Full-service production houses are on the uptick and HansTolo Enterprises is no different, with co-founders Tone Lopez and Raphiki Rhodes at the helm. TPi caught up with the tour and production management specialists to get an insight into the beginnings of HansTolo Enterprises, highlights from the past year, and where the duo see the industry headed.
After starting the company in 2010, Lopez explained how “things started to get serious between 2014 and 2016”, when the pair were given some bigger opportunities. “We’ve been fortunate to be part of the development of some of the younger artists that are really having their moment right now,” he commented.
HansTolo’s roster certainly has its fair share of critically acclaimed artists from Aminé, A$AP Rocky, 21 Savage, Cardi B and Chris Brown.
“We’ve had some real highlights, and we have learned something new from every tour that we have done,” Lopez added.
For Rhodes, the sentiment is shared, with the production manager focusing on the positives from every experience. “The highlight is the experience of it – whether it’s a club, amphitheatre, college performance or stadium, every show is important and the fact we can look back on everything we have done up until this point and be proud,” he stated.
As tours become increasingly complex, with tighter scheduling and turnaround times, a 360° company can often alleviate stress, and with HansTolo working at this level, the duo also believe that the industry will continue to move towards this.
“There are already a lot of companies that have figured out that offering a menu of interrelated services is better,” Rhodes said. “Instead of having multiple points of contact, you can rely on just one person to do it all in-house, and I think we’re seeing this more often than not at this point.”
Working in their respective tour and production management roles has meant that the duo has been able to look at each other’s tasks from both sides – a direction that Lopez and Rhodes believe the industry is stepping towards. “The great thing between Tone and I is that we understand both sides, so we can conduct our days to best help each other out,” Rhodes commented. “We have also found that having that understanding makes the entire crew feel completely involved and understood.”
Tone also discussed the lack of diversity in the industry – something he believes is changing gradually. “When I started, I didn’t see many people who looked like us in leadership positions, and now we’re seeing more, and I think that’s dope,” Lopez said, noting that HansTolo always asks for diversity when working with vendor crews. “We want to be the best of the best in the shows we are curating, and when hiring a crew, I think it’s important to ask for that – we’re very conscious of the disparity, and we take pride in ensuring that there is diversity on our staff.”
Championing their crew is important to Lopez and Rhodes, and the pair compare themselves to coaches. “We have both played team sports, so we’re both coachable and able to coach, so we run our programme in a way that’s intended to get the best out of people and watch them grow,” Rhodes stated. “We’re learning constantly, and so are the crews that work with us.”
It isn’t just the crews working with the duo that are a priority; Lopez and Rhodes also make a conscious effort to look after their own physical and mental health through improving their touring diets and exercise patterns as well as ensuring a work-life balance on and off the road.
“The more success you have in this industry, the more it starts to play on what your vision of a work-life balance is, but it is just discovering what works best for you individually,” Lopez said.
“We’re dealing, sometimes, with millions of dollars in production and we want to be the safe hands that can be trusted for a tour to go properly. A huge part of that is looking after ourselves so that we can stick to our end of the bargain.”
From working together on Chris Brown’s widely successful Breezy Bowl XX in 2025, HansTolo Enterprises looks forward to a busy 2026, where they don’t intend to slow down, and are instead looking to expand into the wider entertainment sectors as well as continuing their steadfast careers in touring with Cardi B’s Little Miss Drama Tour.
“If we grow and continue to put out the best shows we possibly can, as well as focusing on artists at the beginning of their careers, then I think we will continue to get more and more opportunities which will create an atmosphere around who we are,” Lopez concluded.
Words: Alicia Pollitt
Photos: Travis Colbert
