A photo of Theron Thomas, songwriter behind hits like Nicki Minaj’s “Only” and Lil Durk’s “All My Life.”
Way back when, we placed a spotlight on the nominees for one of the newly minted categories at the 2024 GRAMMYs, Songwriter (Non-Classical.) Over that span, we hit two of country’s biggest behind-the-board talents, and one of Latin’s. Next up in the queue was a man who has very much shaped the landscape of hip-hop you’ve heard—Theron Thomas.
If Theron Thomas’ name doesn’t ring any bells, I can guarantee you’re familiar with his work, of which there are two halves. One is as a part of the duo R. City alongside his brother, Timothy Thomas. Among a whole host of production credits, they recorded the inescapable “Locked Up” with Adam Levine, a song that ruled the radio at the time of its release and now stands above the billion streams mark. R. City together boasts a production portfolio of similarly massive songs, from Nicki Minaj’s “Only” to Rihanna’s “Pour It Up” to Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop.”
Theron Thomas’ 2023 Credits
Crucially for the subject at hand, there’s still been plenty of times when artists sought out Theron’s own talents. Prior to 2023, his solo work was highlighted by Saweetie’s “Best Friend” & Doja Cat’s “Rules.” Those two tracks put Theron’s tendency towards hip-hop in stark relief. Since the last edition of the GRAMMYs, he had been on a short list of individuals who’ve had the most influence on the genre. Beginning with songwriting assistance on Lizzo’s “Special,” his case for the award was characteristically star-studded—Victoria Monet’s “Party Girls,” Tyla’s “Been Thinking,” Lil Durk & J. Cole’s chart-topper “All My Life,” and heavy involvement in crafting Chlöe’s debut record, In Pieces.
As we covered earlier this year, each of the nominees for this category boasted an incredibly impressive case. They were all equally deserving of taking home the award. But with hip-hop truly becoming pop music this decade and continually leading the pack in terms of streams, it’s easy to understand why Theron Thomas won the GRAMMY for Songwriter (Non-Classical). He had a massive hand in crafting the sounds of 2023. You can find all of the aforementioned music on streaming platforms everywhere. And, if you’d like to hear some wisdom from the man himself, check out an episode of the One More Time podcast where he dished wisdom and industry knowledge.
