Toni Romiti is introducing a whole new wave to Hip-Hop and R&B by combining sexy and tomboy swagger. As an independent artist, Romiti is taking on the male dominated Hip-Hop industry using her Chitown roots.
Romiti speaks below on her personal beliefs, female empowerment, and gender role-reversals in her music.
Her single IMMA DOG TOO took social media by storm, and it now has over 50 million streams. Various young Hollywood celebs including the Jenner sisters are big fans of this song.
Just wrapping up a national tour with multiple sold out shows, Toni Romiti took some time out of her schedule to do an exclusive interview with MEFeater.
What three words would you use to describe your music and style?
For music “Relatable, empowering and arrogant… or genuine… genuine more than arrogant, but definitely still arrogant. I would say that my style is a mixture between tomboy and 90’s. I feel like I’m a tomboy, but I just try to be myself. I wouldn’t really label my style…I just wear what I like. I love crop tops…crop tops are my thing.”
Romiti has worked with major producers, executives, and artists such as Chris Brown, Camila Cabello and Ty Dolla $ign. She is open to working with many more but still wants to continue as an independent artist.
Any artist(s) you would love to work with in the future?
“Drake, Bryson Tiller, Rihanna and Kid Cudi. I don’t really aspire to collab with people. I just feel like I never had a co-sign, but I don’t really strive for that. If I work hard enough I will get the credit I deserve anyway.”
IMMA DOG TOO is such an unconventional song by a female artist. Most would want to sing about being heart broken…
“I just wanted to make a song that made women feel like there’s an even playing field. Men do anything!
When a girl does something that a man does, and even to a less extreme extent than a man would do it, the men just can’t take it! I just wanted to bring light to that. Men cheat all the time, but the moment a
woman even looks at another man, the dude is like crying… it’s hilarious. I wanted to bring light to that whole entire situation, and what better way to bring light to it than music. Music is the most powerful thing in the world.”
What kind of influence do you wish to have on the music industry?
“Have people be comfortable with being themselves… be an example. If you work hard, you try your best and you put your best foot forward; you can be anything you want to be. I want people to get that from my story. Be a good person and good things will come back to you.”
Any advice to anyone struggling with making the decision similar to yours; going from playing basketball in college and stopping to focus on their passion like you did with music?
“Listen to your gut… your gut instinct. I just say follow that feeling. I have always believed in myself. If you want to be something – you can do it. There is nobody that can stop you unless you stop yourself.”
Toni’s main focus is music, but she continues to keep family first by honoring her late father Mark Anthony Romiti in a unique way.
Your upcoming EP what can fans look forward to hearing?
“Fire! I’m really proud of it. This will be my third project. I dropped my first project on my dad’s birthday July 21st in 2014. Three years later I’m dropping another project on my dad’s birthday. The songs are really good and I wrote them really well, so I’m proud of it.”
“Speak everything into existence. That is the way to live your life.”
Toni Romiti’s single TRUST IN ME dropped today and her EP will be available July 21st.
Photo credit: Nate Taylor
