Née: Thurmon Green
Raíces: LA (airplane emoji) NYC
Sounds like: Disney R&B
You should listen to Thurmon because… A rising star in the NYC music scene, his music is a welcome addition to summer playlists and the future sound of R&B.
Thurmon Green is an experimental, African American-identified, non-classically trained musician carrying a raw intensity with his lyrics and his presence. Green stands out in comparison to contemporary R&B singers; unlike homogenous American Idols belting out their hearts, he takes inspirational cues from artists like D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, and Anita Baker while also aligning his work with artists in the current NYC scene like Kayrizz, Princess Nokia, and Lafawndah.
On his first single, “The Grind,” he warps the duality of grinding up at the club and having to go back to the daily grind of work after going home alone. Pair that with his raspy, soulful delivery to make this a very unique track. His most recent track “Dancing Away,” a collaboration with LA based producers’ 1ers, flexes a smooth, stripped-down ode to the jacking house sound with a carefree Green basically singing #byefelicia to a former love.
Green’s upcoming debut EP, Adolphus, will drop this summer on Doom Dab Records. If you’re in the five boroughs, be sure to check out his performance at Papi Bomba this Saturday, July 26th at One Last Shag in Bed Stuy.