New Album, Sick Day & Still Showing Up · Life of Thom on Releasing Music in NYC | Independent Artist

0:09Welcome to New York. Welcome to another episode of We Them Niggas. Today we’re live here in the Station 3 space, courtesy of the guys over at Archive. Thank you all so much. I’m here with Life of Tom. Welcome Life of Tom. Amazing to have you. Congratulations on this new album release, the release party you just had this weekend. You’re really in a moment. So let’s talk to us. How are you feeling today? I feel like shit low-key because I’ve been sick for like the last four days, but I’m Gucci. No COVID. No COVID, yeah, but that’s real, there’s ups and downs Yes, but I feel great though, I feel great, I feel great

0:41Yeah, I hear you though, but you’ve been dealing with some wellness issues And I appreciate you being here in spite of that Yeah, man, I mean, we’ve been talking straight for like, what, three, four days now? Yeah, yeah, and I was gonna say, I feel like it says a lot about your hustle in general I feel like you take music super seriously I’ve been talking to you about, huh, I’m trying to onboard my stuff to Notion, get organized You’re like, you’ll be my Notion sensei, you’re really on it Did you start it yet? Yeah, I did, like, I’ve been setting it up Because you mentioned it earlier, I was gonna be like, yo

1:06I can show you what it’s like, I’ll show you after, but I think it’s dope, like you approach me as like a CEO, you’re organized, you’re thinking ahead, you’re thinking about the music business like you were saying earlier, I’d love to hear about, you know, how did you get, how did you come up in the New York music scene, and you know, how do you see where you are right now inside of like your vision of where you want to go, word, um, that’s crazy, you always ask me a lot of questions, that’s one you never asked me before, uh, I came up in the New York scene, um, honestly, I really just,

1:35Tapped in with a bunch of open mics when I, you know what I mean, I got around like that community heavy and there was like Mad Creatives that was just jumping out the blue and it was doing all these cool events. So, you know, I pop out to a lot of these, a lot of these joints, you know, and the crossover was really like when I went to South by Southwest for the first time, facts, and I came back and I was like, oh shit, there’s like way more to this shit. And, honestly, just being around different circles, pushing my shit consistently And, I mean, playing all around New York, you know, selling out most of these venues for real

2:22That’s where we at now, and just being a real nigga I fuck with it, being a real nigga, that’s really it, that’s really it That’s all it takes, to have a good life, that’s what they say Yeah, yeah And I fuck with it, and what does it mean to be where you are right now? like inside this new product release. What does this release mean to you? What does it signify? Oh, it really signifies like, yo, like a good standing. I’m gonna say like, you know, success in general in me just means not being bothered that ass. And that to me means like, all my shit’s on check, you know, team’s on check, this rollout’s on check, you know, money in, money out on check, you know, a whole system on check.

3:01And, you know, but right now with, like, everything going on, it feels, it feels great, bro Like, that I, you know, success, it feels like the world, I’m pumping my hands, you know what I mean? And that, that, that’s a, that’s a quote that can be perceived in many different ways I like, I mean, I fuck with it And something I was going to step back and say is, like, what you’re saying with everything on check What I’m really hearing is things are going by design Yeah And I think it’s incredible, like, like I say, I’m looking at your notion, you need a screenshot you sent me

3:29Like I think a lot of people don’t really like aren’t as organized like aren’t as intentional for real about like like the way they approach their stuff I think like a lot of people want to outsource the organization or the communication stuff like that In my experience that you take a lot of that stuff like head on what does your team look like around music? Um the team right now so um it’s about a good five six people um I got them split up in all different roles So I got like my day-to-day, shout out to my boy Vicey and Sean And then I have like my overseers, you know, they’re the ones that’s like doing a lot of the pitching

4:06To like the labels and handling like the brand partners and sponsors and stuff And then, you know, the ones over, those guys are like on the West Coast And the ones over here, it’s the same, same job Except they just have more of a leverage because we’re in New York, you know what I mean So And then there’s my lawyer Charles Jackie And then it’s me But you know I’m the one pretty much doing Everything times 10 Because I want to make everyone’s positions As easy as possible so they can do Way more for me, facts And that’s the beautiful thing to see and I’m sure there are people

