Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to TINO. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

TINO, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Some things you’ve been learning your whole life without knowing it. I grew up with hip hop listening to classic acts like Run DMC, and LL Cool J with my uncle when I was 3 years old. I set behind my uncle and cousin as church while they played drums every Sunday. I was enamored by the wordplay used in the first wave of battle rap. So when I decided to start rapping in my mid 20s it caught people off guard how polished I was just starting out, but I now know that was because I had been learning the craft through osmosis my whole life. I wish art as a meaningful career choice was promoted more in general, but especially in my family. I didn’t know art was something you could chose to pursue. The most beneficial skills I’ve found are perseverance and the ability to listen. Not giving up on you goal even when no one else sees your vision and being able to hear your self above the crowd noise have been key. Time seems to be the biggest obstacle for me. Even with proper time management there are only so many hours in a day.

TINO, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started out writing music for the reason I feel a lot of men do, because of a girl. lol I was in a heartbroken state after the end of a relationship and I wasn’t really able to talk to anyone about it so I wrote it down. The irony in that is I’d go from not telling people closest to me about my struggles to performing songs about them for complete strangers. I have always leaned into my story as an artist and in doing so people have gravitated to that sincerity. I knew early on what I was doing wasn’t something you’d hear on top 40 radio so I didn’t try and pursue the major label/industry artist route. Being an independent musician teaches you how to wear a lot of hats as you’re your own booking agent, graphic designer, video director, marketing department and so on. As tedious and time consuming as it may be having complete freedom to decide my arts direction has been incredible. I’ve been able to play cities and states I’d have never gone to if not for music, had my music used in commercials, and even put out an international vinyl album with French producer DJ Marrrtin. Accomplishing all of this independently and not having to compromise my vision or image has meant a lot to me. I think of what I do as good guy hip hop. It’s a reflection of my life so things aren’t always rainbows, but I try to always provide that silver lining even when it’s cloudy.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I lost my father back in 2015 right as I was preparing to put out my 4th project that I would eventually scrap due to its proximity to his loss. Shortly after my then long time girlfriend of four years left me. She had a daughter from a previous relationship who I’d been helping raise for all that time and our relationship ended as well. That romantic relationship was strained because of my musical pursuits. I was in a deep depression working a dead end job feeling like I wasted so much time on music and it cost me my loved ones. It was right on cue that for the first time in a long time a song spoke to me. I almost turned my back on the thing that had saved me once before and here it was again saving me once more. Music has never let me drown even when I’ve tossed myself into the waves and for that I will always owe these songs more that I could ever repay.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Famous basketball coach Rick Pitino wrote a book Lead To Success where it breaks down his coaching philosophy and how he goes about getting the most from a player and his teams and relates that to being successful in life and business. In the beginning of my career I thought talent alone was enough to carry me where I wanted to be. This book helped me realize that discipline, and setting goals where far more important. You can look around most industries and see that the most gifted person isn’t always the top dog. The person with the drive and ability to execute is usually at the forefront.  

Contact Info:

• Website: http://itstino.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiphoptino/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hiphoptino/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hiphoptino
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hiphoptino