Antonio Malone, who goes by his artist name “Two Tone,” first found his love for music at seven years old when performing Michael Jackson songs at summer camp recitals. Though he was timid at first, he soon found his voice.
A third-year business management student from Lubbock, Malone said he was shy until the microphone hit his hand. When he was about 13 years old, middle school came around and he started writing his own raps.
“I would go in my closet, whispering in the microphone,” Malone said. “Ain’t letting no one hear me.”
At Tech’s football game against Oregon State on Sept. 13, just ninety minutes before kickoff, Malone was sitting in the Jones AT&T Stadium when he heard his own voice play out over the speakers.
The lyrics were from his most recent song, “Get Like Me,” which he wrote in collaboration with Deion Finch, another Lubbock-based song writer who goes by BBM Deion.
“Once I heard my song, I ain’t gonna lie, a little bit of my heart dropped to my ass,” Malone said. “But it was pretty cool.”
Posters litter the walls behind Texas Tech junior business management major Antonio Malone also known as Two Tone while he plays guitar in his studio Oct. 29, 2025.
Robert Looper
Malone said he submitted a few of his songs through Tech Athletics’ fan engagement website with hopes at least one of them would play. A couple of days passed by before they reached back out saying they enjoyed his music.
In high school, he took a chance to make his first song during his senior year called “Know My Name.” It was about people recognizing who he was as an artist with lyrics like, “Y’all don’t know my name, but y’all will by the end of tonight.”
Inspired by Kanye West’s “Jeen-Yuh” documentary, which covered the artist’s journey from small to big-time song writing, Malone said he planned to make his first big performance at his high school’s prom.
Up on the stage in front of his classmates, he said finally performing showed him he was always meant to be an artist.
“(It was) the feeling of them singing it back to me,” Malone said. “From that moment, I was like, ‘Hell yeah, this is for me.’”
Finch was friends with Malone in high school. A few years after they graduated, he said Malone reached back out to him to make their first song together titled “Wild Lyfe.”
After this collaboration, Finch said he wanted to continue working with Malone due to the passion he brings to the writing.
“I’m gonna keep letting him come to the studio because I liked the energy he was bringing to the music,” Finch said. “It’s just a vibe.”
A paper sign taped to the door of Texas Tech junior business management major Antonio Malone also known as Two Tone’s music studio informs passers by that a recording session is ongoing Oct. 29, 2025.
Robert Looper
He said he thinks Malone being a college student has given him new opportunities to reach new audiences by meeting new people.
“He’s the guy that’s not afraid to put himself out there, and I think that’s a strong suit that he has,” Finch said. “If he works at it, if he commits to it, I think he can go places and do some big things.”
Malone describes his music as having a “futuristic space pimp” vibe and said his songs range from love to hip-hop themes. It doesn’t take long for him to brainstorm something new.
“Once I get in there, catch a groove, I’m like, ‘This is hard, I can’t stop,’” Malone said. “I’ll make the song, listen to it over and over, do a car test and ask myself, ‘What can I do?’”
Along with West, Malone said many of his inspirations come from artists such as Michael Jackson, Al Green and the Isley Brothers.
Malone said he knows everyone has to start somewhere, and he feels he has taken on those life challenges to be ready for the workload of his future career in music.
“I want to go through the struggle, the upcoming, because I know eventually (limelight) is gonna come, and I just got to be ready,” Malone said.
He said he does his best to release an album every year on all streaming platforms. Since 2022, he has released three albums and has made over 50 songs. He said he always made it work, no matter the situation.
“I had the microphone set up, a shoe box with thumbtacks, foam surrounding it, but we made it work,” Malone said.