We had the good fortune of connecting with Anthony Thomas and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Anthony, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
It’s been a little over a decade already! In 2012 I was fresh out of high school and wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do, I was hanging out at a friend’s house as he was recording a song and offered to help, and just like that I fell in love with music at first click! I immersed myself in every aspect of engineering, visited studios, YouTube tutorials, I absorbed it all, learned mastering, mixing, all of the recording process. The transition to producing was inevitable, from the various sounds I heard, I knew (confidence is the key) that I could do the same if not better. So it started with Fruity Loops, I spend countless hours making beats, I was lucky to have established artists and producers willing to give me feedback, and I took all the constructive criticism which eventually led me to my first commercial release “Badmind Cyaan Hold Me” performed by Bencil.
Since then it’s been a whirlwind of ups and downs, the music industry is not for the faint of heart. I’ve been building my discography, and I am very proud of some of my achievements such as a deal with Warner Music/Spinnin Records in the Netherlands for the song, “Mood For Lovin” featuring dancehall artist Patexx. It sold gold & platinum in that country. Within four months after the song was released, it was certified gold! The song peaked at number 27 on The Netherlands top 40 charts and number 22 on iTunes dance charts and was number 62 on Spotify most streamed Dutch/dancehall track. This fueled me, and since then under my moniker of Island kidd, I have been steadily putting music and producing songs for Jamaican dancehall superstars like Charly Black – Gyal Extra Sexy / Christopher Martin / Vybz Kartel / Konshens and many more.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
what i think set me apart from others is my ability to get things done even when all the cards are stacked up against me or when my back is against the wall i always find away to get things done.
Getting to where I’m at professionally took years of hard work, blood sweat and tears and sleepless nights and throughout it all, looking back i would do thing a little different but even so i wouldn’t trade my journey and experience for anything because it made me who i am today,
There were challenges and obstacle along the way some which took years to over come being that we are in the entertainment business which is very competitive but i held my head up and push through it cause i could not quit or give up.
The lesions I’ve learned along the way is to 1 always have an attorney at hand because its better to have one and not need it than to need one and not have one and always look over your contracts and never sign anything into perpetuity unless you know the full dept of the deal. Also have supportive friends that will help to keep you grounded and never stay in your comfort place and having a ego can be detrimental to the greater goals at hand.
I want the world to know Anthony Records is a label where all talents can strive to be great.
What I’m most proud and excited about is i get to work with a lot of dancehall legends in the business, artist like multi platinum diamond selling artist Charly Black, Multi Platinum artist busy Signal, Vybz Kartel, Christopher Martin, just to name a few. But what I’m mostly proud about is when i scored my first Platinum & Gold record in The Netherlands for the song called ‘ Freddy Moreira & Capital Candy ft. Patexx Mood for Lovin’. after 3 month of being release the track was certified Gold and rose to
Top 20 Dutch Top 40 (Netherlands Top 40)
Top 20 iTunes Dance Chart
Top 50 Beatport Dance Top 100 Chart
Top 60 Spotify’s Most Streamed Dutch tracks
Since then the song has been growing rapidly, Mood for loving now has over 15 millions streams worldwide.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I don’t think that most people realize that Jamaica is a gastronomic heaven! From our delicious local dishes to Japanese, Indian, Vegan and more, there is something for everyone. Touring restaurants is a MUST, and of course my beautiful island is renowned for its beaches and nightlife; from street dances to Jazz clubs, to live music venues and in between. Museums and the National Art Gallery, bowling to mini golf, we even have a zoo! There is something for everyone of all ages. As a matter of fact, after vacationing in Jamaica, you will need a vacation at home to rest!
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to highlight and give a special shout out to My friend & artist K.Sling (Keron Rowe) . He is basically responsible for me being a music producer and starting my own record label. And of course, to the many various artists that have voiced for me such as Charly Black, Zagga, Navino, Natascha, and many more, If I don’t mention you all by name, please know that I appreciate it. Also, to the many producers that I have done collabs with, for most it has been a pleasure lol and for my close circle (family and friends), this business takes a lot of my time, and I thank you all for riding with me!
Website: https://linktr.ee/anthonyrecords
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthonyrecords
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-records/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ANTHONYRECORDS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnthonyRecords
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@IslandKiddVEVO
Other: https://www.instagram.com/islandkiddofficial https://soundcloud.com/AnthonyRecords