A seasoned artist building with intention.
There’s something different about talking to someone who remembers where you started.
I’ve known Aaron Thomas since we were coming up in Philly. We first connected over basketball before music ever became the focus. But we wound up working together on some projects, and over the years I watched him move from local stages to national platforms, and beyond. It’s been meaningful to see that growth in real time.
When we ran into each other in Los Angeles during Grammy weekend this year, there wasn’t enough time to catch up. This Spotlight Session makes up for that, and gives us both a chance to reflect back on where we’ve been, and all the plans still to come as we evolve as artists and individuals.
Mic Check
AARON THOMAS: I’m Aaron Thomas from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I’m 35 years old — singer, songwriter, producer, engineer, and published photographer. I’ve been singing and performing my whole life, rooted in the gospel world. I grew up in a mega church and was discovered at Showtime at the Apollo at age 12. That’s when I knew I wanted to be a recording artist.
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Before that, I thought I was going to the NBA. Allen Iverson was my guy. I even wanted to be a wrestler at one point. But music was always there. My aunt raised me, and she had me singing everywhere — competitions, showcases, anything you can think of.
I went on to audition for American Idol, The Voice, and appeared on BET Sunday Best. I’ve been independent my entire career, traveling across the country performing in churches, venues, and arenas. I also have an R&B background.
In 2019, I moved to LA, which opened the door to work with Grammy Award-winning producers and artists. That led to writing and producing for The Temptations, Tyrese, Le’Andria Johnson, and others.
At the end of the day, I wake up knowing this is my purpose — to impact people through my music and my story.
In the Room
ANDRE SAUNDERS: I know I bumped into you in LA for Grammy weekend. How was that experience for you?
Oh my God. Grammy weekend was so enlightening. I’ve been in this funky space with the industry right now — with AI and how credentials don’t really matter to a lot of labels like they used to. But Grammy weekend opened my eyes to the business side and how it’s shifted.
I went to Cardi B’s event that I was personally invited to. She has a team of five people — literally just five — running her whole career. She runs it like an independent artist, calling all the shots. She loves the grind work so much. I love that.
I also went to an event with Luminate. They track royalties globally. I learned new ways to register your music so you get paid outside of just DSPs like Spotify and Apple Music.
Your network is your net worth. Your knowledge is power. I don’t care how great an artist is — if they don’t know the business, they’re not going to go far. Period.
I feel too like the Grammys were really enlightening. I learned you don’t have to be famous to be famous, you know? People remember how you treat them. They don’t always remember your name, your song, your award. But they remember how you treat them, and the Grammys for me was like a homecoming. It was very inspiring.
That line right there. Because growing up, the Grammys felt so far away. Like something we weren’t even supposed to touch. But once you get in those rooms and understand how things actually work, it changes your perspective.
Exactly. Once you get the information, it’s different. We didn’t always have the blueprint. A lot of people from where we come from don’t get handed that. You got to go find it. And once you understand it, it’s on you. That’s when you realize what’s possible.
The Work
Most people see the highlights. Apollo. Television. Placements. But they don’t see the behind-the-scenes grind — writing, producing, staying consistent. What would you tell somebody about that?
Be great at all things. A lot of people will limit themselves: I can’t do that now, I have to have this first or I need to wait for my life to change this way. But it’s really about time, and how you choose to use it. There are so many different obstacles to get around, you can’t let them stop you from achieving greatness.
I’ve been through homelessness. I’ve written songs in my car. In Airbnbs. In hotels. I’ve been on TV going through stuff. Nobody’s gonna come save you. Nobody’s gonna spoon-feed you. It’s a dog-eat-dog world.
You have to sacrifice something good in your life to get to something greater. I’ve been in Atlanta eight years. It hasn’t been easy. I’m house hopping right now because I have a certain plan for my career. It’s discipline.
You got major artists doing DoorDash and Uber. Working at Amazon. It’s real. People are doing what they gotta do, it’s all a process. Follow your intuition. Make the plan. Write it down. Work toward something every day, and give yourself some grace. It’s not all or nothing, every step in the right direction matters.
I respect that, because I saw something similar recently — a songwriter celebrating a placement while still working a regular job. People think once you get one big moment, that’s it. But it’s really just part of the journey.
Exactly. There’s only so much time. You can spend it complaining or waiting around or you can do something. A half hour, every day. That’s all I’m saying. And another thing: you need a unit. Nobody makes it alone. Even if it’s one person that believes in you, and they know you, and can keep you level-headed.
Outgrowing the Applause
Let’s talk about home for a second. Philly is a special place, but sometimes it doesn’t give you everything you need to grow. How did it shape you?
