Modern hip-hop legend R. City is not only a master of the art but also an inspiration for those who face the long, grueling journey through the music industry before achieving their goals, the same journey that the group has been through and learned from. The group is made up of two brothers, Theron and Timothy Thomas, both of whom possess wisdom beyond their years and talent beyond any scope.
The duo began its musical journey after graduating from high school in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, and deciding to move to the U.S. to pursue musical careers. After a short stop in Atlanta, the brothers settled in Miami, where they began writing for Akon, who went on to sign them to his Kon Live label.
Calling themselves Rock City, the duo’s song, “The Rain," landed on Akon’s hit album, "Konvicted," which sparked an influx of artists requesting its songwriting services. While this was a big step in the pursuit of a career in the industry, it meant putting personal dreams on hold for a while.
"The Rain" exemplifies the talent the brothers possessed from an early age, a demonstration of the power their lyrical ability had when put in the hands of an iconic performer of that age. That same ability would grow into a fully-evolved style that the group would someday claim as its own.
Rock City was finally able to release a mixtape, titled “Put the F****** Album Out,” in 2008, which included its first single, "Losin' It." The album in question was called “Wake the Neighbors,” which Kon Live promised to release later that year. However, the project was shelved after being postponed multiple times, an upside of which was the ability that it granted the brothers to release at least eight more volumes of “Put the F****** Album Out.”
Rock City left Kon Live in 2011 to start its own label, which it called Rebelution Records. The process influenced the brothers to briefly change their group’s name to Plant VI before eventually settling on R. City, a shortened version of the previous moniker. In 2015, Dr. Luke signed the group onto his label, Kemosabe Records, through which they released "What Dreams Are Made Of," an album chronicling the struggles of their childhood and the path they took to reach their goals. The album features their Billboard Hot 100-charting track, "Locked Away," featuring Adam Levine.
"Locked Away" was a consistent radio hit around the time of its release, meaning that many people are fans of the group without even knowing it. The catchy hook featuring the lyrics, “If I got locked away / And we lost it all today / Tell me, honestly / Would you still love me the same?,” are recognizable by most young adults who grew up listening to the song in the late 2010s.
In addition to that impressive collaboration, R. City has collaborated with Drake, Usher, Nicki Minaj, J. Cole, Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber. It also contributed to Rihanna’s "Unapologetic," Jennifer Hudson’s self-titled album and Ariana Grande’s "My Everything."
R. City’s upcoming mixtape combines U.K. drill, a subgenre of drill music and road rap that originated in South London, and the Caribbean influences from the brothers' childhoods. The forthcoming project is titled “This Is Not A Drill…This Is Really Happening!” and is set to be released Oct. 27. As a prelude to its late autumn release, R. City dropped a new single Oct. 13, called "WAPA."
The single demonstrates the duo's remarkably rhythmic flow and lyrical ability, featuring wit and banter that takes a stab at modern pop culture. While most rap music of a similar style lacks the potential to be a dance song, "WAPA" contains inspired guitar riffs behind the persistent lyrics that give it that edge. The song is a skillful blend of musical cultures that is a testament to R. City’s island heritage and undeniable talent, which builds intense momentum in anticipation of its soon-to-be-released mixtape.
The Thomas brothers possess incredible promise within the world of hip-hop and rap, along with any other genre they intend on tackling. If R. City’s rich history is any indication, the duo has an exciting future ahead, full of collaboration and fulfillment of long-term dreams. Listeners are sure to be hypnotized by R. City’s blend of styles that will inevitably grow into something unstoppable.
