As the Chicago stop on Kota the Friend’s Flight Night Festival approaches, it is essential to remember the true purpose of the tour, and of the fltbys brand. That mission is clearly restated in a fltbys Instagram Post:
“Ever since 2008 we’ve been giving people the opportunity to get on stage, when no one else was giving the opportunity,” said Kota. “Fltbys has always been a young company of people who just want to do something but have no platform.”
Embracing the concept of connecting up-and-coming talent to their community, we will showcase a stacked lineup of opening acts in Chicago, before Kota takes the stage at The Metro on April 29th. One of those performers will be lively, clever emcee Daylight Tone.
“I’d say the biggest challenge in music has been with myself; like consistently staying creative in my lane, trying to go harder than I did yesterday and finding new ways to connect my music to a larger audience. I’m building an ecosystem and that’s a continuous challenge. I’m not the type to back down though.”
A self-proclaimed “290 baby”, Daylight Tone was born and raised in Westside Chicago. He embodies the soul of his neighborhood; grit and big energy radiate from his tracks. Despite his upbringing in the Westside, relationships with Chicago overall are important to Daylight. He is not a divisive force and looks to bring light and positivity to all through his music. “My name is good in all area codes from 808 to 630”, Daylight Tone assured us. “That’s important to know.”
Daylight Tone’s Sound
Daylight Tone favors beats that flip jazz and soul samples, melding them into heavy hitting, classic sounding instrumentals. Clearly, his comfort zone is boom bap beats, that pave the way for his heady, lyrical style. However, Tone is adaptive enough to experiment with more energetic, uplifting instrumentals, such as his beat on 2019 anthem Wake and Bake. With bars ranging from playful, to meticulously precise, Daylight Tone’s discography has more than enough range to be appealing to fans of all hip-hop subgenres. The common thread is the unparalleled high-energy, a factor that is sure to bring him lots of love from the Chicago crowd.
2020 EP Spotlight is an excellent showcase of Daylight Tone’s artistic prowess. The project is optimistic, breakneck, and quality, front-to-back. From the laid-back, windows down vibes of tracks Shut Up Love and Quicksand, to the driving force of Tone’s most popular song A Million Degrees, Spotlight functions as its name suggests. The EP illuminates Daylight Tone’s dazzling lyricism, versatility, and crystal-clear vocal performances.
The second track, No Scope, is an excellent representation of Daylight as a songwriter. His bars effortlessly navigate a head-nodding beat. The punchlines here are potent and abundant. [“Took her back to my lighthouse I know that she a freak/She say she want it right now we do this every week/I tell her hey Cinderella I’m a sinner I’m a seller/I might hit and Penn and Teller.”] Daylight Tone effortlessly ties nasty verses together with memorable hook.
While Spotlight is a dynamic project, Daylight Tone is more excited for what comes next: “The new tape I’m creating is the best stuff I’ve made that represents me as an artist and what I’m on so far. You’ll hear some at Flight Night fasho.”
Daylight Tone on Independence
With obvious raw talent, Daylight Tone is a commodity as fans and industry figures discover his music. He feels there are some huge opportunities on the horizon, but for now he is embracing the trials of independence. “I’d say the biggest challenge in music has been with myself; like consistently staying creative in my lane, trying to go harder than I did yesterday and finding new ways to connect my music to a larger audience. I’m building an ecosystem and that’s a continuous challenge. I’m not the type to back down though.”
Obviously, Daylight Tone understands the realities of hard work, and that the sacrifices he makes now will pay off long-term.
Flight Night
Flight Night will present Daylight Tone with a huge opportunity to showcase his energetic music and fire pen game. He truly appreciates the moment and understand that opportunities like Flight Night should not be taken for granted. “I definitely think it’s dope that he’s giving upcoming artists a platform to be able to shine on because it can be a struggle sometimes. Real talk, if you said I would perform at The Metro this year I’d say you cappin’ so I’m hella grateful I got a strong base of fans/supporters that’ll push my name to get me seen. Props to Kota for making it happen. It means it’s about time to let the light in. It’s up now.”
Daylight Tone is ready to capitalize on his chance. To do so in front of a packed house of fans in the city he puts on for will be monumental.
Stay tuned as we will be highlighting each local act on the roster for Chicago Flight Night. Limited tickets are available.
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