“Tough Love” is a 2-part narrative. The first, is auto-biographical. The second is a fictionalization based on on actual events. In both, the message is clear. Domestic violence is a plight on our society and we must acknowledge it before we can expect to change it. “Some people will tell you love is anything but love…”

Mo1only is the founder of SC Lofi – a collective of Carolina-based producers and rappers. He started the event purely for local artists to connect with each other and since it’s inception, has grown into a melting pot of beatmakers, hip hop artists, videographers, designers, and all those things that seem to surround the epicenter of a movement.

sympL’s always been open about his upbringing – raised by a sergeant in the Marines in a household wrought with domestic abuse, he often turned to music and art to find peace. Through that art, he sought to end a cycle of violence – as well as find his own self-worth and purpose. Over the years, he found his power as an mc & expressed that power as a promoter, tour and production manager, and A&R.

With one of Upstate SC’s most accomplished audio engineers at the board, Phil Duckett (Philgood Music), elevates a dreary sample and breathes new life into the mix. The visuals were brought together by sympL’s long-time collaborator – Laura Amezquita of LVA Works/The Indie Side Media – who approached the song as intimately as it was conceived- without any of the spectacle. The end of the video has a 24 hour anonymous helpline to report child abuse.