Words by Kaya.lah
Whether you known them as R.City, Rock City or Planet VI, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands brothers Timothy and Theron Thomas have been behind the scenes producing and writing music for some of your favorite artists, from Janet Jackson to Rihanna and Nicki Minaj.
The duo are back in a big way, riding high on the Billboard hit “Locked Away” featuring popular crooner Adam Levine, which just got a fresh remix featuring Lil Wayne, and currently sits at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Add in the street smash “I’m That” featuring 2 Chainz (with its own remix featuring Beenie Man and Azealia Banks), and you’ve got some solid shots readying us for the release of R City’s much-anticipated album What Dreams Are made Of next month.
With the spotlight now on them as artists, the brothers have released an explosive mixtape set to warm up the situation even more. Hosted in tandem by DJ Slik and JAHLion Sound System, both originating from St. Croix, VI Ova Everything is a heated preemptive strike, displaying the lyrical prowess and vocal range R.City has become known for. Dj Slik and JAHLion, who previously connected with R City for 2014’s VI til We Die, have been making waves in their own right, both internationally and in the Atlanta metro region.
VI Ova Everything sees R.City in top form, letting loose over original tracks and remixes of some the hottest beats on the airwaves. Amidst the heavyweight guest appearances, there’s a real VI energy to the project, which includes Virgin Islands answer to Nicki Minaj and Lunch Money Lewis’ “Trini Dem Girls” (“VI Dem Girls”), a remix of VI rapper Prya’s “Back Home in A Dream” featuring Pressure Busspipe, and a version of Sisa’s Virgin Islands soca anthem “Shaylo” with VI-born R&B crooner Verse Simmonds.
VI Ova Everything is a solid body of work and will definitely keep us occupied til the official album release on Oct. 9th.