Music Career

T-Bone started rapping at the age of 7 at parties and in rap battles. He was close to getting a secular record deal but, after coming to Christ, he opened for a noted rock group at that time and got signed to his first management deal that night.
His first three albums: Redeemed Hoodlum in 1993, Tha Life of A Hoodlum in 1995 and Tha Hoodlum’s Testimony in 1998 were released on the independent Metro One record label. All these 3 albums were characterized by being gangsta rap albums, which was rare and virtually unknown in the Christian music scene at the time.
In 1999, he released a 3-disc compilation set of the hits from his first 3 albums titled History of A Hoodlum. This album was released on the Diamante record label.
After a brief hiatus, T-Bone released his fourth album (and first on the Flicker Records music label), The Last Street Preacha, in 2001, to critical acclaim. The Last Street Preacha was nominated for the Rock Gospel Album Grammy Award and saw T-Bone break into the Christian Contemporary Music market. It was the first rap album to debut at #7 on the Christian Contemporary Music charts.
2003 saw an increased exposure of T-Bone to both Christian and mainstream markets with the release of his fifth album, titled Gospelalphamegafunkyboogiediscomusic. The album was characterised by the guest appearance of hip-hop legend KRS-One on the title track – returning the favour of the controversial guest spot T-Bone had made on KRS-One’s Spiritual Minded album earlier in the year.
2005 saw the release of his most controversial, and successful, album to date: Bone-A-Fide. Bone-A-Fide’s album cover controversially featured T-Bone in an image evoking Che Guevara, leading to concerns that he was promoting communist ideologies – charges he denied.[5] Adding to the controversy were collaborations with two major secular rappers – Mack 10 and Chino XL.
Bone-A-Fide was his first album not to be produced by long-time collaborator Chase Dante and, perhaps deliberately, saw T-Bone move away from the previous West Coast sound of his earlier albums to a smoother, more West Coast/East Coast sound.
Also, in 2005, he was featured as Jairus in the rock opera !Hero, along with Michael Tait of Tait and dc Talk, Rebecca St. James, and Mark Stuart of Audio Adrenaline.
In 2007, he released a new Greatest Hits album titled Bone-Appetit! on September 25, 2007.

Film Career

T-Bone has just completed filming “I’m In Love With A Church Girl” co-starring next to Multi Platinum selling Rap Artist Ja Rule and Cheetah Girl and former 3LW member Adrienne Bailon. The movie is set to be released in theaters everywhere first quarter of 2012.
T-Bone also co-starred in “The Rally” along side evangelist Kenneth Copeland. It was released straight to DVD earlier this year.
T-Bone’s first major film role was in 2003, playing the role of Briggs, a rapping prisoner in the comedy-romance motion picture The Fighting Temptations, which starred Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Beyoncé Knowles. In the film, T-Bone performs the song “To Da River” with secular artists Lil’ Zane and Montell Jordan.
T-Bone also co-starred in the 2004 Paramount/MTV film “All You’ve Got” which starred Ciara and Adrienne Bailon of The Cheetah Girls.
His other movies include Carman and Stephen Yake’s “R.I.O.T.” and “Black Rose” in which he starred in 2003.

TV shows

Real Videos (TBN)-T Bone has been the host of Real Videos since 1997.
TX 10 (JC-TV)-T-Bone has been the host since 2006.
Hype & Glory (Gospel Music Channel)
Hispanic College Quiz (NBC)-T-Bone was a co host.

Mission

He has collaborated with many artists and producers, but he never forgot his mission. As stated on his website, “T-Bone is on a mission to illuminate the darkness that has descended upon Hip Hop”. He has reached many souls with the gospel of Jesus Christ through rhyming.

Discography

Albums
Year Title Record label Producer
1993 Redeemed Hoodlum Metro One LA Posse
1995 Tha Life of a Hoodlum Metro One LA Posse
1997 Tha Hoodlum’s Testimony Metro One LA Posse
1999 History of a Hoodlum Metro One LA Posse, Chase
2001 Tha Last Street Preacha Flicker/Boneyard/Sony/BMG Chase
2001 The Boneyard Box Set Metro One LA Posse
2002 Gospelalphamegafunkyboogiediscomusic Flicker/Boneyard/Sony/BMG Chase
2005 Bone-A-Fide Flicker/Boneyard/Provident/Sony/BMG Louis “Buster” Brown, Rene F. Sotomayor
2007 Bone-Appetit! Boneyard/Provident-Integrity Rene F. Sotomayor
2012 Return of the Bionic Man Boneyard/RGM Records

Music videos

2007: “Name Droppin’”
2005: “Can I Live” (Produced by Kenn Michael for CODEKRAFT)
2001: “Ride Wit’ Me” (Produced by King Tech for Bolo Entertainment)
1996: “Throwing Out Tha Wicked” (Produced by Bill Boyde)
1992: “Lyrical Assassin” (Produced by Dough Green)

Movies

“I’m In Love With a Church Girl”
“All You’ve Got” (Paramount Pictures/ MTV Films)
“The Fighting Temptations” (Paramount Pictures/ MTV Films)
“R.I.O.T.” (Steven Yake Productions)
“Black Rose” (Short)