4:43Who want to be on artist teams, there are people who are on artist teams Who wish people were taking on more So that their jobs were easier and they could deliver at a higher level I mean bro it’s like Cause you telling me like yo like I see your man working like bro you have to be you know if you want to have a team you got to like set that standard for what whatever that looks like for you for yourself first and you know i mean i’m not gonna say like i never had help with this um and that’s only all just been me but like a large

5:08sum of it yeah you know the ground the groundwork has to come from the artist always like that’s just how it has to be and so how is like uh like i’ve discovered you to the nft space through our and Daniel McGill Mutual, and I’m curious, you know, how, like, how did you get into that space, and, you know, how has, like, that work ethic served you in that space? Web3 was a really nice curve in the learning, because at first, like, I remember it stood out to something like, oh, this is something else I could build off, like, financials and, like, other things I could put into other assets for real, you know, just knowing,

5:44like, just, like, trading, you know, with stocks before and shit like that, feel me, but then, And like, you know, I started to look at it even bigger, like, yo, I want to be like one of the head honchos when this shit blow the fuck up. Like I want to be able to be one of those dudes on the front line, you know, and kind of like give that inspiration to others in the creative space. Cause, cause, you know, it’s a Pandora’s box that really got unlocked. You know, you look at NFT and, you know, potentials is crazy. What do you see the potential as? What are some opportunities that you’ve had in this space, learning experiences, tools? You were at South by Southwest. Were you at any Web3 kind of centric events there? See any people?

6:25Yeah, yeah. When I was at South by, I wouldn’t even say this year, though, last year when I played, there were way more Web3 events. It’s even for Art Basel, too. You Know the benefits I see and like just the opportunities I’ve gotten for me you know from like partnering with catalog works when they first came out you know like that was so fire because like you know I mean like just you know see artists like Mick Jenkins you know dropping on there crazy you know he was he was on top of it so um you know to you know have an opportunity being at being a space so early but on top of that you know in that community that had a you know a backing

7:05so fresh for me was like so far and I think like you know being in tune like shouts LaTosha man that’s that’s really my big sister like a lot of people don’t know this but me and Tosh Fagel back um couple years like I dropped the record with her off this project I did in like 2018 um and what was the name of the record it was called oh it was called Bonnie and Clyde Facts shout out LaTosha I just met her at Friends of Benefits Fest this year word yo bro she is a sweetheart man and uh you know my guy matt bond that’s my dude he was the one and he’s the one that really introduced me to that nft to the nft space shouts that man um and the first person he had me link with was latasha i was calling her up like early 2021 and she that’s when she did zora you know she became the she became the head of uh uh uh community community over at zora um and then she did zoratopia and there’s

8:04Matt opportunities that came from, you know, being in all these different spaces and NFTs because a lot of them like fed, I would say the brand awareness, you know, of what, you know, my shit is as much as like, as I feel a lot of like where Web3 and his protocol stands, does it really fit, you know, the system that the industry really work off of? It’s just facts to be honest. It, you know, to build outside of that is technically the goal, you know, so to see the end of, you know, NFTs and what Web3 really reflects. So on that end, for me, I was just like, all right, but let me get in this now, so I have that in my arsenal

8:42No, and I think that’s dope, right? Like, you’re saying you want to be, like, one of the head honchos Oh, yeah Like, for real, even, like, myself, like, getting into this space, I was like, okay, like, you know, how can I add value? How can I prepare? How can I be, like, be ready, per se, when, you know, when things pop off And, like, a way to be able to capitalize on this market moving when attention shifts Yes Trying to educate artists and creatives so they could also capitalize on the opportunities And see ways to find community And people like yourself Who are influential in this space

9:07And thinking creatively And solving problems Some people don’t even know exist Because it’s not like real life Life consequential But in terms of there being progress in this space It is important Dude, I think this space has so I think this space was so crazy to see In terms of progress From like

9:26Web3 kind of like its own Starting company in a way And to see that so early for that bro Like, the swarm of people, you know, it really, I think it was beautiful to see, like, people being open to a system very, very rare In terms of, like, people don’t understand that type of shit, man They don’t, you know, so I think it’s cool just to see what it is, you know I want to see this shit through, facts Okay, and that’s what’s in, like, the rear view And so what’s in the future for Life of Tom? Like, you just had this album released like what are the next six months the next quarter what is the start of 2024 look like for you

