|
|
"nathaniel"
Name meaning: "Gift of GOD"
Aka/Pen-name: Johnny Neumatic
Age: Twenty-Five
Capacities/Talents: Songwriting, singing, freelance journalism, poetry, and vocal production.
[N-ter, if you will, the mind of an enigmatic, original, unique, unskurred, writer and singer from the borough that brought you (among others): Aaliyah(r.i.p.), Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G.(r.i.p.), Shyne, Foxy Brown, Mos Def, my fellow alum Rudy Guliani-former NY mayor, Hezekiah Walker, NY Knick-Stephon Marbury, and many others.
His is a story filled with pain, joy, disappointment, betrayal, destiny, mystery, chords, tears, and justification. Attending Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in the heart of Fort Greene (bk), Nathaniel (a then-sophmore transferstudent at the tender age of fourteen)learned early that the race was not given to the swift...but rather to the ones that hold out until the bitter end. Graduating at the age of sixteen in Spring 95', he was all of a sudden thrust into an early college living that both perplexed and benefitted him. He was accepted as a student at Paine College in Augusta, Georgia(where the annual Masters Tournament is held--aka-Tigerwoodsville).
After about two years, he felt the pangs of home sickness within his young heart and high-tailed it back to BK in search of his niche in either literary exposition or music.
This was a big step to take, essentially quitting school in search of "the more", and taking the risk of not finishing college on schedule. The pull of "the more" had Nate inclined to higher things and that meant being unskurred enough to venture into (perceived) deeper waters.
Enter the lifeboats........Discovering his own church (Love Fellowship in Brooklyn-Overseer Hezekiah Walker, Pastor) gave him a sense of purpose and destiny and from there he got the guts to start building the legos that would eventually be his platform to stand on and be noticed as he held down jobs at Independence Savings Bank-in Brooklyn(safe-deposit clerk), Wear Me Apparrel-a Manhattan based licensing firm for Roc-A-Wear for Kids and Polo Jeans Company (Assistant to the Dir. of Human Resources...1999-2000), and Bad Boy Entertainment (Assistant to the V.P. of Operations...2000-2001).
As a singer he has been favored enough to have traveled in various capacities to: Tokyo(Japan), Toronto(Canada), Los Angeles(California), Washington, (D.C.), Cincinnati (Ohio), Newark (N.J.), San Francisco (California), St. Louis (Missouri), and alot of no name towns and counties in between.
One could call this paying your dues. As a singer, Nathaniel prides himself on being versed in the music's venaculars of classical (having been trained and molded by the likes of famed composers and teachers Lena McLin and Moses Hogan), gospel(having sung with the likes of grammy winner-Hezekiah Walker, Julius Goodman and New Millenium Voices, Danny Eason, Cissy Peoples, and James Moss), and R&B (having worked hard in the studio with (among others): Fanatic, Dan Cleary, Vaso, Red Spyda, Stephen Dent, E_Bass, and Eddie F. and The Untouchables.
He has sund live and in persona at NYC open-mic venues "The Soul Cafe"(-while R. Kelly was present, and after introduced by host-Bernard Brown, even gave kudos..but no deal or digits..haha), "The Village Underground"(-where Nate was favored with kudos from host-Melonie Daniels and backgrounds during his set from Mel, Cheryl "Pepsii" Riley, and Mike Davis.)
He has been in countless failed group situations:
"Blessed"(a five man acapella group he formed in his freshmen year in college, who collectively won a local talent show...winning $500.00...and also opening for gospel phenom CeCe Winans), "Souljah" (a group for which he was made to audition live at Electric Lady Studios in NY for it's svengali "FANATIC" (of Sixth Boro Entertaninment)....producer of songs for 'Beyonce', "The BraveHearts" and "Lil' Kim"..signed and then released from Motown Records..got to meet Kedar before the ax-dropping tho), "Divine Music" ( an octet of seasoned musicians and singers that composed original material for performance in and around campus).
He has met and been encouraged by (among others): Carl Thomas, Kim Burrell, Kirk Franklin, James Moss, Mario Winans, Rell, Mona Scott of Violator, Dorinda Clark-Cole, John P. Kee, Tonex, Ayanna George, Steve Spradley, James Hairston (of Youthful Praise), Natalie Wilson (GospoCentric recoring artist), James Hall, Thomas Hammond(songwriter), David Frazier(songwriter), Rev. Jesse Jackson, Dream Hampton (writer), Bonsu Thompson (writer),
Shawn McLemore, JoJo Brim, Common, Sean "P-Diddy" Combs,
50_cent(pre-deal), and so many others.
He recalls these chance meetings with humility and fondness (not snottiness--i feel you thinking he is odeeing...but isn't wonderful to be able to match a personality to the faces that make so many big moves in the black community??..). They all worked to vouch for the prophecy made early on his teen years which said: "You are gonna be a light to someone who hears you..your gift is gonna bring you before great men and take you around the world.."
Fast-fowarding to present day..he is a graduating senior English-major back at Paine, having resumed his studies at the small rural college in the peach state. It is his most earnest desire to effect those who read his written word and reach somebody that has never been reached through the performed song. Nathaniel-Arthur, although increasingly un-religious (at least in planetary terms), is still rooted thru a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and is always reminded of his worth as a person by his family.
He dedicates his work on this site to the memory of:
his aunt (Lelia Mae Huston), grade-school teacher (Sherry Landrum), inspirations(Tupac Shakur, Left-Eye, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Donny Hathaway, his godmother (Gloria), and his living grandmother (Lelia Mae James).
You are now priivy to the thoughts, rants and raves and pictorials which exemplify artistry at it's heart and true determination in spirit.
Ladies and Gents....Nathaniel-Arthur Thomas IV...(aka-Johnny Neumatic!).]
|
|
| Nathan (back in 2002) doing soundcheck with Hezekiah Walker and friends in Tokyo, Japan! |
|
|
| Nate's parents getting married at First Baptist Church of Crown Heights (in Brooklyn, NY) in 1977. |
|
|
| Nathaniel-Arthur performing live with The Paine College Concert Choir! |
|
|
| Nathan recording "Saturday Love" at Quad Studios in NYC with producer-Steve Dent. |
|
|
| (L-R) 2001--Denyce Smalls, Nathan, Jason and Tica in Tokyo, Japan..after set with Hezekiah Walker. |
|
|
| Nathan Thomas (aka-Johnny Neu) in Times Square (NYC)! |
Nathaniel's singing influences:
Frank McComb, Brandy, Kim Burrell, Sam Cooke, Melonie Daniels, Latrelle, Johnnie Taylor, Jackie Wilson, Dino Conner(rip), Jodeci, Donny Hathaway, Shawn McLemore, John P. Kee, Isaac Caree, Frank Sinatra, Axl Rose, Michael Jackson, Tweet, Marvin Gaye, The Clark Sisters, Rance Allen, Kirvy Brown, Troy Bright, Timiney Figeuroa-Caton,
Steve Spradley, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Rell, Michael McDonald, Take 6, Dave Hollister, Kenny Greene(rip), Faith, Carl Thomas, Tank, Joe Thomas, Coko, Franchetta Dudley, Charles Perry, Danny Eason, Hezekiah Walker, Ladae, 112, Robert Kelly (aka-The Pied Piper), Whitney Houston(in the 80's), Kelly Price, Julius Goodman,
Mark Prentice, Cissy Peoples, John Mayer, Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, GUY, Luther Vandross, Aerosmith, Mario Winans (aka-Yellowman), Mary J. Blige and James Hall & Worship & Praise.
|
|
|
