Sound is power and he's got it on lock...
It's been 5 years since I interviewed award-winning Producer and Musician/Drummer Dr. Antwan "Amadeus" Thompson Sr, Ph.D., and as expected, so much has happened! Did you notice the "Dr" in front of the name? We'll get to that. Keep on reading!
He hopped on the call in good spirits after a great gym session, which he shared is a key part of his lifestyle to keep the stress low and the happy hormones high.
"There's a lot of endless hours of working and sleepless nights. Over the years, I learned to have better control of stress. I don't let myself get burnt out or depressed."
He continued as he acknowledged Men's Mental Health Month "I didn't always know how to do that, but through therapy, remaining prayerful, and understanding my foundation in God, I learned to move with intention in all I do."
King Amadeus has been working hard, with intention, and the accolades are speaking for him. The last time Amadeus and I connected was in 2020 for his "Beat of His Own' article,e where he teased a possible book in him that he wanted to release. I asked, "What's next for Amadeus?"
He said, "I know there's a book in me, I'm not a writer so through the channels I've experienced and all the knowledge I have, I want to share my journey with the world." Today, that book, The Story of Amadeus: And the Beat Goes On has manifested.
Since then, he has also earned his honorary doctorate in Music and Entrepreneurship from Harvest Christian University based in Dallas, TX. So he is now Dr. King Amadeus, respectfully!
He is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from Joe Biden, was inducted into The Bronx Walk of Fame in 2024, and was honored with a Street sign in his name. The Boys and Girls Club of America alongside their partners The Cocoa Cola Company and Rock the Bells muralized Amadeus along with other prominent music pioneers such as D-Nice, Grandmaster Flash, Tuffy Questell, and Saraciea Fennell.
As a solopreneur, his company Platinum Boy Music continues to win awards and work with our favorite musicians. From collaborating with different producers to touring with Trey Songz and having the residency at Drais Night Club, Amadeus has been busy!
And outside of all of this, he still makes it his duty to pour into the youth. Throughout the school year, he hosts assemblies with the Department of Education to visit schools throughout New York City to encourage kids to achieve their dreams.
"A king has been working!", he said while laughing and being extremely grateful for all the recognition. "It's such a beautiful thing to be muralized, especially when you're alive to witness that and the street sign. It's been a blessing, I've been working really, really hard."
With an emphasis on the "I've" because when asked where he got the motivation, strength, and passion to accomplish all this, he mentioned his love for the hustle."
"I love working hard and going after whatever I envision, dream, or think of to accomplish."
And he does this all on his own. No manager. No publicist. No team. King Amadeus is doing all the work behind the scenes and the work in front of the crowds, too. He jokingly shared, "The only person on my team is my attorney."
King Amadeus knows the life he lives isn't a lucky chance. It's divine.
"My whole purpose is to play, perform, and encourage others to pursue their dreams. I try not to get too caught up in the accolades because there is still so much work to be done, and I always say the legacy continues."
Lately, he's been working hard pouring into New York City kids. So far this year, he has hosted more than 10 school assemblies and was tapped to give six commencement speeches at graduations. "It's a God-given gift and talent. It's a calling in my life. I use my platform to make sure I'm being a blessing to others. I don't take for granted that kids listen, respect and trust me and I can pour into them and encourage them to follow their dreams."
He reminisced on when he was a kid and the core memory of loving music.
"I remember growing up in the projects in The Bronx and the weekends were for cleaning up the house. On Saturday mornings, my mom would play Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Salt-N-Pepa, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five. I fell in love with hip hop. Music is a lifesaver and a blessing for me. My parents were kind of strict, and music was the only yes I would get when I wanted to go out. Music gave me an outlet to become who I am today."
25 years later, Amadeus has contributed so much to the music industry. He's produced for Jennifer Lopez, Chris Brown, 50 Cent and more. In his book The Story of Amadeus: And the Beat Goes On he shares the sentimental moments of falling in love with music and what it took to become a Multi-Platinum Producer. He shared, "It's a 26-page book with visually appealing pictures. I'm not much of a reader, but I wanted to leave the kids with something tangible after the school assemblies that is short, sweet and encouraging."
But he's not done yet. "I'm going to rock these drums until I can't do it no more! I will do everything I do musically until I can't do it anymore', he said enthusiastically.
When I asked him what's in store for the rest of this monumental 25th year in his career, he said "A lot of music is being worked on now between well-known and new artists. But I can't say with whom because one thing I learned in my 25 years of producing... DON'T TALK ABOUT NOTHING UNTIL IT IS OUT."
Nonetheless, he did share that before the year is over, he wants to produce music with Rick Ross, Usher, Beyoncé, Kirk Franklin, and Mario. He's also looking forward to working with kids all around the world and possibly writing part two of his book!
As a father himself, he honored all the fathers for Father's Day and acknowledged June is Men's Mental Health Month as well as Music Appreciation Month. Lastly, as the encouragement king himself, he finished our conversation with this "God is so amazing, you never know the type of doors or opportunities he will open up."
— Photos by Natanael Robles - Stateo.Monk Photography. Keep up with all things King Amadeus on Instagram @amadeuspbm and see him perform live at Drai's Nightclub in Las Vegas.