10:04what are you looking out for what should we be excited about yo man I’m dropping a single with Fergie baby okay facts uh top of January that’s my guy right there um who’s Fergie baby tell us about Fergie yo Fergie baby that’s one of my favorite artists from Harlem right now he is going nuts yo if y’all get the chance check out his music that’s that dude is that dude is crazy man he got Shout out a track, shout out a track Yo, yo, y’all gotta bump that Suburbans, that shit hard Suburbans for you, baby You know what I mean, yeah, nah, he’s crazy And that’s off our album, actually

10:37You know what I mean, it’s coming out next year We got, well, I got, like, show run up A couple, like, you know, got, like, merch I’m working, I’m super excited to put out For me, I’ve been working on, like, mad, like, production You know, send out for placement So like, you know, I ain’t gonna lie We fake just like locked in something cool I can’t really announce it right now But like, I’m mad excited for that You know, Web 3 too Like, just to, you know, keep motion active in that There is a deluxe for the project we just put out Yeah, it’s a deluxe

11:14That’s coming out That’s exciting, tune into that We got some crazy names on that one, man But, I don’t know, bro It’s so much But that’s the stuff I’m super excited for In general, it’s just the experience And what new characters is we about to meet, feel me? I like it, it is an adventure Yeah I think it’s beautiful to be able to get a window into your adventure And into your team I think having a team is so important, you know what I mean? I think I’m privileged to have that shit, bro That ass, I’m not even gonna lie with you, man Like, I don’t see mad situations with people

11:44And, like, I be looking at my shit And I just be, like, mad grateful Because, you know, like If I didn’t have a consistent, you know, like, you know, foundation, you know, platform for myself, feel me Even just, you know, living in New York where, like, boom, there’s money everywhere, feel me, like, yeah I hear it, because, you know, New York is a good place to busk Facts, they be going crazy But what I was going to say is, I was going to ask, like, the album, how did you come to name the album, what you did? What’s your favorite song off the project? That’s kind of how I like to close out the interview

12:20Yo, my favorite song off Well, first off, I called it Room 44 Because in numerology, 4 is a representation of order And when you put 4 and 4 together, that gives you 8 You know what I mean? 8 represent infinity when you flip that So, feel me? It felt like I was stepping into a timeless zone You know, a hyperbolic time chamber that you kind of never really step out of, you know It’s an infinite sparring session, low-key, you know And I felt like all the words and the songs on this project was really reflecting, like Damn, this dude, like, damn, I’m in tune with, like, a part of myself that’s, like, really, like, strong, you know

13:05My favorite song, Shabbat, with CJ Fly, Facts That’s, that’s, that’s, that’s, by the way, I’m not Jewish Everybody thinks I’m Jewish because of that song I’m not Jewish Yeah, I thought it was funny, I invited my, my, my, my, my Jewish friend here Hello, Jewish friend Yes Yes And, uh, and what’s it called? I was gonna, when I was listening to him on the train, I was like, dang, I wonder why he named it this Yeah, yeah, no, no, literally, like, you know, it’s like stepping in a world, man That, you know what I mean? Like, I’ve been doing this shit for the, for a couple years now, though

13:44Like I feel like right now, you know, like we really picking up on emotion right now And the momentum that’s like, feel me, I was low-key like, you know, desiring for a minute And I think the way it manifested with like what the meaning and purpose of this project is Is very full circle, you know, in terms of my growth and just who I am as a person So, you know, room 44 Room 44, there you have it Well, it’s been beautiful to have you on today’s episode of We Them Niggas We Them Niggas Yes, sir, just like that And you want to let them know where they can find you on social media and what not

14:16Life of T-H-O-M, Life of Tom That’s at everything, Google Life of Tom, Life of Tom.com Mr. Big Bon Voyage Mr. Big Floor 11, Room 44 Comb your hair, I cook better than your, alright Boom, boom, boom, there you have it, booyah And there we have another episode of We Them Niggas Thank you so much, Tom, Thomas, for being here with us