Theron Thomas From Making Hits To Grammy-Award Winning Songwriter Of The Year
Written by Rylee Johnston on February 6, 2024
Theron Thomas journey began in Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands, where he and his brother Timothy formed the rap group R.City. They quickly gained recognition for their songwriting and production skills, crafting hits for the likes of Rihanna and Beyoncé. However, their musical roots trace back even further, to their childhood days when they formed the group “Short Circuit” at just nine years old. Initially relying on a local artist named Lectora for songwriting, Theron and his brother were eventually inspired by their father to start writing their own material after Lectora stepped back from collaborating with them.“My dad comes and says, “Hey, nobody’s going to write your songs anymore yall got to figure it out. You have to learn how to write your songs and we’re not going to have anybody ever be able to put us in that position again.”
Theron’s first major placement came with Akon’s album Konvicted, where he contributed a song called “The Rain,” written back in seventh grade. The track was inspired by Hurricane Marilyn, which struck the Virgin Islands during that period, showcasing Theron’s ability to channel personal experiences into compelling music. “When I was in the seventh grade, the hurricane was crashing and in St. Thomas you have metal windows so rocks would hit the window and as a kid I was afraid of that while the hurricane was going on.”
Years later, around the age of 26, Theron made a pivotal move from the Virgin Islands to Atlanta. It was there that Benny D, Akon’s DJ his close friend, played him several songs from Akon’s album. Theron seized the opportunity to showcase “The Rain,” the track he had penned years earlier. From that moment on it marked a significant milestone in his career. “Akon paid us $5,000 so at this point in time, I’m working at Party City and my brother works at Kroger.”
In today’s music industry, it’s not uncommon for songs initially penned for one artist to find their way to another. Theron Thomas attests that this is a common occurrence with many of his songs.
“Big energy” was written for Cardi B, Jung Kook “Seven” was written for Justin Bieber. “We can’t stop” was written for Rihanna. but ended up with Miley Cyrus. It’s so many songs that I have done before in earlier days, I used to be like I wrote a hit for this person and they didn’t take it and somebody else got it and saw it was big. After a while, I realized all my songs ended up in the right place.”
Theron Thomas
After a major win at the Grammys this year, Theron Thomas has much to celebrate. His nomination—and now win—for Songwriter of the Year is a testament to his exceptional talent and dedication to his craft. Furthermore, being the only black person nominated in this category is a significant milestone, highlighting the importance of diversity and representation in the music industry. “I’m from St. Thomas, 32 square miles, I moved here with 35 bucks. I left as a kid, graduated out of high school and said, ‘I’m going to make it in music.’ To get this far is such a blessing. I know a lot of people like to say I’m so grateful and thankful and no matter what happens, no I want to win. I’m not gonna lie, like, I want a trophy, I want to take it home. It’s very important for me my dad is the reason why I’m in music. I lost my dad about four years ago and my dad told me I was gonna win a Grammy and win trophies.”
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