Meet Tolu Ade of Crown Creative in Peachtree Corners

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tolu Ade.

Tolu, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started being noticed for my gift of singing when I was very young. I would sing along and dance with records my Dad played in the house and was even picked to sing along with my teacher at my daycare graduation. I’ve always had a love for music listening to the greats like Michael Jackson, Ray Charles and even African artists like King Sunny Ade and Yinka Ayefele. I would say it started to get serious in high school after getting back from boarding school in Nigeria. I created my own mixtape and went by the name of Young Tone. It was a compilation of tracks where I did remixes to popular songs during that time. I was known as the kid that would serenade the girls or get called to the lunch table to make a beat or sing a tune. People enjoyed the mixtape and so I started to take it more seriously. Fast forward and I ended by buying recording equipment and working with different producers in the area where I grew up in NY, developing my skills and sound. I later decided to move to ATL because I loved the culture and hospitality especially in the music industry. Artist and producers are open to collaborating and just enjoy making music together. There is also just a lot love for the arts in the general in Atlanta so I’m happy to be here.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It is always a struggle being a music artist. For me, the main struggle was finding the right way to market myself. I grew up in an era where things were changing and people were not buying CDs anymore, iPods and Mp3 players were coming out and people were downloading songs illegally. It was a struggle to find the right way to put myself out there at the time. R&B music was sort of phasing out as well and people didn’t want to hear love/heartbreak songs. I was taking my art serious in a time where the music industry was trying to figure out how they were going to catch up and merge with new technology. These things were a major struggle at the time being an artist and balancing these issues effected my creative process.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Crown Creative – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Crown Creative is my publishing company and all-around creative house established by me and my wife. We specialize in music production, film, music publishing as well as helping the youth by providing the resources and guidance they need to follow the dreams they have in pursuing a career in the arts. We are mainly known for music production and music publishing and plan to expand our horizons more into film and technology. We are mostly proud of the independence we have created for ourselves as creatives and what the future holds with that kind of power. I believe what sets Crown Creative apart is providing the guidance and resources to the youth who need help in pursuing their dreams. Not a lot of companies or people are providing resources to young people who have a passion and talent for the arts.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
The future plans for Crown Creative are leaning more in creating more content and collaborating with companies in music production, film and technology. As an artist myself I plan on releasing more music and eventually a project catered toward my culture and where I’m from, Nigeria. The big major changes would be expanding into the different sectors of Crown Creative and start collaborating with programs and institutions on providing outlets and resources for the youth to be more involved in their passion and creativity.