St. Louis hip-hop label finds solace in music after double tragedy

But last December, the label remained numb.

Tragedy strikes twice, as two of the group’s beloved core creatives, rapper Hills (Jon Hill) and producer DT (Darion Tolbert), committed suicide within days.

Audacity Music Group CEO T-Dubb-O (Antoine White) has confirmed his death. They also find solace in pushing new music.

T-Dubb-O has released a new song “Butterfly” produced by DT. The song features singer Valencia Rush and was originally inspired by the death of her T-Dub-O sister.After DT’s death, it takes on additional meaning.

The song is from T-Dubb-O’s new album Soon Itll All Be Over, with a prophetic and hopeful title that goes beyond pain. The listening event will take place on his January 13th at the Grand Center’s Central Stage with a special tribute to The Hills and DT.

Aside from the social media tributes, Audacity Music Group has so far remained silent about the tragedy.

“I don’t even know what I’m doing,” says T-Dubb-O. “I’ve lost people in the ugliest ways possible.

“I’m always busy and trying to keep moving. The last few years have been turbulent. Music is the best thing for me. When situations like this happen, being able to release it to music is always for me.” It helps.My experience growing up on the streets, you grow a shell.No matter what happens, you have to keep going.”

The label’s producer, Dre, says he’s doing his best to move forward and that the music shows where he needs to be.

“I try to think about what was going through their minds,” he says. I’m just trying to stand on

The goal of the “Soon It’ll All Be Over” listening event is to share new music and lift Hills and DT and their legacy.

“From my brother’s standpoint, what I can do is keep their name alive in the most positive way possible,” says Bo Dean, president of Audacity Music Group.

T-Dubb-O said: “Bo got a video of an interview with the two of them.”

Documentary footage produced by Bo Dean with Audacity Music Group will be screened at the event.

Hills will release the album Come as You Are in 2022 with a theatrical opening event at MX Movies & Bar.

“The Hills were literally one of the best rappers the city has ever produced,” says T-Dubb-O. “He was humble, sometimes too humble. I told him to stay true to you and he stopped caring what other people think when he wasn’t with him and he was the best man of his life He started making music. “Come as You Are” was in his bag of all the music he liked.

Bo Dean says 2022 was a landmark year for Hills, with MX events and concerts at the Blueberry Hill Duck Room and Blank Space. He also eventually incorporated the band into his own sets.

A posthumous release is scheduled for 2023.

Dre and DT would often work on tracks together trying to come up with a name for the team. Dre says DT’s beat stepped up his own game.

Audacity Music Group will release DT’s near-finished album Nobody Cares If You’re Alone again this year. DT was also her R&B artist, but most people didn’t know that.

Hills and DT’s work appears on T-Dubb-O’s “Soon It’ll All Be Over”. The album includes songs such as “Dear Ye”, “Butterfly”, and “The Getbacc”, which are hip-hop wake-up calls to his artist Ye (formerly Kanye West).

The album also features other artists such as Valencia Rush, Gusesinger, Bo Dean, Kizzle Mobin, and Strap. Producers include DT, Dre, Cali 22, Donn Suave and Jackpot Hitz.

Work on “Soon It’ll All Be Over” began in early 2021, not long after Audacity Music Group was evicted from its sprawling space on Locust Street downtown.

T-Dubb-O said: “For a minute, the whole group paused. That space was more than just a work space. It was a safe haven. I think I kept it alive and there was a part of it and I was working there every day.”

T-Dubb-O has taken his work to Fat Buddha Productions, Temple Studios and several private spaces.

While working on the album, he was trying to keep Audacity Music Group together while also dealing with his own “personal catastrophe”.

“We named the album before working on it,” he says. “I, in a way, foresaw all these turbulent events and terrifying situations.”

“Soon It’ll All Be Over” helps him deal with pain, loss, and eventual victory.

“Keep your head up and keep fighting and don’t give in to the devil,” he says. “Whatever you’re dealing with in life, you can beat it. I try to use my story as motivation.”

The album also marks T-Dubb-O’s attempt to take Audacity Music Group to another level.

“Talent and music were always there,” he says. “From 2020 to 2021, we have released 10 projects. No other label has this level of talent and quality of music.

what “Soon It’ll Be All Be Over” Listening Party • when January 13, 9:00 p.m. • Where Center Stage, 3524 Washington Boulevard • How much $10-$15 • More information metrotix.com