Theophilus London sits behind an aging wooden table eagerly munching on the vegetable platter that was brought out for him.  His long and lanky arms engulf the table as he grabs another baby carrot from the vegetable platter. His eyes are hidden behind his signature dark shades and a cap, he designed to coincide with the release of his first EP Lovers Holiday, covers his head.

Since releasing This Charming Mixtape in 2009, the Brooklyn raised performer, has garnered a lot of attention for his electro-pop driven music. Theophilus came to Atlanta to perform exclusively for Art Nouveau Magazine’s 3^rd Year Anniversary Party at Deefor Centre. He sat down with Art Nouveau before soundcheck to discuss his musical influences (including Garth Brooks), his rise to fame, and what female body part gives his music the most inspiration.

Art Nouveau: First off, Happy birthday, well belated birthday.

Theophilus London: Thank You.

Art Nouveau: And how old are you?

TL: I don’t really like to talk about my age, but I’m pretty old.

Art Nouveau: Did you get any birthday swag?

TL: Yeah man. Last night we had some dinner with some friends in a backdoor restaurant, sort of like this. I brought my birthday in on stage, which was pretty rad. I couldn’t ask for anything else.

Art Nouveau: Where did you play at?

TL: I played at a club in DC.

Art Nouveau: It is well known that you are from Brooklyn, so what is this rumor going around that for the longest you didn’t know any Biggie Small lyrics?

TL: Well, I grew up in a competitive household where before church on Sunday we would see who could spit the best Biggie lyrics and I wasn’t always the best. My cousin Andrew used to spit the best Biggie lyrics, but I learned eventually.

 

 

Art Nouveau: And what about this other rumor about your love for Garth Brooks?

TL: That was back when I was six, man. That stopped when I was seven. When I was young I was into pop [music]. I’m still into fucking pop, but my pop [music] around that time was Garth Brooks and Hootie and the Blowfish. I was literally in Manhattan with my mom and I wanted to fuck with Garth Brooks for a minute, but didn’t have the money so she bought it for me.

Art Nouveau: So besides Garth Brooks, who else influences your music and sound?

TL: Musically? I’d have to say James brown, Michael Jackson, new wave stuff, James Russel and a lot of new stuff.

Art Nouveau: What kind of new stuff?

TL: I’m really into Lil B. I’ve been bumping Waka Flocka for a minute, too. [laughs]

Art Nouveau: What about Odd Future?

TL: Yeah we just got into those guys as well. They’re starting to drop some profound and amazing records so I’m tuned in. Man, I like it. It’s good for hip-hop. I love to see hip-hop evolve. It’s so awesome.

Art Nouveau: What I find interesting is that you and Odd Future are surfing on the same wave of hype, but lyrically you discuss different things…

TL: Yeah, I’m not talking about “Fuck Jesus” and shit.

Art Nouveau: That and as far as female references go, you’re not as vulgar. What they portray as their idea of women is not so nice, but yours is like…

TL: Oh this chick is hot, yo. I’m going to bang her. [laughs]

Art Nouveau: Well I was going to say more romantic.

TL: Yeah, but my music is R&B. Like “Why Even Try” is a record that’s message is like “Why even try to fuck with this chick right now?” It’s sort of like “Girls Girls $”. It’s not that romantic, but I like women, man. Women inspire my music the most. You know my musical influence right now is like her vagina. [laughs]

Art Nouveau: Speaking of your music, you just recently released Lovers Holiday. What would you say is the difference between this new record and your previous mixtape, This Charming Mixtape?

TL: Lovers Holiday is like a short EP. A long time ago, I was trying to write a book called Lovers Holiday, but I got sidetracked because I had to record. After I put out This Charming Mixtape, labels wanted to sign me. Then we made “I Want You” and I still had Lovers Holiday to record. Next, I made “Flying Overseas”, which is meant to only be on Lovers Holiday so you won’t see it on the upcoming album. My new record is going to be a 10-song album and it is going to be very themed. It’s the most themed thing I’ve ever done.

