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Tomi Thomas: The Multidimensional Artist

By Chisom Njoku
20 December 2022   |   4:30 pm
As a music lover or a casual consumer that lived in Nigeria in the 2010’s, chances are you heard the slang “Bad Guy P” at least once at some point in time. One of the young artistes responsible for that hit song is Tomi Thomas. He’s since matured in his sound and disposition to become…

As a music lover or a casual consumer that lived in Nigeria in the 2010’s, chances are you heard the slang “Bad Guy P” at least once at some point in time. One of the young artistes responsible for that hit song is Tomi Thomas. He’s since matured in his sound and disposition to become the talent he is today.

He sits down with the Guardian Life to discuss life, his year and expectations for the future.

Reintroduce yourself, Who is Tomi Thomas?

Tomi Thomas is a multidimensional being, he is light, he is love, he is patient and he loves to create.

You’ve been making music since your days with LOS & “Bad Guy P” what first sparked your interest in music?

Music for me started through my mum. It had always been a part of my daily life regardless of my location from when I grew up in Kano to when I moved to Atlanta to live with my cousins.

I remember performing a Michael Jackson tribute for my grandmother when I was much younger and everyone enjoyed that — I got to see my family smile and at that moment I knew I would want to do this long term for sure.

While in primary school I was the school drummer and I performed during inter-house sports events, Christmas concerts, and all. Then came to high school where I got into a lot of trouble for doing me and expressing myself but it never stopped me because I was just concerned with developing my sound.

How would you best describe the music you make?

I make music that speaks from the soul to the soul. I have the ability to create any type of music I choose — I’ve trained myself to the point where I can execute any genre at a high level but I’m still on that journey to becoming a better musician and an actual master.

The easy answer is that I make soul music [music for the soul].

What was the thought process behind your last offering “Hopeless Romantic”

The project was trying to highlight the importance of choosing love over and over again regardless of the experiences one has faced in love and being at peace with yourself. No matter how many emotions you might have experienced, you still choose love regardless of what the experience of love has shown you.

When making music, what do you find yourself drawing inspiration from the most?

My music is inspired by God, by life, and by light.

How relevant has 2022 been to your career as an artiste?

2022 was a very important year for me because I had to overcome a lot of energy and those energies entailed my growth as a person, as a son, as a lover, as a bother, and as a friend and I’m taking all the experiences that I have amassed through the year and I’m putting that into the music. I have songs ready to go, I have music that I could’ve dropped but I didn’t because it wasn’t aligned with my purpose at the moment but thankfully everything is coming out next year.

Who would you love to work with professionally, here in Nigeria and globally?

Russ, that’s family — Waje, Victony [my brother], Lauryn Hill, Chronixx, Adam Levine, and Efya.

What does good music mean to you?

I’ve come to the realization that everything is good because at the end of the day it doesn’t matter. Although there’s mastery and mediocrity, there are levels and at every level, there are many sides. There’s good in the bad and there’s bad in the good.

I grew up listening to the best of the best of contemporary music from Nina Simone to Fela Kuti, Aretha Franklin, and Michael Jackson among others, and that to me is the definition of good music.

Good music is anything that gives me joy and I can learn something from.

What can fans expect from Tomi Thomas in the future?

They can expect my truth, they can expect my love, they can expect my dedication, they can expect my growth and mastery. But at the same time, they should have no expectations.

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