From launching an impartial label at Howard College within the Nineties to now managing a number of the highest-grossing dwell exhibits nationwide, Tone Lopez — co-founder of HansTolo Enterprises — has climbed the notch in leisure and music with sights set on domination.
Reigning alongside HansTolo co-founder Raphiki Rhodes, Lopez instructed The Informer pushing the needle of success is about self-discipline, focus and disrupting an trade flailing in cultural consciousness.
“You come over to our aspect…you’ll see [people who aren’t from the communities we represent on tour] operating our excursions and our tradition, and so they don’t have a clue on what that’s,” Lopez stated. “[I’d like to see that] the trade turns into slightly bit extra various on all fronts— not solely from the individuals operating it behind the phases, however simply from a music standpoint.”
That’s why the dynamic duo established HansTolo Enterprises in 2016, one of many main tour and manufacturing administration firms behind Chris Brown’s record-breaking Breezy Bowl XX Stadium World Tour, and presently operating Brandy and Monica: The Boy Is Mine Tour, coming to the District’s Capital One Enviornment on Nov. 30.
As they put together to take over Northwest D.C., the California natives symbolize greater than Monica’s tour managers, however an instance of what it means to set the tone of cultural preservation.
For Lopez, that appears like pouring into the tradition that when raised him, whereas forging a brand new imaginative and prescient for the way forward for leisure — “[and] hopefully we’re filthy wealthy after we stroll out of right here,” he jokingly provides.
Plus, the 2 hope to encourage others alongside the best way.
“We noticed the void on this trade with individuals like us— that come from the place we come from, that form of grew up like [we did]… [and realized] we are able to shine,” Rhodes defined. “We will excel, we might present them that we are able to do that on the highest stage. That’s the mark we need to go away.”
Constructing the Rhodes to Tone the Trade
A product of Los Angeles tradition, Lopez grew up with ties to the sounds of soca, calypso, soul and ska, lauding a deep funding in all features of Black tradition that solely catapulted as a witness to the elevation of hip-hop.
When he wasn’t digging into music samples, or watching famed teams carry out again once they had been underground, the entrepreneur was constructing a inventory in artist administration and cultural competence.
With a knack for group and a spotlight to element, Lopez pursued a set of expertise that may later bode nicely for HansTolo Enterprises.
“Once I heard [rappers] Rakim and [KRS-ONE], guys like Public Enemy, the best way it made me really feel is like, ‘rattling,’” Lopez instructed The Informer. “Music was all the time in my coronary heart, I’ve simply discovered a very good feeling on the touring aspect as a result of…you possibly can construct one thing from scratch, after which see it on stage, and you’re part of that execution. Whether or not you’re doing it for a 500 cap room, or a 50,000 cap stadium, all of them give me the identical exhilarating feeling.”
In the course of the mid-’90s “Golden Period” of hip-hop, Compton native Rhodes climbed the ranks in DJing and radio, even launching the primary industrial hip-hop/pop radio station in his faculty city of San Luis Obispo, as a scholar at California Polytechnic State College.
In the meantime Lopez left the revered “Golden State” and immersed himself within the “hustle tradition” of the previously identified Chocolate Metropolis, benefiting from an training past the lecture rooms of Howard College.
“Being at Howard, you sat on a hill the place you might see each single factor,” Lopez recalled. “You might see touring, you might see music, you might see administration, you might see individuals doing radio. I used to be uncovered to all of it, and that was a extremely good time…to be round that.”
The communications main finally established an impartial label with a pal, including it was “most likely probably the greatest choices” he made to attend faculty in D.C., fueled by the flexibility to frequent cultural scorching spots in New York, whereas on the wheel of town’s range and enterprise publicity.
Quickly after, Lopez was settling in his first gig as an official tour supervisor, making a stamp that may result in a “heaven-sent” collaboration with Rhodes.
“Everyone was doing it – hustle, community,” Lopez continued, “and I used to be doing all of that.”
Rhodes provides cultural authenticity isn’t solely what introduced the reckoning drive collectively, however is deeply ingrained as an element of the enterprise. He cited the corporate’s culturally related merchandise — shouting out Lopez’s hidden eye for trend coupled along with his “good ear” retaining a pulse on the developments of the streets.
Moreover, the co-founders pressured the significance of prioritizing range in cultural areas, highlighting a roundup of Latina, Asian, and Black ladies professionals throughout all departments of the HansTolo staff.
“We consider in [this work], and we find it irresistible, and …we need to take our firm to the following stage,” Rhodes defined. “Now we have this cultural authenticity, as a result of we didn’t simply find yourself right here. It’s nearly like we had been chosen.”
Reflections from ‘an OG’: Shaping the Way forward for An Trade
With the upcoming present in D.C. Sunday, Rhodes shared a day within the lifetime of a tour supervisor can seem like something from dealing with logistics and press, to a continuing loop of motels, autos, walkthroughs, and easily being an lively liaison for shoppers.
Lopez emphasised the significance of self-discipline and focus in an trade overcome with temptations, advising aspiring tour managers to recollect the job and never “get caught up” within the components that encompass it.
By way of what helps maintain him grounded, he lauds the instrument of Rhodes’ partnership.
“He’s been that steadiness. We each feed off of one another very nicely,” stated the tour supervisor. “We’ve received lots of stuff down the pipeline that we need to create, that we need to do.…and we are saying on a regular basis: ‘I’m Solo, he’s Hans,’ [and] that’s how we run it.”
“I’m seeing it proper now with Monica and Brandy, that sh–t is promoting nicely,” Lopez instructed The Informer. “These [fans] are of their 50s, mid- to late 40s, early 30s that had been related to those ladies and are available to help. It takes you again in time, when music was purely genuine…and it’s form of cool to be round.”
As for the main males of HansTolo, each admit they’ve by no means envisioned their private marks on the world.
On the enterprise aspect, they tout an annual mannequin that culminates in celebrating wins, planning for enchancment and establishing objectives for the next yr, one thing Rhodes considers pivotal to the corporate’s success.
Among the many late 2025 and 2026 docket consists of: Aminé’s “Tour de Dance World Tour,” Earl Sweatshirt’s “3L World Tour” (U.S. leg), Danny Brown’s Stardust Tour, and manufacturing administration for Cardi B’s Little Miss Drama Tour, to call just a few initiatives the duo will oversee.
“We would like to have the ability to be referred to as upon for Iron Maiden, Metallica, U2, Coldplay — we don’t get these cellphone calls,” Lopez stated, noting the evident racial boundaries of the gig. “However like I stated, we simply maintain pushing. Our work will converse for itself.”
Whereas he longs for the day hip-hop artists like EPMD, KRS-ONE, and Rakim prime the stage at 80 years outdated, including hopes to see HansTolo entrance the manufacturing, Lopez instructed The Informer the dynamic duo is armed and prepared for greatness – and that is solely the start.
“My aim for each me and my associate is to nonetheless have a footprint on this enterprise after we exit out,” he stated in closing. “Collectively, we need to dominate this trade, actually dominate this trade as one of many prime 5 finest manufacturing firms out right here interval. After which no matter occurs from that time on…we ought to be good.”
