We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Von T. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Von below.
Alright, Von thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
TDO Von-T started his journey as a multi-talented artist (rapper, DJ, actor) and activist, gaining viral fame around 2019 with his unique styles and helmet, leading to “Operation Musical Freedom” to fight injustice against service members, while building his brand.
He created Symbiotic Music Family (SMF) and tapped into the heart of genres from Rap to EDM, with significant social media growth after his 2024 hit “Get Doe”.
Early Beginnings & Viral Rise:
He used his platforms like Facebook and Instagram to connect with artists and brands sharing music early on with an uncanny drive and deliberate mission to give people what we all have been missing…hope.
Viral Moment:
His music video for “Turn Off the Lights” in 2019 went viral on World Star Hip-Hop, showcasing his distinctive styles and signature helmet. He faced charges head on by the military for expressing his music and since it never broke any laws, he stood by his music and continued to push it despite the actions of the Army and other aligned news outlets and companies to stop him in his tracks.
What He Does (Music & Activism):
Music: He creates across many genres (Trap, Rock, R&B, Synthwave) and aims to provide hope through his music and brand, as seen in his 2021 album “Music Is”.
Activism: He launched “Operation Musical Freedom” to combat discrimination he faced in the Army and to advocate for other service members. This has branched off into a movement called AMAG (Americans Make America Great). Which many believe the parties on the left and the right have forgotten the purpose and the people of America.
Brand & Influence: He established the Symbiotic Music Family (SMF) label and built a large social media following, aligning with brands to promote justice through movements like AMAG (Americans Make America Great).
Career Milestones: He charted on Apple Music in 2022 and saw his career “take off” with the 2024 single “Get Doe”.
In essence, TDO Von-T blends music, distinctive visuals (the helmet), and activism, creating a unique brand focused on freedom and fighting injustice.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Channing Von Taylor better known by Von-T, is an American rapper, DJ, singer, songwriter, and actor. In January 2019, after premiering the music video for his song “Turn Off the Lights”, he became a viral internet sensation accumulating over a million views on World Star Hip-Hop due to his many different styles and his custom helmet. Von-T was discriminated against in the Army and criminally charged for pursuing his musical dream.
Hip-Hop being the genre that was specifically targeted. Von-T has now launched what is known as “Operation Musical Freedom” in the attempt to expose and change the laws that allowed this injustice to happen in the first place. This is a movement to put an end to these kinds of actions from happening to anyone else who serves in our armed forces in the future. Von-T also goes by the name TDO Von-T “The Hope of the Streets”.
In 2024 he dropped “Get Doe”, which solidified his versatility and proved he really can drop a single in multiple genres separate from each other and they all will still produce massive numbers. In 2023 he dropped one of the hottest EDM tracks that year “Long Time Remix”, In 2022 Von-T has charted twice on Apple Music with his single titled “Lit” placing #23 in Hip-Hop in March and then again in August with his single “Anything 4 U” at #11.
He is also trending on Pandora and IHeart Radio as one of the hottest emerging stations with various relevant artists curated on his station. Because of his wide range of talents, mysterious helmet, and astonishing life story he has been rapidly spreading across the world. He released his first album titled “Music Is” in 2021 with the goal to give hope back to the culture and contribute with his music and brand. He has successfully created a safe space for creativity without fear of backlash from individuals that held administrative power over him within his label he established Symbiotic Music Family (SMF).
The goal is to clear his name, get a retirement the Army never gave him, and empower other artists through his actions and label. So far Von-T has created Rap, Trap, EDM, 80’s “retro” Synthwave, Rock & Roll, Emo Rap, and R&B. “Work at least 12 hours a day 7 days a week with all 8 eyes open and you will never fail KOVU1278”.
Von-T is managed by himself and his single titled “Get Doe” in 2024 took his career through the roof then doubled down with “Rudy Hxtble”. Which the song points out that you have to be compassionate, but also fierce at the same time in today’s time to actually make real change. That is why he created his logo he uses on most of his content which stands for “Hope and Balance”
He then aligned his brand with hundreds of notable brands and small businesses to use his social media platforms to promote those companies who align themselves with the vision to fight for justice and equality. This also boosted his presence in the world. He gained millions of followers and connected them back to his music.
He was then nominated in 2025 by IHeart Radio as the #1 Hip-Hop emerging artist to watch.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
TDO Von-T had to pivot his vision based on his personal experiences with discrimination and other stories shared with him of a common theme in America where racism and discrimination have become the “norm”.
He served in the U.S. Army for over 18 years but was discriminated against and faced criminal charges for pursuing his musical aspirations, specifically within the hip-hop genre. This experience fueled his desire for justice and the creation of an environment free from such backlash. He then homed in on larger communal issues within America and saw the need for someone to provide such hope that not all is lost.
Goal of Giving Hope: He released his first album, Music Is, in 2021 with the explicit goal to “give hope back to the culture”.
To achieve his goal, he was forced to grow fast and learn fast in the industry. Realizing that there is an established order to be heard by key people. He made it his goal to find a way to go around them to find a way the people can hear his voice without having to adhere to unethical obligations.
His career was boosted significantly in 2024 and 2025, leading him to align his brand with other companies that share his vision for social justice and an initiative called AMAG (Americans Make America Great).
His vision encompasses a wide range of creative output, as he has produced music across various genres including Rap, Trap, EDM, 80’s Synthwave, Rock & Roll, Emo Rap, and R&B. He also works with a very high level of dedication, following a mantra to “work at least 12 hours a day 7 days a week with all 8 eyes open”.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Because he faced significant hurdles to success, including discrimination, homelessness, betrayal from family, friends and all in between. Understanding that artist who talk about such things are not typically the ones played by mainstream radio, he had to find other routes to get the message out which led him to launch “Operation Musical Freedom” and AMAG to fight these systemic issues. With his wide range of talents and a master with a pen as well as being extremely versatile he found his own niche to navigate and, in many cases, circumvent the industry demands. This ultimately found him success by charting singles and gaining traction across multiple genres.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tdovont.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kovu1278/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vontofficial/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/kovu1278
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TDOVon-T
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/von-t-262253940
- Other: Von-T TikTok| https://www.tiktok.com/@kovu1278
Von-T Spotify| https://open.spotify.com/artist/26bZaGnRDuMHZHiBxuCFA3
Von-T Tidal| https://tidal.com/browse/artist/9561448
Von-T Amazon Music| https://music.amazon.com/artists/B079VR9SLQ/von-t
Von-T Deezer| https://www.deezer.com/us/artist/14146397
Von-T Pandora| https://pandora.app.link/bxEOzCcIUdb
Von-T Apple| https://music.apple.com/us/artist/von-t/1349942249
Von-T Pinterest| https://www.pinterest.com/vontofficial/
Von-T Snapchat| https://www.snapchat.com/add/symbioticvon-t?share_id=Se3jvbFfNCI&locale=en-US
Von-T “Turn Off The Lights” on WorldStarHipHop| (ARMY HAD DELETED AT 1 MILLION VIEWS) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJK2uNWXXjs
