Lamar AdoT Thomas

"Best freestyle Artist in Dallas/Fort Worth hands down. Metaphors outstanding. Lyrics on point. Un-discovered flow. He has unique talent, can't wait for him to take over." -Supa K

"Kid is dope! Bright future." -Key-Note - Supa K & Key-Note

Online votes chose Lamar AdoT Thomas as the 'Hottest Unsigned Artist" in Dallas/Fort Worth, 2011. - '97.9 The Beat' & 'K104'

By Maria Asprilla/reporter

Eight years ago, Hurricane Katrina caused more than 1,800 deaths and destroyed more than 300,000 homes. Lives were changed forever, including that of a NE Campus student.

Lamar Thomas was 15 years old and alone when the most devastating storm to ever hit the U.S. arrived in New Orleans. Water rose and rose, forcing him onto the roof of his home where he would stay for three days. Never doubting that he would survive, Thomas stopped waiting for rescuers and rescued himself.

He swam from structure to structure until he found himself at the Superdome, which this week hosts the Super Bowl but at the time held about 30,000 stranded residents. Thomas was there almost two weeks until he joined others to wait for buses.

On the Interstate 10 bridge, he boarded a bus that would bring him to Texas. The Dallas-Fort Worth area was not his selection, Thomas said, but he had no choice. Though he does miss his hometown, he has no plans to return. A radio/television/broadcast major and rapper, Thomas lamented the condition of his former home.

“New Orleans is a trap,” he said. “It will always be corrupt.”

Still, the city has left a lasting impression on Thomas in many ways, and that includes his music. He began singing gospel at Greater Ebenezer Baptist Church but was drawn to rap by age 7. The first rap song he ever wrote was inspired by a girl. And he knew that he had skill after winning talent shows at local high schools.

Thomas, who began going by “AdoT” about four years ago, is now inspired by Tryston, his 6-year-old son, and the work of rappers such as Lupe Fiasco, Common and Talib Kweli. He honed his skills enough that he won 97.9 The Beat’s freestyle competition last year against more than 30 other rappers. He was also voted the Hottest Unsigned Artist of 2011 in DFW by 97.9.

NE RTVB instructor Adrian Neely has taught Thomas.

“There’s no class anyone can take to say this is how you become successful in music,” Neely said.

He said Thomas works hard to promote himself using Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

“He’s a smart guy,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about teaching him how social media works. He’s real hip in that aspect.”

Thomas uses the video editing skills that he’s gained at TCC to post dozens of videos on YouTube. He also uses his RTVB lessons to enhance his website, theycallmeadot.com.

Constantly writing music, he has released several mix tapes and released his first full album Sept. 19. Mr. Right can be found on iTunes, Amazon, MySpace Music and many more sites. AdoT’s talent was on display at the Dallas Music Festival in 2012 and Austin’s SXSW in 2011. He continues to perform in clubs around Dallas and Fort Worth.

“What defines me as a artist has to be my work ethic,” he said.

As if juggling school, music and fatherhood is not enough, Thomas also works on campus for student activities and will represent TCC at the Black, Brown and College Bound conference this March. At 23, he does it all wholeheartedly.

“My only regret is not having started college earlier,” he said. - The Collegian

A Hip-Hop Summit which examines hip-hop’s evolution and features live performances from TV and radio personalities as well as TCC students will be Feb. 13 on NE Campus.

The event’s panel discussion will examine the current state of hip-hop and its effect on young adults.

Also, the summit will feature lyrical performances by three TCC students for monetary awards. NE student Lamar “AdoT” Thomas will close the event.

NE sociology professor Murray Fortner founded the summit and believes hip-hop is critical.

“Let me put it this way: hip-hop is a powerful force on a generation,” he said. “We look at it to see if it has become a positive or negative force and how students interpret it in their media diet.”

Fortner said today’s youth often try to emulate their favorite rapper and try to live their lives not realizing these rappers are just entertainers.

“For some people, hip-hop is a style in life,” he said. “But for some, it’s a lifestyle.”

Fortner said hip-hop music doesn’t necessarily need to lose its soul, but the message sent needs to be positive, especially when concerning a younger audience.

“Hip-hop started grounded in intellect and has inverted into something else,” he said. “We’re going to talk about what that is.”

The summit is 12:30-2 p.m. in Center Corner (NSTU 1615). - The Collegian

HURST, TX — It’s been 10 years this week since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. That storm changed the course of Lamar Thomas’ life, displacing him from his home in New Orleans to here in DFW.

“It was a difficult process for a lot of people, but just as it was a disaster, it was also a blessing for a lot of individuals that I knew,” Lamar said.

Lamar Thomas was just 15 at the time, but he hasn’t let the disaster hold his life back. He graduated high school in the Metroplex and ended up at Tarrant County College. Most importantly, he’s dived head first into his music and was voted the hottest unsigned artist in DFW back in 2011.

“Music has been something I can go to, after Katrina and before Katrina, music was something I can go to and release to. For me, music was a gateway drug to education, and politics, the culture,” Lamar explained. “I was student president of this building. I was the student president here of this whole campus. A lot of people would be like ‘yo I can’t believe you really did that!’”

But that’s exactly what he did.

Ten years ago, a storm tried to tear his life apart. Ten years later, Lamar has it all together.

