Originally an emcee from Philadelphia, Tom Charles, now based in Brooklyn, has been working on his music for seven years but when he met Shaun Benjamin, a producer from Singapore, they created The Wickids together to truly portray the sound that he was seeking. The EP, recorded in two Bushwick lofts over the summer, begins with the upbeat “I feel” but slows down once it gets to the second track, gradually giving off more noirish and moody vibes.
Despite Tom’s old school hip hop background and Shaun’s hardcore, they say they tried to break away from the conventional hip hop and rap heard on the radio but at the same time, were celebrating the vibrancy of New York City in the music itself. “Having our friends to track just added more flavors and color into the mix,” says Shaun about the EP that features artists from around the world, “I was able to capture the blend of cultures and create a new sound together with Tom’s artistic vision.”
Tom, who wrote most of the lyrics and had a hand in the pre-production and structuring of the tracks says the songs are about many things even though there are instances when he sounds like he’s talking to a particular person. For example, I feel is about how mainstream society and perceptions embedded into the mass population’s consciences make the artist feel like ‘agh agh’: “I’m speaking to anyone and everyone. The pre chorus is how I feel most of the time, ‘like the moon and stars;’ beautiful, vibrant, inspiring and blessed to be living this human experience. And the ‘agh aghs’ because the media and mainstream is constantly and, unfortunately, effectively forcing people to forget this; this feeling of euphoria and harmony. To separate us, ultimately to impede on our progression as individuals, keeping us from realizing the oneness that really does exist in this universe.”
Tom Charles is currently on a Europe tour. Buy the EP here to help fund the tour.
