It’s been more than a minute since the last update on Nureau.

That can be dangerous, becuase it seems that you blink your eye and there’s something new developing on the front of this, Gospel’s Tonéx-driven genre that could perhaps be more accurately described as a musical mentality.

With Tonéx’s O2 project nearing twelve months on the market, with several new projects cooking and nearing completion, and with the Nureau Ink Delegate population expanding, there’s no shortage of topics to discuss. And of course, plenty of new lingo to learn!

Gospelflava.com linked up with Tonéx, T-boy and new delegates Applejaxx and Chizmatonic to flesh things out a bit.

Foremost, is the expansion of the Nureau empire.

“God hooked me up with the vision, and now he’s provided the like-visioned people to launch the vision,” explains Tonéx, in describing the various elements of Nureau. “And I’m advising, based on experience.”

Joining an already diverse assemblage that includes C.Note, Souljahz, Brotha Los, Kimme, Yvette Williams and others are Chizmatonic and Applejax.

“Chizmatonic is a producer, and a rapper too. He’s in Denver, Colorado, and he’s also handling some administrative aspects of the Nureau Ink Delegates. He’s a real contributor, real hands on”, says Tonéx in describing the new delegate.

The way it works is that each delegate is responsible for the region that they are originally from. So that allows Chizmatonic to keep an eye on the Colorado area, C.Note to look after his native Georgia, and so on.

“It’s all family, for real. There’s accountability among us, and everyone is real with each other,” Tonéx says in describing the outfit. “The Nureau Ink Delegates are not cookie cutter molds of each other at all”.

Also new to the collective is AppleJaxx, an innovative 20-year old rapper, lyricist and promotions / business operations whizkid, originally from North Carolina.

“When I hook up with people that are truly “Ink”, it doesn’t take me long to realize it, I just know,” says Tonéx. “Applejaxx has been communicating with the queen Tonéx —Mrs. Tonéx— for over two years now, and he has a real commerical appeal to his style, his stuff. He’s real accessible and cool. I’ve been finding that he has his own dialect, call him a subdivision of Nureau —Nureaumerican.”

In speaking to the new delegate, Applejaxx describes himself as like a chamaleon. “Innovative, creative, and animated”, he says. ”Vocally, I dont know who I will sound like. If you want to put any finger on it you can say Fabolous or Ma$e. Lyrically, I address address alot of issues.”

He goes on to list the variety of music he intends to contribute. “I Intellectual rhymes, club songs(club virtue or christian club songs), church issues, music issues (secular and Christian), love music (for wifey pointing to marriage), street issues, school issues, and stuff to make people laugh.”

And no, his moniker is not in reference to those cinammon-covered, sugary oatey Os you have at breakfast.

“Apple is from John 15. The Bible says that as I live correct according to the Word then I will bear good fruit, so thats Apple. Jaxx is from Mark 1:16-17 where Jesus ask the guys to come and he wanted them to be fishers of men. SO I’m out to jack or capture and bring and lead lost souls to Christ. Put the two together.”

All of this leads into that looming all-Nureau project titled T.R.O.N. (The Riders of Nureaumerica).

The double-CD project is still being shopped around to record labels, with sources indicating that major mainstream players are expressing some serious interest in picking it up.

As you may imagine, the project is stacked with Nureau players, including EB Williams and Tonéx’s church choir, and also some songs from Connecticut’s respected and rising talent, H. Doobie Powell.

“Yeah, some artists from the MSS Dynasty project have crossed over into this new movement”, explains Tonéx. “And it’s ironic, because this is also the 20th anniversary of Disney’s TRON movie, made in 1982. That movie is still more futuristic than anything that the Delegates have experienced in their lifetimes, so there are parallels.”

“Chizmatonic handles some production on TRON, and T.boy is producing as well, but there truly is a diversity of production, not just T.boy. And the standard of quality is there, it’s not just to show that I’m not a beat-hog!!

Tiffany Cross, she’s on there, she has a sound like Aaliyah or Brandy, much as I hate making those comparions. Let me say right here that that Nureau artists are not an alternative. No, we’re the competion.”

T.R.O.N.: Future Album Artwork

The album isn't ready yet, but you can get a feel for what to expect by taking in the album cover art. Presented above is the front CD cover for the future T.R.O.N. album, along with the back cover as well.

“I think people will be surprised. It’s like nothing heard fore, and we didn’t repeat ourselves. I haven’t felt this way about an album since Pronounced Toe-nay. It’s digital, but this stuff has more space. It ‘s progressive, but well thought out and cleverly put together.”

Also slated for appearance and production on TRON is C.Note, along with his sister, Danielle Harris. The Georgian artists is busy on several other fronts as well, including his own solo project as Claude Harris 2 slated for release later in 2003 on No Doubt Records.

Then there’s Yvette Williams. It seems that the long-wait for her solo project is nearing an end. Tonéx spilled a little about it. “She’s working with me and also with producer Thoma$ ‘Java Jaws’ Rankins, and it’s very oriental in presentation.”

Adding to the intrigue is the title of the project —Blond Haired Angel. Tonéx waxes eloquently about his wife, and vows that not only the Gospel world, but those beyond will wake up when the see and hear the final product. “She’s doing all the vocals, she’s stacking the BGVs, and co-writing with me. Expect this one to hit within about six months.”

On other Nureau fronts, there’s the prolific, philosophical rapper Gibraan Amen Hydrogen, except that he’s changed his moniker to Faathom Unseen. Delegates Souljahz are holding things down with a frantic touring schedule, and as for T-Boy, Tonéx claims that the producer’s solo joint is long overdue. Other delegates such as Brotha Los, E.B. Williams, LYN'z and Kimme are in the wings.

As for Tonéx himself, he’s busy preparing for his next solo recording for Verity Records, this one rumored to be a live project and involving several high profile Gospel artists from across the specturm. You could probably guess who they are, and you’d probably be correct!

T.R.O.N.: Future Album Artwork

Check out these previous features relevant to the world of Nureau. O2 Album Review Nureau Briefing (2002) Tonex Insider Interview It Ain't Over Album Review Souljahz Album Review

In between that, Tonéx is working on producing several songs for Yolanda Adams’ upcoming project for Elektra Records, one of them a duet with former Doobie Brother, Michael McDonald. He’s also writing and producing for the upcoming Shanice project, slated for a 2004 release.

You can also hear Tonéx on the recent pearl project from San Diego hip hop outfit, Sackcloth Fashion, where he again collaborates with Tim Trudeau, whom he worked a wonder with on the “Dancing In The Son” single from O2.

Says Tonéx about that pairing, “It’s the first time that several masterminds could coexist, there’s no ego, Tim and I, we’re servants first and led by the Spirit. We’re trying to serve instead of take and receive and so God can’t do anything but exalt. So even if anything doesn’t blow up, I have five new brothers in Sackcloth.”

The song from the project is “Take My Sin”, and features Tonéx on vocals and rap from Steve Trudeau, with production from Tim Trudeau and Tonéx (see album review).

It’s a lot to digest, and it’s plenty to look forward to, as it seems that Nureau is much, much more than passing fad. And we’d have to agree with Tonéx’s summary of the entirety of the sub-genre:

“We're making the music we wish we could buy”.


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