Today we’d like to introduce you to Tony “Bigtone” Dillard.
Hi Tony, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hi, my name is Bigtone I am a bodyguard for the artists Smino and Metroboomin. I’m from St. Louis and how I got started was back in 2010. I was homeless living in my car my friends Jonnie, Q, and Tezz invited me to the house to stay and from that day our friend Renzo was in town he dances for Ciara and a host of other people.
He allowed me and Jonnie to come to Atlanta for a party and from that day, I got my start as a bodyguard because I shadow him and Tiffany Evans that night. So from 2010-2014, I was a club bouncer until a club a promoter booked Metroboomin and I and metro hadn’t seen each other since 2011 and I randomly went to the club I heard someone on the stage yell out “ aye Bigtone come to the stage” and karate chop was playing and I looked up and it was I called him, Leland but the world knew him as Metroboomin at this point. So, from that day, I was moving around with him off and on.
So, from that point in 2017, comes he and Big Sean had a tour called double or nothing and I was working that night and Smino was there, I never heard of him didn’t know anything about him. But he invited metronomic to the show but the metro was leaving, so I stayed to support, so Smino show was the following week I and my sister went, the show was over and he was walking out without so I walked over to him and reintroduced myself to him and I said bro you don’t have security with you he said new I said I got you, bro, all night so I shadow him. But that time wasn’t the best time for me I had went through a bad breakup facing the very thing I was afraid of in 2010 of me being homeless and here I am living out of my car but they didn’t know anything but I was prideful lol, I know so much hate.
But in March 2018, I got an apartment but I was still struggling lol all the way up until December 2018 Metroboomin had his charity event, and then Smino had his show the following went 2017 repeated itself all over again lol. So this time, I bought 4 tickets me and my homie Brandon pulled up to support him, after the show, I went backstage to say what up to Smino and we shook hands and said what up lol this time his managers hit me with the information they are going on a tour called, The Hoopti Tour and wanted me to join them.
This is their first-time using security and since then, I’ve been Smino’s day-to-day security! Talk about having faith and not giving up on yourself.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Struggles along the way homelessness, poor money management, and being prideful to ask for help I can go into more detail.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
So I’m a celebrity Bodyguard, my job is to prevent this from happening and protect people from harmful things. I specialize in Smino’s and other artists that are with us for protection. It’s a lot that goes into it tours and security, you wake up before them to plan the day and to plan around things that may change and do a walk through with the TM and do my security check before Smino walks in to the auditorium, the band laughs at me because they say I treat Smino like the president, lol.
But what separates me from others is that I care and do way more than what’s expected of me to do this. What am I most proud of, truthfully, I’m most of myself because during those tough times that would have the strongest man it didn’t break me? I didn’t lose my faith in God and I didn’t give up on myself. And I am most proud of Smino and MetroBoomin because I was around both of them at the start of their careers and to see their growth, man, it’s been nothing but amazing! I’m like a big brother to them!
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Yes, think and grow rich and atomic habits are the books of choice, I read a lot of self-help books. And I reach out to other bodyguards and ask questions I build relationships with other law enforcement officers.
Contact Info:
- Email: Tonedillard@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/iambigtone?r=nametag
- Twitter: @Iambigtone
Image Credits
@Nos.Pov and @jaelincollier
