Von Tae talks protest music, the art of album creation and debuts new video “Hopeful”

I love to see my people come up.

Half a decade ago, I crossed paths with Von Tae, an emerging hip-hop and R&B artist filled with potential. What caught my eye, and ear, was his passion to succeed.

Though we’re a long way away from 2015, his hunger has not subsided. In the years that have followed, Von Tae has made quite the name for himself online, especially for his Quarantine series. Let’s catch back up with the homie to discuss where he’s been, the time he sang for Kandi Burruss on IG and the art of album making.

Edd: What up Von Tae, it’s been a minute. The last time we chatted here on the site was 2015, way before COVID and Tik Tok and orange people in the White House. You’ve done a LOT since then – how have you been?

Von Tae: Things have been getting better since the beginning of the COVID Quarantine. I’ve been going through a lot but thankfully music and my family have been my biggest therapy. I’ve been COVID free, vaccinated and staying as safe as possible.

Well, the first thing I want to talk about is your song “Contagious.” That thing caught fire around 2019. Share the story behind that.

“Contagious” was written around the time the Black Lives Matter movement started after the George Floyd situation happened. After releasing it, I tweeted it to J.Cole’s Twitter and it blew up and went viral everywhere. I think the reason it took off so quickly is because of it’s very blunt lyrics and the catchy hook. Both black and white listeners appreciated the song and I ruffled some feathers with the racists as well. One older white guy reviewed it on his show and said “I think this song is racist.” That s*** was hilarious to me!

It was really the perfect time for that song. What was goal conceptually with that one?

I honestly wanted it to be thought provoking. So many listeners reviewed it that I had to make a playlist on my YouTube channel for it. I really needed to vent about how I felt on the multiple injustices that happened with Laquan McDonald (2014), John Crawford (2014) Freddie Gray (2015), Walter Scott (2015), Alton Sterling (2016), Philando Castile (2016), Terence Crutcher (2016), Antwon Rose (2018), George Floyd (2020) and others. I think the song did what it was suppose to and I love that it pissed off a lot of the racists who heard it too.

Eh, whatever. Let them be mad. Well, In 2020 things went even higher with your quarantine series and covers. My favorite might have been “Feels So Good” – super underrated Remy Ma and Ne-Yo joints – as well as your take on Kenny Lattimore’s “For You.” What made you decide to embark on the series?

I use my covers as a way to hold my fans over in between new music but also to keep my vocals sharp and to learn more about recording backgrounds and harmonies. I started recording myself singing “live” but then switched to rerecording song covers in the studio. I love adding additional backgrounds and raps to those original records. Quite a few of the records I cover go from the 60’s to current Hiphop and R&B records that we all love today.

What’s your favorite cover?

Wow. Now that’s a tough question! To be honest, I find myself listening to my covers more than the music on the radio or on my Tidal playlists. My favorite three covers would have to be your favorite “Feels So Good” by Remy Ma, “Human Nature” by Michael Jackson and my cover to The Temptations “Silent Night” which has become a fan favorite as well. My cover to Rick James “Mary Jane” was shared on his official IG page by his team because they loved it so much. That was a major blessing!

Here’s the thing about covers – they’re trickier than people realize. You have to balance doing the original justice, while also not making it a clone. Gotta put a little Von Tae on it. Give us a little insight on the art of making a perfect cover, from the song selection to the execution.

Most of my song choices come straight from my playlist favorites so they aren’t very hard to pick. I’m usually singing the song around the house or it plays while I’m listening to music at work. I come home and eventually record it. I tend to find songs that fit my vocal range but a few have been vocally challenging to be quite honest, like my recent cover to Tevin Campbell’s “Can We Talk.” I love putting “a little Von Tae on it” like you said, adding harmonies and filming the visuals as if it was a music video. A perfect example of that is my cover to R. Kelly’s “When A Woman’s Fed Up” and The Isley Brothers “Between the Sheets.”

Speaking of covers, I remember when you sang Usher’s “Lovers and Friends” to Kandi Burruss on IG! How did that come about?

Man, that was a crazy moment and definitely one of the highlights of my career so far! She was on IG Live promoting Eve’s new BET Series “Queens” and I requested to go live with her, not expecting her to pick up, and she answered. My cousin kept interrupting the live by calling my phone and she was ready to hang up on me. I eventually thought of something to sing and she loved it.

Well we’ve talked about other folks’ songs, let’s talk about YOURS. Note to Self is your latest album, and it’s more hip-hop driven than some may expect from your R&B covers. Why this direction?