“Me being here, for these 10 years, still doing music… I like leaving that legacy.” - News Channel CW33

Honestly, I have never met either of these guys in person but they are artists I greatly respect. I couldn't decide which to post. So let's just do both. Both are friends from Facebook. The content and style are what sets these 2 apart from the rest.

First up is Texuz Game. Click the link to go to his ReverbNation page. "Why You Gotta Lie" has been getting the most plays from me. Check him out and spread the word.

Secondly, Lamar Adot Thomas is on a level most of the cats are chasing. Don't believe me? Click the link and check out "State of Being Conscious Music" on iTunes and go tell a friend what I said.

#BAMN - STANLEY JENKINS

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lamar Adot Thomas.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Being born and raised in the 9th Ward, the spirit and soul of New Orleans music was always a part of me. I’ve been making music consistently since my childhood and began creating hip-hop music while attending St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, the school, is known nationwide for its music and band. My time there was interrupted by Hurricane Katrina, and after a difficult journey, Texas became my new home.

Over the years I’ve adopted the influence of Texas music along with the legacy of my Louisiana roots. I’ve put out four complete albums and eleven mixtapes so far. Each project has received better reviews than the last; I’m glad to know I am growing and improving my craft.

My last album was released about two years ago and a lot of things have changed since then, I felt a had developed enough skill to take my music career to the next level, so I was able to begin working with Callie Dee, who was recently interviewed by VoyageDallas, as my manager at the start of this year. I’ve been performing like crazy all over the metroplex, working to get my live show ready for headlining as well as writing and recording my upcoming album.

Creating my new album, Aura has been an emotionally labor-intensive process, all the songs are really personal to me and represent different sides of me. I think this album will really resonate with my listeners more than anything I’ve created before because I really tried to be honest with myself during the writing process. I believe that will make it relate to anyone that listens, almost like I am speaking directly to them.

I’ve been privileged to work with some great people during this process, like DioVisuals, Subtonic, Akhordz, Yung Elshadi, WillieTforATrack, Mokah Soulfly, and others. I’ve never been more excited upon the release of a project. This has been a team effort in every sense and I’m extremely grateful to everyone who believes in me and gives me good energy.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
This project hasn’t exactly been a smooth road but I take everything with a grain of Tony’s seasoning anyway, ya heard me!

I’ve had to learn that the concept of local artists building relationships with each other can sometimes just be figurative speech, but throughout the creation of this upcoming project, I’ve come to appreciate those with good energy and solid intentions even more.

Tell us more about your work.
I think something I’m known for is hard work and a DIY ethic. I went to school to learn how to record my own music and mix it when I need to. Many of my previous projects were completed with no features and no outside engineering. However, on this project I’m really happy the be working with Subtonic as the executive producer, so he can use his engineering expertise and I can focus on writing and creating.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success can be measured in many ways…financially, physically, mentally, and through a legacy. I like to check off milestones along the way. Even having a roof and a bed was a milestone for me at one time. Going from performing at unpaid showcases to becoming a professional paid performer was a milestone I’ve hit in the last year. Another success milestone I’ve been accomplishing this year is strengthening my relationship with my son as he gets closer to becoming a teen and rebuilding my relationships with family, which I hadn’t done since we were separated during Katrina. Financially, obviously, the goal is to make a great living off creating music, performing, and selling merchandise alone. That’s a milestone I’m hoping to check off soon. As far as my legacy, I guess only time will tell.

Contact Info:

Website: TheyCallMeAdot.com
Phone: 214-403-2528
Email: lamaradotthomas@gmail.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lamaradotthomas/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lamaradotthomas
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LamarAdotThomas
Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6Nw1Ah2BOwFXrHLEMRhdMH

Image Credit:
Knscrygfx, Andrew Sherman

Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

RELATED ITEMS
LEAVE A REPLY
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website - Voyage Dallas

Welcome to Song of the Day, where we hip you to all the new local releases you should be caring about. By highlighting one new North Texas-sprung tune every week day, our hope is that you’ll find something new to love about the rich and abundant DFW music scene five days a week.

Lamar Adot Thomas – “Energies”
RIYL: Weathering the storm.
What else you should know: We’ve made much ado about the many North Texas rappers that have signed major deals this year. At some point, that rising tide is bound to raise the hundreds of other ships still plugging away, too.

For instance, at the other end of the spectrum are guys like Lamar Adot Thomas, who is really only at the beginning of his ride, having just played his first paying gigs this year. But it’s not like he’s a complete n00b, either: The New Orleans-raised rapper has four albums and 11 mixtapes to his credit thus far.

We can’t imagine that any of those are as solid as his latest, though. October’s Aura LP mixes in some of his home city’s soul and jazz flavors – as well as an obligatory New Orleans bounce track – with some of the Dallas vibes that he’s picked up since relocating here in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina devastating his hometown. It’s a sly mix of NOLA resilience and the Texas boldness.

Over the years, the rapper has clearly learned to weather a storm and fight through adversity, all while taking things not just with a grain of salt but a sprinkle of Tony Chachere’s. Thomas has previously said that he takes inspiration from the fact that pressure is what turns coal into diamonds, and he applies those principles to his life and writing.

As a result, his latest album is calm and calculated, with the performer spitting wisdom in a plain and direct language that speaks directly to its audience. And find an audience he almost certainly will. On Aura, he shows off an ability to take a grain of sand and fashion it into a pearl.

Head here to check out the album in full on Spotify. Check out lead single “Energies” below. - Central Track