The Twilite Tone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Twilite Tone
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The Twilite Tone in 2020
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Anthony Christopher Craig |
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| Born | July 13, 1971 Chicago, Illinois, United States |
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| Years active | 1987–present |
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Anthony Christopher Khan (born July 13, 1971), known as The Twilite Tone, is an American music producer, artist, and DJ. He also works as a composer and radio host. The Twilite Tone has collaborated with many famous artists. These include Gorillaz, Kanye West, Common, and John Legend.
Contents
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
The Twilite Tone was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA. His birth name was Anthony Christopher Craig. Later, his family's surname, Khan, was adopted. His uncle, Hassan Khan, married the famous singer Chaka Khan. This connection likely influenced his early life in music.
Tone started playing the trumpet in third grade. Soon after, he learned percussion instruments. In high school, he led the drum section in his band. He had his first DJ performance as a sophomore at a school event.
Music Career Highlights
Starting Out in Chicago
In 1987, Tone met NO I.D. and rapper Common. He became the DJ for their group, "CDR". They released an album in 1989 called "1015 or 326," later known as Dion & Tony.
In 1989, Tone helped form "Dem Dare." This group promoted house and hip-hop music events. Tone DJ'd at their first show in Chicago. During this time, he created the terms "Go-ill" and "Chic-Chic" for Chicago. In 1990, he began working on Common's early music.
Producing Common's First Album
In 1992, Tone produced most of Common's first album, Can I Borrow a Dollar?. He worked with co-producer No I.D. on the album's hit songs. "Take It EZ" reached No. 5 on the Hot Rap Singles chart. Other songs like "Breaker 1/9" and "Soul by the Pound" also charted high.
In 1993, Tone rapped for the first time on a record called "Can I Bust." He also appeared on "Chapter 13" under the name Ynot. In 1997, he produced "Reminding Me (Of Sef)" for Common's album One Day It'll All Make Sense.
Focusing on DJing and New York
From 1995 to 2000, Tone mainly focused on DJing. In 1999, he produced and rapped on "Get The Doe." This song made many people want a full album from him.
In 2006, Tone moved to New York. He continued to be a busy DJ. He also started producing mainstream music again. From 2007 to 2009, he helped produce U-God's album Dopium. He worked on tracks like "Rims Poking Out" and "Hips."
In 2010, Tone produced the "Just Write Mixtape" series. This was for a movie starring Queen Latifah and Common.
Working with Top Artists
In 2012, Tone co-produced and co-wrote three songs for Kanye West's and GOOD Music's album Cruel Summer. These songs included "Don't Like", "The One", and the popular single "Mercy."
He also produced songs for John Legend's Grammy-nominated album, Love in the Future. These were "Who Do We Think We Are" and "What If I Told You (Interlude)." Tone also contributed to Pusha T's song "Nosetalgia" featuring Kendrick Lamar.
In 2015, Tone produced "Put the Guns Down." This song aimed to inspire young people in Chicago to stop gun violence. It featured many artists like Common, King Louie, and Noname.
In 2016, Tone was chosen to co-produce Gorillaz's 2017 album, Humanz. He is credited with producing all 19 tracks on the album. His work with Gorillaz was shown in their 2019 documentary, Reject False Icons.
In 2018, My Brightest Diamond announced a new album co-produced by The Twilite Tone. In 2020, he released his first solo album, The Clearing, on Stones Throw. He calls its sound "trans-genre," mixing house, electronic funk, and instrumental hip-hop. This sound is inspired by Chicago's music history.
Selected Works
The Twilite Tone has produced and contributed to many notable songs and albums throughout his career. Here are some of them:
- 1992: Can I Borrow a Dollar? by Common (Producer)
- 1992: "Take It EZ" by Common (Co-Producer)
- 1992: "Breaker 1/9" by Common (Producer)
- 1992: "Soul by the Pound" by Common (Producer)
- 1997: "Reminding Me of Self" by Common (Producer)
- 2009: "Hip" and "Rims Pokin Out" by U-God (Producer)
- 2012: "Don't Like", "The One", and "Mercy" by Kanye West (Co-Producer)
- 2013: "Who Do We Think We Are" and "What If I Told You" by John Legend (Co-Producer/Producer)
- 2013: "Nosetalgia" by Pusha T (Contributor)
- 2015: "Put The Guns Down" by various artists (Producer)
- 2017: Humanz album by Gorillaz (Producer on multiple tracks)
- 2020: The Clearing by The Twilite Tone (Artist/Producer)
- 2021: "Praise God" by Kanye West, Travis Scott, Baby Keem (Co-Producer)
- 2021: "Life of the Party" by Kanye West, Andre 3000 (Co-Producer)