To be quite honest, I think I’m a stronger Hiphop writer than a R&B lyricist. I think writing R&B records have taken up more of my time compared to writing a R&B hook and composing rap lyrics for the verses. I’m working on singing a lot more on the next couple of projects because I do feel I’ve confused a lot of folks after listening to the new album. I started releasing “Remix Visuals” alongside my song covers prior to the album to give folks a bit more of a solid understanding of who I am as an artist. I’ve also considered working with R&B songwriters to make more R&B records in the future. I know thats what everyone wants!

I like the structure of the album. I hate to use the word “old school” because essentially we’re just talking “well-crafted music” but I appreciated your emphasis on sound lyricism and solid production over the sparse vibes and thinly-written songs. What was your inspiration for this direction?

My inspiration has come from being a fan of ALBUMS. Some of my favorite albums come from Michael Jackson, Usher, Jay Z, Bobby Brown, TLC, and Whitney Houston who created solid bodies of work. In my earlier days I grew up listening to my first taste of HipHop, which was Missy Elliott’s “The Cookbook” and 50 Cent’s “Get Rich or Die Trying” and “The Massacre” which both fused HipHop with R&B melodies and radio catchy hooks. I also love interludes and albums that felt like you were being taken on a journey into exactly how the artist felt. With “Note to Self” I really wanted my audience to get a taste of who I was personally and what I’ve been going through over the last few years.

I want to call out two songs specifically. They say music reflects the times and “Hopeful” speaks to our times. Younger fans are just getting acquainted with “protest music” – songs that are socially and politically driven. Why was it important to you to use your music to speak on the times, and what are some of your personal favorite protest songs?

I’m a big fan of music that speaks on current worldly issues. I’m a product of artists like Michael Jackson who created some of my favorite anthems like “They Don’t Really Care About Us” (discussing police brutality) and “Black or White” (a call for racial harmony with an undercurrent of indignation). I think more recently, the new generation can appreciate protest songs like Donald Glover’s “This Is America” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright.”

I hope “Hopeful” continues to push the fight for justice and equality for everyone. As an artist with an evolving fanbase and voice for the people, it’s my duty to push honest narratives that will help shift the culture.

Another joint that caught my ear was “Social Media” and the need to disconnect. It’s interesting because even though social media has been a big driver of your career you’re wise enough to understand the need to not be consumed by it. What made you want to speak out about it?

I’m so glad you mentioned this because I’m still struggling with trying to balance my social media life and my life outside of the digital world. It’s all about finding balance with everything you do I guess. I know that social media is a big factor in getting my music heard and building my audience so I can’t completely get rid of it so I needed to talk about it. Social media creates this illusion that having everything and doing everything is what creates happiness but it doesn’t.

I needed to vent about how important it is to take a moment away and focus on your own reality. I’ve actually had to take a break from a few friends as well to focus on my life and not feel so consumed by talking and texting on the phone all day. I honestly miss the days where we didn’t have so much access to everything. Things were far less stressful and life didn’t make you feel like you had to have it all.

What other projects do you have on the horizon? The streets say you have a book coming?

The damn streets stay talking, but that’s true! I’m working on a self help book that also discussing a bit of my personal life and upbringing. It’ll be titled after the album and will hopefully be released early 2022 with the deluxe edition re-release of Note to Self.

Before we wrap up, let me ask this – looking at the current climate of music, what do you think is missing in rap and R&B?

Authenticity and creativity. So many people aren’t being who they are and they’re doing things to either fit in or “make it” because they see other folks doing it. The industry and record labels are also falling into that trap and signing the same artists who sound just alike. DaBaby, Lil Baby and every other baby, they all sound the same. Where is the creativity and individually in rap like Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes? Where are the soul singers with beautiful lyrics and vocals like Anita Baker and Whitney? There are a few singers and rappers who continue to carry the torch but because they aren’t half naked or speaking about “catching a body” or baby daddies, nobody cares to either award them or praise their talents.

And then let me follow with this – how does Von Tae fill that gap?

Von Tae doesn’t follow trends just to gain radio airplay, a few thousand likes or temporary fans. I’m building a solid fanbase who appreciates music and visuals that comes from the heart and makes you think beyond what you see on your altered social media algorithms. I’m what they were looking for years ago when they discovered the legends we still praise today. I sing, rap, dance, act and I’m an all around entertainer with a passion for music beyond a paycheck and clout. Von Tae fills the gap and continues to carry the torch of quality music that pushes the culture forward.

Follow Von Tae on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Tik Tok. And check out the premier of his new video “Hopeful” below.