THAD REID (Madison Heights, VA) – "It Gets Better" /// UndergroundHipHopBLOG.com
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Someone was once asked following a Thad Reid performance why they were a fan of his music. Their reply? “His music is the embodiment of honesty and reality combined with a good ear for music. It’s these traits combined with a unique perspective that make myself, as well as others a believer in his artistry.”
You could be familiar with Thad through his collaborations with Doujah Raze, his string of Top 3 indie radio successes “Top of the Heights”, “They Don’t Like Me”, and “The Reason”, or his solid internet media exposure on sites such as djbooth.net, allhiphop.com, okayplayer.com, and kevinnottingham.com. Then again, you may not. But that doesn’t bother this Virginia-born rhymesayer. Matter of fact, he’s perfectly fine with it. Hailing from the small town of Madison Heights, Virginia, Thad’s songs act as a voice for an under-represented population in today’s music scene, the average hard working person doing their best to provide and make sense of their environment. “Well, I can`t speak for anyone else but I will tell you that the music I make is something that you`re not going to get from a lot of other artists, and that`s the fact that its honest, says Reid. The funny thing is, is that most of the buying public is doing the same thing I’m doing, working hard, taking care of family, going through situations, and I feel like that`s one of the main reasons I connect with people. Those types of stories told from my perspective. It’s relatable music.”
As a teen, Thad used to idolize many of his hip-hop influences, particularly taking a liking to the culture and melody driven sounds birthed by producer/rapper Dr. Dre. Itching to leave small town Virginia, Thad attended James Madison University where he would develop in interest in rhyming and songwriting. Through many performances in campus talent shows, open mics and other small venues across town, Thad continued to showcase and develop his skills throughout school, eventually graduating and settling down in his current place of residence, the DMV. It was there that he started performing frequently in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, gracing stages in New York, Philadelphia, Maryland and Connecticut. That led him to where he is now, an independent lyricist who has a knack for penning hooks, as well as a good ear for choosing production.
In 2006, with his independently released album, “Memorial Day”, Thad would enjoy some minor success highlighted by the Ologist produced “They Don’t Like Me”, which peaked at #2 on the college radio charts. Later that year he would follow up with the mixtape “No Beat is Safe Vol. 2”, and a string of releases over the next few years which would include “No Beat is Safe Vol. 2.7: Blue Collar Muzik”, “No Beat is Safe Vol. 2.7: The B-Sides”, “Commonwealth Muzik”, “The Paid Time Off EP”, “Target Practice”, and the most recent “Tyme Flys” in 2012.
With a plethora of artists already in the long distance rap race, it is easy for many artists to get lost or lose motivation to continue. A strong love for making music, coupled with a fierce competitive nature and ever growing fan base refrains this proud independent from such. Currently working on his new project “Unadulterated Reid”, Thad has no plans of slowing down just yet. With his unexpected but most musically diverse project on deck, it is important to remember who he is at his core. He is relatable. He is honest. He is hip-hop. He is…Blue Collar Music.
