Tenacious T

If you’ve been following my journey, you know I don’t just tell stories—I live them. And right now, I’m living one of the most unexpected, transformative, and electrifying chapters yet. Let’s talk about the Kottonmouth Kings. Yes,  those  Kottonmouth Kings—the underground legends who’ve been blending hip-hop, punk, and rip-hop since 1996. But this isn’t just a nostalgia trip. This is about rebirth, reinvention, and the raw power of choosing growth over comfort. Enter Chucky Chuck: The Catalyst Chucky Chuck, born Charles Devries,  joined the Kottonmouth Kings in 2022 .  Known for his gritty authenticity and roots in the west coast stoner rap scene, Chucky brought a fresh energy to the group  .  His journey from the DGAF collective to the Kings marked a new era for the band, infusing it with renewed purpose and direction .​  A Year of Transformation Over the past year, I’ve had the honor of working closely with the Kings—shooting live performances, direc...

Coming off of Post #4, you already know this world isn’t built to nurture artists. It’s built to consume us—package the pretty parts, profit off the pain, and toss the rest. But you haven’t heard the whole story. Let’s rewind to 2011. While most people were still discovering what X Factor even  was , I was living it. Not the glamorized version you saw on TV. The real one. The behind-the-scenes chaos, lies, and exploitation nobody wants to talk about. Especially the network. That year, I was in the middle of a local singing competition called  Lucky Break . Two months deep, grinding weekly with live performances. Meanwhile, my mom—always the ride-or-die—secretly submitted a video of me singing to this new thing called  X Factor USA . No expectations, just a shot in the dark. Then came a vague, cryptic email from a production company. “Call us.” No details. Just a phone number. So I did. What they told me? Simon Cowell was bringing  X Factor  to America. And if I ...

  Burnout, Breakdowns, and the Brutal Truth: What the Grind Really Looks Like Let’s get one thing straight—this life? It’s not all velvet ropes and glittery mic stands. Sure, I’ve walked red carpets. I’ve danced in front of thousands. I’ve gotten that "You're a star" head nod from Simon Cowell himself. But behind every spotlight moment is a shadow of exhaustion, self-doubt, and yes, the occasional scream-cry in a Target parking lot. People love to glamorize the grind—but baby, the grind is a gremlin. It eats your sleep, sips your tears, and tells you that if you rest, you’re failing. That’s the lie. And for a long time, I believed it. I believed that if I wasn’t pushing 24/7, I didn’t want it bad enough. I believed if I stopped moving, I’d lose momentum—and that meant losing everything I’d fought for. But let me tell you a secret I learned after the 17th burnout, the 9000th coffee, and the 1,000th smile behind tears: Rest is rebellion in an industry built to break you. Le...

  Unbreakable: Who I Am, Where I’ve Been, and Why I Won’t Stop I’ve always said the best stories are the ones written with blood, sweat, and a relentless refusal to quit. So let me tell you mine. I’m Tora Woloshin—artist, fighter, visionary, and the woman behind  Tenacious T . I was born in Canoga Park and raised in Tucson, Arizona, where I started singing and dancing at age four. By seven, I had a demo tape. By thirteen, I produced my first EP. By fifteen, I’d earned my GED and was a working chef, determined to carve out a path in music, no matter the cost. That path hasn’t been easy. I was assaulted at 14 by someone I trusted, a trauma I carried in silence until I turned 21. I’ve endured industry betrayal, endured broken contracts, stolen songs—60 of them—and physical violence that cost me my spot on  The Voice . When  X Factor USA  came around, Simon Cowell told me America was finally ready. He mentored me personally, helping re-light a fire I nearly lost. Si...

Lines in the Sand: Music, Boundaries, and the Quiet Fight for Peace  There’s a fine line between loyalty and self-sacrifice—between standing by someone and standing in the way of your own growth. These past few months, I’ve learned just how thin that line can become. Chucky and I have been living a nomadic rhythm, bouncing between the calm of his parents’ home—where we help keep an eye on things—and the creative chaos of The Kings' studio house, where the sessions are supposed to come to life. Supposed to. But life behind the curtain isn’t always what it seems. Drama lurks in corners, and toxic energy seeps through the walls. So we retreat to his parents' house for peace, for grounding, for sanity. With the tour repeatedly delayed and my layoff from Dukes of Roots still stinging, stability feels like a luxury. And when studio sessions devolve into emotional battlegrounds instead of musical breakthroughs, it’s hard not to feel the weight. I’m all for second chances. Even third ...

Let me introduce you to the ride. I’m Tora Woloshin—a creator, survivor, racecar-driving, stage-rocking, camera-wielding force of nature. And  Tenacious T is where I leave nothing behind. This blog isn’t for the faint of heart—it’s for the curious, the resilient, and anyone who’s ever clawed their way back from the edge with dirt in their nails and fire in their chest. Every post will take you deeper into a world where chaos meets creativity and where art and life bleed into one another. This year, you’ll follow me through unpredictable music video shoots—my own and those with the legendary Kottonmouth Kings and Chucky Chuck. You’ll be there for the making of their new album and the documentary I’m filming as we hit the road. You'll come along on wild road trips to Big Bear, the Bay Area, and down to the desert in Arizona. Family, love, heartbreak, hustle—nothing is off-limits. I recently lost my job with the Dukes of Roots, a painful reminder that the struggle never really ends—it...