eventually be removed from your path
If they ain’t sayin’ nothin’
If they're not talking about you
That most likely means you ain’t doin’ nothin’
It's likely that you're not taking action if people aren't discussing you
Want the anointing, gotta go through somethin’
If you want to be blessed, you must endure hardships and struggles
Like people smiling but you know they frontin’, frontin’, feel it
When people smile, but you can sense that they're not being truthful
But the harder you work the further away it seems
The more effort you put in, the more difficult success appears
But if God gave you a ministry a gift or a calling
If you feel that you have been given a religious calling
Don’t give up on your dreams
Never abandon your aspirations
Can’t always go by how you feel
Your emotions can't always dictate your actions
Every mountain in my way
Any obstacle that's in my path
Negative things that people say
Unfavorable comments that others make about me
You can’t always go by how you feel
Your emotions can't always dictate your actions
Just know it’s gonna all come tumblin' down
Believe that all obstacles will eventually be removed from your path
Every mountain, every hill
Every obstacle, big or small
It’s gonna come tumblin’ down
It will be demolished and removed from my path
Every mountain in my way
Any obstacle that's in my path
Negative things that people say
Unfavorable comments that others make about me
Every mountain, every hill
Every obstacle, big or small
Can’t always go by how you feel
Your emotions can't always dictate your actions
Just know it’s gonna all come tumblin' down
Believe that all obstacles will eventually be removed from your path
Every mountain, every hill
Every obstacle, big or small
It’s gonna come tumblin’ down
It will be demolished and removed from my path
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: ANTHONY C. II WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Arris Stephane Ibouily Boucka
on Cry No More
Still waiting on the next...