These Iowa artists are dropping a new album. Here’s why you should listen.

Since T1 Entertainment was founded by Antonio “Tone Da Boss” Chalmers and Derek “Silence” Hennessey in 2018, it has largely served others.

They’ve provided stage time for budding artists at Iowa Summer Jam. They’ve given Iowa creatives the recognition they deserve through Iowa Music Awards. And they brought R&B nights, an event you’ll find in larger cities, to Cedar Rapids’ nightlife.

These are things Iowa didn’t have before T1 made it happen, Chalmers said, but the company’s next move is “one of the first things that we’re doing for us.”

They’ve pooled together the artists that represent what T1 Entertainment is all about and made “T1 All Stars,” an album filled with new tracks and some fan favorites. The goal is for the album to earn a Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) plaque — something musicians dream of — and share the accolade with artists and producers they’ve worked alongside to make Iowa a hub for music production.

When T1 Entertainment connected with the recording studio The Sound Box, 1044 Mount Vernon Rd. SE A, Cedar Rapids, the two companies talked about a project that unified artists across the state. That became the T1 All Stars album, which features Iowa-based hip-hop artists and rappers Tone Da Boss, Silence, Klazik and Ike Midas.

“My goal from the beginning, I always say, I try to make this more than a flyover state,” Chalmers said. “There’s a reason to fly here. There’s talented artists from here.”

Building the Iowa blueprint

“Being a musician in Iowa is kind of wild because as with any entrepreneur, you’re building the plane as you’re flying. But not only are we doing that, it’s like we’re establishing something and a way of thinking that didn’t exist,” Klazik, aka Tyrone Thomas, said. “So that presents its own barriers because you’re trying to do something among people that’s never seen people do it in their immediate … environment. So it takes a lot of confidence and believing the vision.”

Ike Midas, aka Michael Hicks, said earning respect and confidence from the Cedar Rapids community took time since people think of Chicago, not Cedar Rapids, as producing hip-hop music.

“It was kind of tough fighting the crowd honestly, like whether or not they want to respect us for being hip-hop artists because we’re from a place where most people … don’t connect with hip-hop,” Hicks said.

But the community did catch on.

“They’re showing up for the shows, they’re showing up for the events, they’re sharing the music,” Hick said. “They’re being there for us. … It’s a growing community.”

While a few large players are in the music industry, like Sony and Universal, smaller entities like T1 Entertainment are building markets in their area to mirror what the majors are doing.

“We want everyone in Iowa to win, and in order to do that, sometimes we’ve got to show them how,” Chalmers said.

And wherever T1 travels, they don’t hide being from Iowa. They’re proud of it.

“When we go to these places, me and Klazik and Ike Midas were just in Texas for (the music festival) South by Southwest and everybody that I shake hands with, ‘Hey, I’m Tone from Iowa’ … let me tell you about it. And here are the things that we’re doing in Iowa and we’d love to help you build and break the market with us in Iowa and kind of try to make this place a destination.” Chalmers said.

Eyes on the prize

RIAA plaques recognize success in the music industry. When an album “goes gold” or “goes platinum,” that means it has reached milestones either for units sold or streams. It’s a certified plaque across all platforms, marking all units moved.

“Because the recording academy acknowledges it, that’s the whole purpose of doing (the album),” Hennessey said. “If you’re trying to pursue it as a career, it’s to be acknowledged by like the Grammys.”

And earning an RIAA certified plaque is a step toward achieving that goal.

“Everything around this industry is off of accolades,” Hennessey said. “Nobody cares about anything but that.”

Individual songs have hit significant milestones. For example, “Gimme My Ring” by Tone da Boss and Ike Midas and “Victory Lap” by Tone Da Boss have been picked up by the WNBA, NBA and NFL.

The strategy behind the album is bringing together producers and artists who have grown with T1 Entertainment, from Iowa and beyond, so that everyone can benefit from earning the plaque.

Hennessey collaborated with multi-platinum artist DJ Luke Nasty on his new song “Take Another Shot.” Hennessey knows people will question that decision, since DJ Luke Nasty is not from Iowa.

“It’s the same reason why we would bring a major artist to the state for entertainment purposes,” Hennessey said.

DJ Luke Nasty has millions of streams already and his fan base will help elevate the album. Bringing in a bigger name puts a spotlight on Iowa and helps the community and economy grow, Hennessey said.

The album will be released on all platforms June 28.

“The album is gonna be something that … not just Cedar Rapids but the whole of Iowa can be proud of,” Thomas said. “And it’s gonna stand for a long time and it’s going to … make it easier for people to come behind us and be successful in a place that people don’t believe they can succeed from.”

Comments: bailey.cichon@thegazette.com