VON TAE Drops By for An Exclusive Interview & Premiere of "On God" Acoustic Live Performance
When you think about faith and keeping your head up, God, good vibes, and even that famous Tupac line might come to mind. Well, there's someone else you should have on you radar - DeVante Eugene Jones aka VON TAE.
Born in Maryland as one of six children, VON TAE was surrounded by the church and it’s music during his formative years, building not only his love for the art-form, but also growing his faith as well. After being nudged by his foster mother, VON TAE joined the school band, where he learned how to play multiple instruments, like the saxophone, clarinet and flute.
During frequent visits with his family, Von Tae became a fan of R&B, Soul and Hip Hop thanks to artists such as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Usher, Missy Elliott and Luther Vandross, who helped him discover his passion for singing and entertaining.
2012 marked the formal beginning of his career, with the release of his first recorded project, “Broken Boundaries of Existence”, which was released on SoundCloud. VON TAE kept it going by releasing other projects like, “My Own Religion” and “Note to Self”. 2020’s civil unrest stemming from George Floyd’s murder inspired the VON TAE to write his viral and most streamed song, “Contagious”, which put him in great spaces with big faces.
Today finds VON TAE wiser, more driven, and promoting his new EP, "On God: Single & Remixes”. And that’s in addition to more music coming out of the vault in 2023. We initially featured VON TAE way back in 2017, and have witnessed his growth over the years. So, it was our pleasure to catch up with the budding singer/songwriter and rapper for another dope interview. In this one, VON TAE further delves into his story, letting us know how he keeps the faith and where he’s headed next.
Catch it below, plus the premiere of VON TAE’s “On God” Acoustic Live performance. Right now and only on Hype Off Life!
Thanks for coming through! It’s been a minute since you were last featured. What’s been new?
Yeah, it’s been a minute. A little before Covid and quarantining became the norm. I’ve been focusing on my mental health most importantly and working on music as always. During the pandemic I’ve had the pleasure of singing for comedy legend Luenell, Kandi Burruss and Roc Nation’s A&R Earl Johnson on Instagram Live. So many great things have happened and I pray that they keep on rolling in!
Some people might not know that you’re a multi-instrumentalist. What was the hardest part about learning how to formally play music?
You have to stay consistent otherwise like the old saying goes “if you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.” I use to play Saxophone, Flute and a few other instruments and since I haven’t picked any of them up in years, I’ve lost touch with it. More recently I’ve bought an acoustic guitar and piano to learn.
You also rap and sing. What similarities and differences have you noticed between the two?
I’ve noticed with my rap, I’m a lot more lyrically explicit. With music in general I love that I can express myself from personal experiences and also record things from the perspective of others.
From a young age, you have faced many hardships that have broken others. What kept you hopeful during those rough times.
Honestly, having a big imagination has helped me stay hopeful. As a child I would always see myself on red carpets, performing in front of millions of fans and being a superstar. Putting myself in another place mentally helped me escape my reality.
In what ways has your faith contributed to your success and perseverance?
My faith is greater than who I am as a person. Sometimes I believe in things far beyond what my circumstances should ever allow. My faith in God and the universe is so deep that it pushes me to achieve more because I know it’s possible.
So, you just released a new EP, “On God: Single & Remixes”. What does it’s title mean to you
“On God” has become a very popular saying and I honestly didn’t put much thought into it. The song talks about overcoming toxic relationships in our family, friend circles and dating. “On God” is another way of saying, “you f*cking right!”
What did you love most about putting the project together?
I love that there was one song I had to focus on and I was able to collaborate with musicians this this around. Previously all of my productions came from producers online, but the acoustic remix was actually performed by a musician outside of the United States by the name of Nicolas Quédreux. I also had the opportunity to try my hand at producing and switching up the production on the remix as well.
Music is art, and can be interpreted many ways as time progresses. Which song from the project speaks to you the most?
The acoustic version of “On God” has a bridge that I also get chills singing because it refers to my mom because she’s always been my biggest support. It’s also because when you strip away a lot of the production from the original track and you’re able to listen to the lyrical contents of the song, it makes it so much more emotional.
When did you know music was your thing?
I’m still discovering things about myself that I didn’t know before, but music is one of those things that I knew I couldn’t run away from as a young child. Music is a major part of my entire family. When I recorded my first demo in 2012, I didn’t know what the hell I was doing but I was building upon a passion that my ex at the time pulled out of me. Since then, music has always been my thing.
Where do you want to ultimately take your career?
I want to be well respected in the industry and known for my ability to do everything I do, phenomenally. I want my music to touch it’s listeners and I want what I do to continue to bless me financially and emotionally.
I’m currently working on a television show, writing my first self help book, drafting up ideas for an art collection line, putting together a podcast and also working on menu options for a restaurant or food truck. I want to be an entrepreneur and inspire those around me to do the same.
As we head off into the last few months of the year, how do you plan on ending it on a high note?
As this year closes, my plan is to tour as much as I can promoting “On God” and praying that it starts to open up more doors for me in the industry. I haven’t done a promo tour before so this is a first and I will also release more visuals and possibly a new single before the year ends.
Anything else we should know?
Go download my latest EP release “On God: Single & Remixes” now on all streaming platforms.
instagram.com/theofficialvontae
