The music industry is no longer just about music. It has become an intersection of fashion, art and music. There is no one way to express yourself anymore. Thutmose’s, or as his friends and family know him as Umar, unique sound and experience in the fashion world is a perfect example of the new era of music.
Eva: How did you get into modeling? And what made you start making music?
Thutmose: I started modeling when I was 18, straight after high school because I was finding myself and part of that experience was recognizing and appreciating my looks. Music came into play initially from wanting to be better than my friend who was making music at the time.
Eva: Where in the city do you live? How does that place influence your music?
Thutmose: I live in East New York, which is located within Brooklyn. My neighborhood doesn’t really influence my music but when it does, it’s when I’m expressing crazy things I’ve seen which I try not to talk about too much.
Eva: Who are your biggest music influences?
Thutmose: My music influences lie between artist like Sade, rappers like Kendrick Lamar and I’m just a lover of R&B music ranging from back in the day ‘til today. Oddly enough, I’m more inspired by cinematographers and movies than music artists.
Eva: What is your creative process like?
Thutmose: I usually write my best songs when I’m at home, on the edge of my bed, starting off with a hook and then eventually my verse. I improvise then I freestyle for like 10 minutes or however long before I start putting the song together. I usually wait ‘til the next day and see if I’m still excited about the song and that’s how I decide whether to take it to the studio or trash it.
Eva: What’s the inspiration behind your song American Beauty?
Thutmose: American Beauty was a movie I watched and grew to love. A lot of my art is influenced by my experience with women, I like to express my emotions or stories whether good or bad knowing many will be able to relate. In the actual movie, the main character is obsessed with this young girl, and since I talk about a girl being obsessed with me in the song, I thought the theme fit the song perfectly so I ran with it.
Eva: How are you balancing music, modeling, working, school?
Thutmose: Not sure how I did it initially, but I ended up having to take a break from school. It can be very tough sometimes, putting your energy towards many different aspects of your life but my goal is to be successful and it helps me remain strong to handle all of them simultaneously.
Eva: Who has been your biggest supporter as you’ve ventured into music?
Thutmose: My biggest supporters has been my friends, they keep me grounded, as well as my girlfriend (Alex Mali) who’s also in my collective, has helped me in a huge way. She taught me to be humble, to be professional and to always give a great show no matter if there’s 1 or 1,000 people in the crowd. That’s really helped me sustain the fans I have now and I’m a better artist because of it.
Eva: What projects are you working on right now?
Thutmose: I’m actually working on my Debut EP titled “Dirty Vans and Cocaine”, which I plan to release before the summer is over. I’m also working on a few songs with some local artist as well as artists from Florida, so much to keep up with.
Eva: Music is art, so what do you want your art to say about you?
Thutmose: I want my art to say how unique my life experiences were and how interesting my mind works whenever it came to creating and innovating sounds and ideas. Hopefully that doesn’t make me sound full of myself.
Eva: How do you think fashion and music intersect?
Thutmose: They’re both artists’ measures of expression. I make music depending on how I’m feeling or how I’d like to feel, fashion isn’t any different, I dress depending on my mood or how I’d like to be perceived.
Take a second and listen to Thutmose’s music here: https://soundcloud.com/thutmose
