What do you do besides music? LiFTED takes the long-loved afternoon talks at a dim sum joint in Asia to get the scoop of what artists enjoy besides making music in Dim Sum Down-low. This month, our spotlight shines on Tommy Gunn and his amateur boxing career.

With one laced-up glove in Hong Kong and the other in Sydney, Australia, Tommy Gunn is emerging as an artist who is ready to brawl with the best of them wherever he is at. As a former amateur boxer, Tommy knows a thing or two about getting it done in the ring. While he only had six fights and had to quit because of gut issues, his break from boxing gave Tommy the chance to get serious about his music career.

For this Dim Sum Down-low, Tommy Gunn is giving tips to anyone thinking about getting into the sweet science. “I was fighting a lot in the streets. I had always loved fighting. I think it brings the best out of me, and you get to really know yourself a lot and what you are made of.”

Going into a gym with well-established boxers is terrifying for many people. Talking a friend into signing up for some lessons helps two-fold. Firstly, you can motivate each other to go. Secondly, you can end up fighting each other and see who is tougher. Tommy Gunn said, “I think fighting is the purest form of competition. It keeps you mentally and physically sharp. It’s a different mentality that you have to have when you are in the ring compared to going to the gym or running on a treadmill.”

Of course it’s best not to call out the toughest guy in the gym on the first day. You have put in some blood, sweat, and tears first. But boxers are all there to improve themselves. “It’s survival of the fittest. It's you or the person in front of you. I think that’s what I love about it,” Tommy said.

In life, as well as boxing, showing up is 3/4ths of the battle. You need to be committed to excelling in anything you do. Tommy said, “Doesn’t matter where you start from. Just get in there and work!”

Tommy Gunn, who is named after the character in Rocky V, just released the album BET ON ME. With 11 songs, there are plenty of hooks and jabs to be pounded into the brain. On the single, ‘OUT THE BLUE,’ the Jersey Club beat on the chorus sounds like a boxer practicing on the heavy bag. On ‘HOW IT GOES,’ Tommy raps circles around a dope beat how an experienced fighter could dance around a lesser opponent with ease.

While BET ON ME is a knockout album, Tommy Gunn hopes people listening get to know him. “I want people to understand me as a person. Everyone has their story. I’m here to tell mine. If it inspires or helps other people in any way, I would be happy.”