Pan Amsterdam feat Leron Thomas

Before Leron Thomas became the left-field rapper Pan Amsterdam, he was a Houston jazz prodigy sharing classrooms with Robert Glasper, touring with Bilal and building a reputation as a trumpeter willing to wander far outside jazz's borders. In this episode of The Almanac of Rap, Thomas traces that journey from Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts to New York's jazz scene, and explains how listening to everyone from the Geto Boys and Busta Rhymes to David Bowie and Frank Zappa eventually made genre feel less like an identity than a suggestion. Leron Thomas breaks down:

• How touring with Tanya Morgan helped inspire his Pan Amsterdam alter ego

• Going from Robert Glasper's Houston classmate to Bilal's touring band

• How Iggy Pop discovered Pan Amsterdam and turned the connection into Free

• Why Busta Rhymes, Geto Boys and Southern rap influenced his jazz phrasing

• The creative tug-of-war between Leron Thomas, Pan Amsterdam and genre itself

🤳🏾 Got a question, comment or compliment? Leave a message today at 1-877-DONWILL (366-9455) It might just end up in an episode!🎙️

Follow Donwill for fun hip-hop history, cultural commentary, and more.

Substack: New Music Tuesdays

Instagram/Threads: @donwill

Mixcloud: Donwill

Website: Donwill.me

Follow: Leron Thomas 

Instagram:  @leronthomas98

Spotify:  Leron Thomas

Apple Music: ⁠ Pan Amsterdam

Created and hosted by two time Webby Award-winning host Donwill, The Almanac of Rap is produced by Okayplayer, a division of AREYA MEDIA Inc. Originally launched in 1999, Okayplayer is the original progressive music site and maintains its position as the premier digital destination for music and culture connoisseurs worldwide.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices