Money Tut reps loyalty and authenticity on new single “Believe It”
Character, they say, is who you are when no one else is looking. When not a single eye is on you, the lights go out, the party ends, the crowds have gone, the high has worn off. In those moments, that’s when we get to know our true selves. In those moments, we’re alone, transparent, and vulnerable. Money Tut, a recording artist from San Francisco, is comfortable in those lonely moments. He wears his key attribute, authenticity, on his sleeve.
“I want them to know that I’m real,” said Tut. “I’m from the bottom, you know, the projects. But I’m doing good, doing well.” Tut’s authenticity extends beyond his music. The people closest to him, some of whom have passed away, remain constant in his life. Tut’s new track “Believe It” features Yung Lott, a friend Tut has known since childhood. “We go way back,” said Tut, “we were just 8 or 9 when we got into music. We started recording our own music at the age of 12.”
Tut holds his youth close to his chest, especially regarding his neighborhood. Born in 1983, Tut grew up in Hunter’s Point. Friendships he formed there endure within his music, although remembering them can be painful. The lyrics to Tut’s “Believe It” refer to his deceased friend Mike. “Michael was my brother. He was a good man, a good brother. Someone you couldn’t see me without. I don’t ever want to forget him. He was the one that kept me strong and believing in the music. I like to bring his name up. I believe he is still here in spirit.”
Tut’s “Believe It” offers another eulogy to the late Dominick Newton, known among fans as The Jacka. The Jacka was a member of the Bay Area rap group Mob Figaz. On February 2, 2015, Newton was gunned down in Oakland, California. His murder is still unsolved. “He was a legend,” Tut reminisced, “someone we looked up to, a good friend. He passed on, being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You don’t get too many people that are loyal to the soil.”
Like The Jacka, Tut values loyalty. Chief among Tut’s motivations for pursuing a career in music is his son, Assad Gibson. “Back when people used to put up posters for music,” Tut recalled, “my son used to go into the stores and see my posters. He’d say, ‘Money Tut, that’s my Dad.’ So I can’t quit doing music. I do it for my son. He passed away at age 7.”
In spite of tragedy, Tut wants to use music as a vehicle to inspire grit and determination among listeners. One of his current projects, the group 83, includes fellow rapper Yung Lott and Keidra On Stage. “It’s about empowerment, where we come from, it was a lot of positive stuff,” said Tut. “I want people to understand that life is what you make it. Never stand back waiting for someone else to do something for you. If you want it go out there and get it.”
Whether by himself or with other people, Money Tut is the same. With Tut, what you see is exactly what you get. Believe it.
To listen to Money Tut, or to follow him on social media, see the links below.
