Check The Notes with VON TAE
Photo credit: DeVante Jones
Kings, Queens and everything in between! I’m excited to welcome you back to the table. I want to introduce you to VON TAE, a hybrid artist blazing a path of his own. A Maryland native with a hustle that is incomparable and has rewarded him with breathtaking opportunities. He’s been featured on Jet Magazine socials, performed for Roc Nation A&R Earl Johnson, auditioned for American Idol and Diddy’s reboot of Making the Band. And if that’s not impressive enough, he’s caught the attention of some serious R&B legends like Tank and Keyshia Cole. It’s truly an honor to get acquainted with an artist of VON TAE’s caliber and I am incredibly thankful that The Melodic Note could be a part of his story. Without further ado—
If you could - tell us a bit about the artist VON TAE? I was actually named after Devante from the R&B group Jodeci by my cousin. I decided to shorten it to VON TAE because that’s what my close friends and family call me. VON TAE is a force to be reckoned with and I’m always trying to grow as an artist in my performances, on and off the stage. There’s so much diversity in who I am as an artist. I've even had major labels who say “we don’t know where to put you on our roster.” I am the definition of an entertainer. I rap, sing, act, dance and so many other things.
What do you feel has carried you (emotionally or spiritually) throughout your career? There’s a community of things that have carried me. I’d have to say God first and foremost because without faith, we have nothing. Then my passion for music in general. I love songwriting and expressing my pain and joy through music. It’s definitely been my saving grace. My family, my mom Gladys and my friends have also been a major support system for me.
What do you think your superpower is in R&B and Hip-hop? My superpower is being able to jump from R&B and then into HipHop equally as good. A lot of singers who rap or vice versa don’t usually do both exceptionally well. If you hear Von Tae on a R&B song, you’ll stop where you are to listen. It’s gravitating. You connect with my vocals and you wouldn’t think that I could also rap. If you’re listening to me on a Hip Hop record you’d say, “damn that’s not the same person is it?” My metaphors and cadence are well respected by my peers and fans. I’ve had so many people admire that about me. I respect the craft of both genres so I have to bring it when I perform.
Photo credit: DeVante Jones
Which two artists, in any genre, do you think your style of music is comparable to?Honestly, I would only be compared if you’ve heard me rap or sing individually. When I rap, people say I sound like Cole or Kendrick. When I sing, some say Trey Songz. I think Chris Brown does a great job with singing and his rap cadence is nice too.
I read in your bio that you were relocated to a foster home as a child along with your siblings. And in that time you were introduced to a heavy gospel influence, in addition to joining the school band. In the rearview, do you believe the circumstances around your home life in that time led you down this beautiful path of becoming a professional musician? I do. My family is very musically inclined. My grandmother was in the church's choir group and I’ve been in music classes since elementary school. My uncles play instruments and we used to sing together all the time. My foster mother played gospel music throughout the house daily and at every family event, there was a mix CD playing everything from Luther Vandross to Lil Jon and the East Side Boys. I’ve been influenced by it all.
I also read that you collaborated with your sister April in a dance crew called “K-Crew”, a nod to Kent road, the street your family grew up on. What are some of your favorite memories performing as a group? Man, what a time. We danced for a non profit group called Dance Empowerment that was taught by Kevin Feterline in LA. The foundation also branched out to Maryland where we live and was taught by choreographer Wayne Hurley. My most fondest memories would have to be performing at The Orioles baseball stadium for the first time and just building relationships with individuals like myself who were passionate about dance. We performed in talent shows, auditioned for Apollo Live and made a little buzz for ourselves in the community.
What’s been your source of joy over the pandemic? My partner honestly. Having someone there to love and spend time with when everything on the outside was closed was a blessing. Having the internet and being able to still post music was also something that helped me keep joy. Verzuz on Instagram was another highlight!
What inspired your upcoming single “Yearning” and what emotion are you looking to evoke in fans with it? Yearning is inspired by my current relationship and also seeing how things have changed in the world when it comes to love and monogamy. I’m understanding so much more about it now, but when I wrote Yearning I was in need of a deeper love connection than what I was used to. I hope that my fans feel the passion and desperation in the lyrics and the vocal performance. The lyrics are some of my most favorite from the new album.
Photo credit: DeVante Jones
In what ways do you feel that you’ve grown as an artist during the creative process for your forthcoming album Heartbreaker? I have done a lot of soul searching to really stand on who I am as an artist and outside of the music. I’ve studied the legends who have come before me, spent time with the music I’ve been creating instead of forcing a release. It’s allowed me to create my best work yet. I’ve grown lyrically and vocally. I’m now working on learning the piano and guitar as well. I want to be a musician like Prince and Rick James.
Last year you were given an opportunity to perform for Kandi Burruss on IG Live! How did that moment come together? I honestly didn’t expect her to accept my request on Instagram. I was on the sofa watching TV, saw that she was on Instagram and sent the request asking her to sing. As soon as she accepted I had less than a second to try and turn on the lights and find a place to sing. It was an amazing experience. She said she didn’t believe that I could sing because people have tried singing for her before. My aunt Faye has preached to me, “call Kandi Burruss Tucker” and I never really understood what she meant until that moment happened. Kandi has put so many independent artists on, she’s helped so many entrepreneurs and she’s just a phenomenal person. A boss to say the very least and very genuine. I hope to work with her one day in the future.
If you could describe DeVante Jones’ story in three words, what would they be? He’s still going.
From the editor: I cannot thank you all enough for the overwhelming love and support for both myself and the featured artists— Now that you’re familiar with the human beyond the music, you can get acquainted with VON TAE’s catalog. I left a little sample pack for you below the interview. Do me a solid and give these records a few spins and pre-save “Yearning” before it drops on 10/27! And in case you wanted to check out his big moment with THE Kandi Burruss, we’ve got that footage right here for you.