HCM. How did you come by your stage name?
HBK Tonio. Back in my freshman year of high school me and my homies started this movement called “HBK” which means “Heartbreak kid”. I know that Shawn Michaels was the original HBK but we just be breaking these hoes hearts.
HCM. When did you discover your love for music and what made you realize you wanted to pursue a career in music?
HBK Tonio. I originally wanted to go to the NBA. I was hoopin’ from 3rd grade to my junior year just grinding every day. Up every morning running and everything. I had started freestyling a lot in my 8th grade and freshman year and my niggas would tell me like “g u should lowkey start making songs” but I wasn’t really tryna do it because I wasn’t serious about it. I was focused on hooping. But I come from a small city and you know in a small city there’s ALWAYS hella politics.
So around my Sophomore year, I started getting fucked over on the basketball team by my coaches n shit. I wasn’t starting no more or nothin like they truly stopped fuckin wit me. So I realized basketball just must not be for me no more. Then I really ain’t know what to do I was stuck but my homies told me again “g nows the perfect time to start rapping”. So I went and found me a producer and dropped my first song on SoundCloud in December 2019 to see how it would go to see if I truly wanted to rap. I’ve been rapping since then.
HCM. On your current album… How did you come up with the concept for this project?
HBK Tonio. My album “Wolf Wit A Uzi.” I titled it that bc the Wolf shit comes from when me and my niggas started “gLone.” gLone WolfpaQ is something we started a couple years ago. we were chillin’ smoking and just started it. I don’t know where yall from but here we call that good gas gravy. the “g” in gLone stands for gravy bc we smoke that pressure and the Lone WolfpaQ mean we a pack so we ridin’ together and slidin’ fo each other no matter what. fuck wit one u fuck wit all type shit we a brotherhood. but the Lone is there bc no matter what we still gotta get it on our own, create our own paths and follow our own dreams. The “uzi” is because an Uzi is my favorite gun always has been.
HCM. What are some of your greatest challenges as an artist, and what is your greatest attribute when it comes to your work ethic?
HBK Tonio. I think my greatest challenge is getting my momma to trust me. We ain neva had much we come from the bottom. Shes worked my whole life to try to make sure I do good in school and be able to get into a college because she thought that would be my only way out. But she failed to realize and understand that u cant force that lifestyle on me. I’m a product of my environment.
I finished high school for her but college boy hell nah, I barely finished high school. I’m very smart and educated though I have high amounts of knowledge, but school ain’t for me I’m a sack chaser. School don’t do shit but set u up to work for the white man in the future. The system ain’t built for us to succeed. I gotta find my own way up out the struggle that’s why I’m rappin’ now. Spittin that trill shit on every track.
I think my biggest attribute is definitely my hard work and dedication grinding every single day because I know there’s millions of other niggas chasing the same dream as me so I have to show why I should be chosen instead of them. I gotta show my momma that I’m serious wit this shit so she can be serious with me. I don’t wanna have to see her cry no more because shes strugglin’. My lil brothers look up to me I do this shit for them. I’m doing this for all my people I told my momma when I make it I swear ima get us all up outta here my pops ain’t been here in my life he been in prison and don’t nobody know when he gettin’ out. its always just been me, my momma, my brothas and my granny
HCM. What are your plans for the near future?
HBK Tonio. I just turned 18 not too long ago. Me and my homies finna split bread on a crib and build a studio in it because some of my homies be rappin’ too. I’m still working and shit for right now. I have bags coming in from all this rapping shit but it’s still not enough yet to make a living off of and completely dedicate all my time to music I literally just started rapping in December and I’m already getting paid. Plus I’m under this label RSP me and my niggas started. Well, they added me into it and we just been going up from there.
HCM. Is there anyone you’d like to thank, any shout outs?
HBK Tonio. I’d like to shout out my momma for doing everything she possibly could to make sho me and my brothers were straight our whole lives. It’s not even enough thanks I could possibly give her. I thanks her for bringing me into this workout u feel me without her I wouldn’t even be here. The streets made me the solid gutta nigga i am today but my momma made sho in my head was always where it needed to be and made sho my mindset was straight. Especially LV shout out LV too bc he taught me HELLA shit and made shit I always had that dog in me. Just that hustlas mindset to go get something if I want it and neva let nobody get in my way I was raised to be a muhfuckin Boss and a muhfuckin baller. Stand on all 10 and neva let a nigga take shit from me. that Wolf mentality if I see something I want I’ma get it regardless no matter what circumstances no matter what or who tries to get in my way I’ma eat regardless. I’ma get mines fa sho fa sho.
For additional info, contact HBK Tonio via email: Youngtonio03@gmail.com
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