There are pros and cons to having a distinctive voice, as the recently eliminated “Masked Singer” Handyman character learned.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 11: Tone Loc poses for a photo backstage at the Super Bowl Host Committee’s House On Hacienda At Frooogs Camp on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Denise Truscello/Getty Images)
The Handyman was the alter ego of rapper and actor Tone Loc, famous for songs like “Wild Thing” and “Funky Cold Medina” and roles in movies like “Ace Venture: Pet Detective” and “Heat.”
Tone Loc performed as The Handyman on “The Masked Singer,” admitting after his elimination that his distinctive voice might have given him away.{ }
“A lot of my friends and family were like, ‘They’re gonna know immediately. You cannot hide it.’ Personally I thought I could,” Tone told us on Thursday after his unmasking.
THE MASKED SINGER: REVEAL: Handyman TONE LŌC in the “Clueless Night” of THE MASKED SINGER airing Wednesday, Jan. 21 (8:00-10 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2026 Fox Media LLC. CR: Michael Becker/ FOX.
“But I think once I heard one word come out of my mouth, I knew immediately,” he said of listening to his own performance. He added that if you weren’t familiar with him at all, you might not recognize him, “But if you know Tone Loc has his own raggedy a– voice, then you would know immediately, that’s him.”
“Masked Singer” judge Robin Thicke was one of the many who recognized Tone’s voice, winning him “Detective of the Week.”
THE MASKED SINGER: Handyman on the special two-hour Season 14 premiere of THE MASKED SINGER airing Wednesday, Jan. 7 (8:00-10 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2026 Fox Media LLC. CR: Trae Patton / FOX
Tone enjoyed the challenge of being on the show, and took the chance after he was dared to by his children.
“The people that I hang aroundthey wouldn’t think that I would do anything like that,” he said. “When they’ve seen the show they’ve seen all types of like goldfish and like people with, like, sparkly dresses on and things like that. And I wasn’t planning on doing anything like that, but they were like, ‘Dad, there’s no way you’re gonna go on that show and do anything and be any type, put on any type of costume or do whatever.’ So that was a big shocker for them. And that was a great costume, actually, you know, the Handyman act was perfect for me.”
He noted his Handyman get up was “heavy,” especially the mask, but he was “committed” to doing the show and said, “it’s fun, actually. So, it was all worth it, without a doubt.”
THE MASKED SINGER: Handyman on “Clueless Night” of THE MASKED SINGER airing Wednesday, Jan. 21 (8:00-10 PM ET/PT) on FOX. ©2026 Fox Media LLC. CR: Michael Becker/ FOX.
Though he was eliminated, Tone has no idea who could be revealed next.
“The way they could be anybody at any time, literally, the way I see this show, they have like [every]body you can have, like one of the old presidentsObama or somebody like that, can be up on this show, anybody you can have on there. So it’s like, it’s crazy.”
“The Masked Singer” airs Wednesdays on Fox.
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