Sand dunes are constantly on the move. Blowing desert winds can reshape the landscape overnight, shaping cascades of sand into new formations.
Doon and DJ Jay Skillz. (Photo by Eric Bodden)
That’s exactly what Dustin “Doon” Thomas aims for with his flowing style of rap. His career so far has also followed a constantly shifting path.
After playing a handful of local shows and making a televised appearance on The 504 with Sheba Turk, Doon toured last year with shows in Wilmington, Delaware, New York with the Stooges Brass Band, and a solo performance at South by Southwest in March.
After a May 15 show with DJ Jay Skillz at the Balcony Room at the Blue Nile, Doon will hit the road with the Stooges, with shows scheduled from Ontario to Atlanta.
But it may be the South by Southwest show that will stand out for years to come, thanks to the reaction of Solange Knowles, who performed May 1 at Jazz Fest.
“That was crazy experience because Solange was right in the crowd, right up front,” Doon said. “When I got off stage, I was being stupid. I said ‘aren’t you, uh Sol…Sol…Beyonce’s sister?’ She was pissed. She wasn’t with that.”
Given Solange’s recent outburst in an elevator, which included several kicks aimed at her brother in law Jay-Z, Doon may have been lucky to escape the encounter unscathed.
A former football player at St. Augustine High School, which he attended before Morehouse College in Atlanta, Doon was drawn to music early. His cousin is Cash Money rapper B.G., and Doon picked up a wide range of influences early on.
Photo by Eric Bodden
“I was introduced to music by Paul Batiste,” Doon said. “He taught me and a bunch of my friends in elementary school. I learned how to play the clarinet. It was a hand-me- down clarinet that my two older sisters played, and I broke it one day, so I just started rapping.”
Soon after, Doon recorded a mix tape with Frank Ocean—well before his breakout album Channel Orange earned Ocean six Grammy nominations in 2012.
“He used to get booed off stage at talent shows,” Doon said of Ocean. “To see him just blow up was crazy, but I don’t have copies of the mix tape because it was on my mom’s computer and she deleted it because it was taking up too much space.”
After getting a start performing with live bands with his friend, tuba player Javon Carter, Doon quickly progressed to performing with the Stooges.
“They really took me in,” he said. “It’s crazy to me to see my friend up there playing the tuba giving them the bass line to these hard-ass beats that I had my producer make for me, but he definitely gets down. The Stooges really took me in and want to make me an even bigger part of their show, and it’s all working out. I just stay rapping.”
Hopefully Doon can avoid Solange while he’s out on the road. Their next meeting might not go as smoothly.
