Theophilus London to Play Echoplex and Constellation Room

Theophilus London may have not set out to become a style icon, but he has. With collaborations with Gucci, Cole Haan, and Tommy Hilfiger, for starters, his value as a tastemaker has risen.

Born in Trinidad, 27-year-old Theophilus Musa London was raised in Brooklyn, New York City. He developed a knack for rap battling his friends in the borough and noticing that girls paid attention. Mountain Dew’s Green Label Sound Project, aimed at shining light on new artists, was one of his successful ventures in releasing two singles “Humdrum Town” and “Flying Overseas.”

His debut EP, “Lovers Holiday,” was released by Warner Bros. Records in 2011 and featured TV on the Radio‘s Dave Sitek, Sara Quin from Tegan & Sara, Glasser, and the dynamite Solange Knowles. This marked the beginning of what would come to be a successful track record of branding himself. His keen eye for collaborations and music has made it hard for bloggers and journalists alike to pigeonhole his sound and style. Often, references to being “retro,” “forward-thinking and “eclectic” have saturated the articles online about him. Theophilus definitely stands apart from the rest.

Theophilus’s full-length, “Timez Are Weird These Days,” was released in 2011 and was produced by extraordinary producer Dan Carey. What followed would be festival headline slots at Northside Festival and an appearance at the Montreal International Jazz Festival where he was touted to be one of the biggest stars ever. That’s a lot of hype to live up to, but Theophilus remains humble and charming as ever making friends wherever he goes. His engaging and sincere personality has earned him the respect of fashion icons like Karl Lagerfeld who shot the cover art for Theo’s sophomore album, “Vibes,” during a 10-minute one-take photo shoot.

His collaborations are a namedropper’s dream. Not only did he get a fashion icon to shoot his latest album cover but none other than veteran tastemaker Kanye West executive produced Theo’s latest album and was featured on “Can’t Stop,” a seductively smooth disco lounge track. Pegged as a buzz worthy rapper for the longest time, Theophilus keeps his head down and his priorities straight. He dedicated his latest album to his deceased aunt who he says guided him every step of the record-making process.

Theophilus blurs the line between musician and brand and that’s okay. His unique take on making a career out of music has earned him some haters but in the long run, his media visibility helps his music career more than the other way around. An overall great human being, Theophilus creates an audio-visual experience unlike many in today’s music industry.

Theophilus London will be performing with rapper Father at the Echoplex on Monday, March 2 (18 & over) at 8:00 p.m. and at Constellation Room on Tuesday, March 3 (all ages) at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase here and here, respectively.