Art Nouveau: Also the album outwork for Lovers Holiday is strikingly different from the themes of your other work. What caused this change?

TL: We just wanted to do something striking, you know, something that will pop. I’m a fan of pop music. I’m a fan of things that pop. I’m a fan of pop art. I’m a fan of making outfits that pop out without saying too much or wearing too many colors. I just wanted to make album covers that popped: whether that is with me holding a black cat, me being in fucking Brooklyn on Church Avenue with a jean jacket on in 2008 or just me fucking reimaging the Elvis Costello cover by holding a camera and taking a picture of the listener. It is like I’m taking a photo of them telling them to “adjust yourself to this music”.

Art Nouveau: I just saw your recent spread in GQ magazine and it seems that you your style is as equally discussed as your music. Is there a thought process to your clothing choices?

TL: Yeah, I mean I can’t front. I’ve been making choices since I’ve been…how ever old I am or whatever. I’ve made a lot of bad choices with fashion, but I’ve made a lot of good choices. I’m at the point right now where I’m making a lot of good choices. You’ve got to learn to grow with yourself. You have to learn your body, as you grow older. I’ve learned my body. I get all my clothes tailored to my body. All of these brands send me clothes, yet and still I go out and collect my own pieces.

It’s all a form of expression. You wear clothes how you want to be expressed. If a girl wanted to walk out in a thong, that’s awesome because she’s expressing herself! I got pissed off when people were matching all the time and I was like I just want to wear mix match shit. It was maybe a silly mistake or a silly choice, but it is how I felt.

 

 

Art Nouveau: How have you been enjoying Atlanta?

TL: I love it man. I love the weather. I have yet to meet any natives, but tonight is going to be my first night out. Supposedly, these guys are my fans, they follow my stuff and it’s going to be great to be singing the songs they want to hear in front of them tonight. I’m going to make it fucking good.

Art Nouveau: You recently got off of tour with A-Trak, Kanye West’s former live DJ, how did that whole collaboration begin?

He heard my mixtape and he loved it. He became a fan, started following me and he was going on tour with this girl Rye Rye. A very huge mishap happened to her and she had a baby. A lot of stuff went on in her life and he needed a new opener. I just put out This Charming Mixtape and it was so fresh and so raw and people started to dig it. XXL wrote this amazingly hateful thing about it and I was like ‘yes’. People started writing huge hateful things about it. It made people feel a certain way. A-Trak started to reach out and he wanted to sign me for the longest time.

And did you learn anything from being on tour with him?

TL: I asked him everything about Kanye that there was to ask. I just asked anything I wanted to know about Kanye and he told me.

Art Nouveau: It may be a bit cliché, but how has your rise to fame been?

TL: Its been growing. I’ve been growing. I’ve been traveling different places. I’ve been meeting different people. I’ve been working with the producers I’ve wanted to work with from around the world. I recorded “Girls Girls $” in Stockholm. I made my album in Stockholm. I went overseas to get a different vibe. This album is going to be very progressive. I haven’t written music in Brooklyn in such a long time, but I think I’m going to record this second record in Brooklyn.

Art Nouveau: There are not many people out there with a name like yours. What is the story behind your name?

I’m named after my great grandfather. He’s the first and I’m the second. It’s weird because when I first started rapping I knew my name would be the hardest thing to overcome, but I wanted to challenge myself. I used to go by Cap, it was a nickname when I first started. You usually go for your nickname as your alias if you’re going to become a rapper. I started writing music and I started learning about myself and I was like I just want to use my real name. The only person who had a hard time was Thelonius Monk, but he made that name famous. I’m going to make Theophilus London a fucking famous name, if it’s not already. I’m going to make it mad famous. Dave Letterman pronounced my shit right. He already said my name. I’m pissed I didn’t get Michael Jackson to ever say my name out of his mouth but hopefully he will when he’s reincarnated he’ll have the chance.

Art Nouveau: Maybe it’s Justin Bieber.

TL: No, man.

Art Nouveau: You’re not a Belieber?

TL: Bieber’s dope, but he isn’t mike.

 

 

 

 

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