Stage Plays
!Hero The Rock Opera

Appearances
Performer at the 2007 GMA Music’s Dove Awards (GMC, CMC)
Performer at 2004 GMA Gospel Music’s Dove Awards (UPN, PAX)
Featured performer at the 2003 MovieGuide Awards
Featured performer/Presenter at the 2003 Arpa Awards (Telemundo/Univision)
Presenter at 2001 Stellar Awards
Featured performer at the 2000 ALMA Awards with Kirk Franklin
Television appearances include “E!,” “Live at the Apollo,” “MTV’s The Cut”, MTV’s “From the Church to the Charts,” “LA TV,” “Urban Latino,” “Despierta America” (Univision), “Entertainment News” (Telemundo), “Entertainment News” (MGM Latin American Network), and “Keeping it Real” (Soundtrack Channel)
Featured in the rock opera !Hero and on its soundtrack

Awards and nominations
Grammy Nominations
2001 Tha Last Street Preacha – Best Rock Gospel Album
2007 Category: Best Rap/Rock Gospel Album of the year: Bone-a-fide!
2008 Category: Best Gospel Performance: “With Long Life” with Israel Houghton

Visionary Award Nominations
2009 Category: Hip Hop/Rap Performer of the Year

Dove Awards
2008
Winner of Rap/Hip-Hop Song of the Year “Name-Droppin”
2004
Winner of special event album (!Hero, a rock opera)
Nomination for Rap/Hip-Hop Album (Gospelalphamegafunkyboogiediscomusic)
Nomination for Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Song (Raised in Harlem from !Hero)
2002
Nomination for Rap/Hip-Hop Album, (Tha Last Street Preacha)
Nomination for Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Song (Ride Wit Me)
Nomination for Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded (King of My Life)
1997
Nomination for Rap/Hip Hop Album (Tha Hoodlums Testimony)
Nomination for Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song (Keep on Praising)
1995
Nomination for Rap/Hip-Hop Album (Tha Life of A Hoodlum)
Nomination for Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Song” (Throwing Out Tha Wicked)
1993
Nomination for Rap/Hip Hop Album (Redeemed Hoodlum)
Nomination for Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song (Lyrical Assassin)

Collaborations
Songs
“Gospelalphamegafunkyboogiediscomusic” KRS-One
“With Long Life,” Featuring Israel And New Breed for A Deeper Level
“Lonely Man” Audio Adrenaline (Lift)
“We’re a Band” Audio Adrenaline (Live from Hawaii)
“A Few Good Men” Mack 10
“You Can’t Win” Chino XL
“1,2,3 Praise!” Virtue
“Joy” Feat. Joi of Brownstone
“The Slam” tobyMac
“Slam [d Dubb Remix]” TobyMac
“Rubber House” Rachael Lampa
“With Long Life” Israel Houghton & New Breed
“To Da River,” featuring Montell Jordan and Lil’ Zane from “The Fighting Temptations Soundtrack”
“Raised in Harlem,” featuring Michael Tait for !Hero
“The Struggle Continues,” featuring KRS-ONE for Spiritual Minded
“I’m Thankful,” featuring Yolanda Adams for Believe
“My Story” and “ God is Exalted,” featuring Carman for R.I.O.T.
“Little Jackie” and “What a Fool I’ve Been,” featuring Crystal Lewis for Fearless
“King of My Life,” featuring Natalie LaRue for Soul Lift
“Wrapped Up,” featuring Dawkins and Dawkins for Focus
“Sooner or Later,” featuring Freedom of Soul for The 2 nd Coming
“Watcha gonna do,” featuring JC and the Boyz for Chill 4 A While
“I Can’t Sleep,” featuring JC Crew for Serious Bizness

Producers
Fredwreck (Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Dogg Pound, Westside Connection, Mack 10)
Warryn Campbell (Snoop Dogg, Missy Elliot, Mary Mary)
Bosko (Kanye West, LiL Jon, E-40, Master P)
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Prince, Whitney Houston)
Darkchild (Destiny’s Child, Brandy, Christinia Aguilera, Brian McKnight, Mary J.Blige, Kirk Franklin)
King Tech (Eminem, Nas, Chino XL, Common Lauren Hill)
Tommy Simms (Babyface, Eric Clapton, Carman)
Rex Rideout (Mary J Blige, Angie Stone, Luther Vandross, The Temptations)
Buster and Shavoni (Yolanda Adams, Kirk Franklin, God’s Property)
Avila Bros. (Jessica Simpson, Janet Jackson, Usher, Mariah Carey, Macy Grey)
Bobby “Bobcat” Ervin (2pac, Ice Cube, LL Cool J, Mack 10, Eazy E)
Dwayne “Muffla” Simon (Run DMC, LL Cool J, King Tee)
Chase (Dr. Dre, Az Yet, Rakeem, KRS-ONE, Mista Grimm)
David Bannister (Carman, Cee-Cee Winans, Jaci Velasquez)

Additional highlights
Lifetime music sales exceed 800,000 units
Selected to do commercials on MTV for “The Cut”
Did 4 Commercials on MTV with Beyonce and Mike Epps for “Tha Fighting Temptations”