Philly humbles you. Everybody’s talented. It taught me grit. It taught me that if you really believe in yourself, you can do it. You don’t have to be a product of your environment.
Philly’s a tough place for us, there’s not much opportunity. And when there is, a lot of people don’t take them. They’re scared to audition. Scared to perform at a karaoke bar. Scared to do small things to get where they need to go. It’s sad to say we often have to go outside our hometown to make it.
But I think Philly is a great place. I have been really inspired by the greats here, you know, Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, Meek Mill, PnB Rock, so many artists. So much history. Not to be negative, but I’ll say Philly taught me who I didn’t want to be. And it taught me I could have better.
What role did the church play in all of this?
A lot. I’ve always been an outsider. Being brought up in church created conviction — right from wrong. It gave me spirituality to carry with me. I went to King High School, from a sheltered upbringing. So being part of a strong spiritual community helped protect me from situations that might not have been good for me.
Church taught me how to treat people with love and always be a light. And that upbringing is a big part of my life today, it’s how I strive to be the best man I can be every single day. The fact that I wake up every morning is evidence I’m supposed to be here.
I know I’m a confident person, but confidence doesn’t mean you don’t have doubts. How did performing at the Apollo and all those early experiences shape you mentally?
So, being in school and being famous that’s insane in public high school. I kept to myself, and I’ve always been a big learner, too, I love to learn. So whatever I’m going through, I’m learning from it. I know some artists reach a certain level and they feel like there’s nothing anyone can teach them. That’s never me. I learned at a young age that you can have everything and then lose it all the next day. I don’t ever want to take anything for granted.
How do you define success now compared to when you first started?
So glad you asked that. I feel like when we were younger, we chased validation. We wanted to be recognized. Now at like 35 years old, success to me is more like contentment.
Peace and satisfaction. That’s where I’m at today. A good measure I think is how much of what you’re doing is stuff you want to do, versus what you have to do. I know a lot of successful people who are not at peace. I feel like if you’re chasing praise and material things, you’ll never find it.
Forward Motion
What’s next creatively?
I’m writing and producing for a lot of artists right now. I just dropped a single with a group called AURA that I wrote and produced — it’s called “Bon Appétit.” That group was crafted from three different areas, and the first song they released was the one I did. That meant a lot to me.
I’ve always wanted to work with a boy group. I’ve worked with The Temptations — Ron Tyson and them — and I’ve worked with Pamela Long from Total. But I hadn’t really worked with a group all together in the same room, building something from the ground up. So that was special.
I also recently did a placement with Carl Thomas, Dave Hollister, and Syleena Johnson. They have a group called The Chi, and I wrote and produced a song that’s going to be the lead single for their new project. So it’s things like that — I’m moving around, creating, building.
This year has been unorthodox and spontaneous. Between the Grammys, my personal life, everything shifting — I’m focused on creating a legacy of my own, not just carrying whatever people think I’m supposed to be.
At the same time, I’m working on my seventh studio album. It’s called Raw. I’ve done different genres over the years, and now this time I’m digging deep for what feels right for each song. The title Raw is about how music comes from down in your soul where the truth is.
I’m mainly known for R&B, gospel, pop — those elements are there — but this project is stripped down. Nothing decorative. It’s really just my voice. I’m excited to share it.
Before we wrap, I just want to say I’m super proud of you. I’ve seen you through different phases, and you’ve always been a good person. And whether you hear it or not, there’s a million people cheering for you. This industry needs your positive energy, I’m glad I had my chance to give you some flowers today. I see what you’re doing and it’s making a difference.
I appreciate that. I’m proud of you too, man. For real. I need to get your book, that’s such an accomplishment. And this interview, I’m honored to be here.
Shifting the Scale
Success changes shape over time. Early on, it can look like attention, numbers, access. Later, it looks more like direction — knowing what you want and what you don’t. Listening to Aaron, that shift was clear. He’s not chasing wins, he’s building something he can stand on.
LEARN MORE: @aaronthomas215 on YouTube, Instagram, and SoundCloud.
AaronThomasWorld.com
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🌟Spotlight Sessions is a series conceived of and developed by artist-educator Andre Saunders to highlight inspirational local people with personal, community-focused interviews. Read Andre’s previous Spotlight Session on Zay Money, a young Philly rapper and content creator uplifting his community.
Congratulations to Andre on the continued success of his latest book, Honest Becoming Me, where he shares his artistic journey in an interactive format that encourages young readers to find their voice. And be sure to check out Andre’s latest music project “Better Late Than Never”, a deft, layered introspective with unforgettable rhymes and hooks.
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