Here’s Tyler Thomas’ interview with XXL for The Break.

When Tyler Thomas, a former D1 football prospect in Southern California, got hurt during his senior year in high school, he didn’t think that his alternate career was "going to be a rapper.” He was terrified that all the time and effort he put in on the gridiron would be for naught and that he’d end up as an average kid with deflated dreams of making it to the NFL. With all the time he had on his hands after the injury, he began rapping in a garage with his friends. Since then, he’s been on the grind. The smooth flow and calm bounce of his tracks add allure past his love for the West Coast sound. With his new EP, Birds I View, dropping this month, Tyler Thomas is ready to shock the masses but bring calm vibes to their eardrums. Here’s Tyler Thomas’ interview with XXL for The Break.—Malik Turner

Name: Tyler Thomas

Age: 23

Hometown: Los Angeles

I grew up listening to: Tribe Called Quest, DJ Quik, and DMX. My whole family is from the East Coast, and my Mom is Puerto Rican, so Big Pun was major for me too. I think that’s where I get my whole style from- my flow is like that golden era, East Coast feel, mixed with the story telling and lifestyle of somebody like Quik or Ice Cube. I’m an L.A. kid, so that’s always going to be the point of view or perspective when I write music, but I’ve got that New York bounce in my blood.

My style’s been compared to: I’ve heard people say J. Cole, obviously I get compared to the other young LA artists. When my hair is long girls say I look like The Weeknd. But honestly, that’s not a conversation I devote much thought to. I know it’s a cliché answer, but I’m not worried about comparisons right now, I’m focused on making better music. If it gives the fans something to talk about, awesome, I’m honored to by compared to any musicians that I respect. But I’m still finding myself as an artist, so we’ll save that talk for later.

Most people don’t know I: That I’m really OCD about everything that I do. Like with music, I might have 4 verses written before I get to the one that you finally hear. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I catch a vibe and tear down a verse that only takes me 15 minutes. But I put a lot of work into the details of my new project. Sometimes I drive my team crazy because it takes forever to get the little things right, but I think it will be worth it for the listeners.

People also probably don’t know that I was a Division 1 football prospect. I’m not a big dude but I’m quick as hell. I got injured during my senior year and so once I was done playing ball, that’s when I started to focus on music. I didn’t really start rapping seriously until I was nineteen.

My standout records/moments to date have been: There are a handful of moments that I’m proud of, but my real standout moment is right around the corner. My new EP Birds I View is dropping later this month and I know this is the time when people are really going to start paying attention.

When my last project came out a couple years ago, it was a big moment at the time. It helped my career take a couple steps forward. I had a song on there with Logic that Vic Mensa hopped on later, which a lot of people heard. But that moment is important for me now, because that project taught me how much further had to go. I’ve raised the bar so much on every aspect of Birds I View; the writing, production, the visuals. The whole presentation is such a leap ahead of anything I was doing. Fall 2015 is going to be my moment.

My goal in hip-hop is: to touch my fans on a spiritual level and touch some Instagram models on a physical level. Psych, I’m playin’. Honestly, I think I’m still trying to figure parts of the question out. One thing I know is that I want a regular kid like me to listen to my music and feel a little more confident or empowered. Like it doesn’t matter if you’ve got one dollar in your pocket, you can still be that nigga.

Aside from that, I want a lot of the same things as many people in my position. I want to travel the world from my music. I want to be a career artist and build a real catalog. I think ultimately my goal would be to carve out my own space and musical identity that you can’t confuse with anyone else….I want to be one of the artists that helps to shape the future of this art form.

I’m gonna be the next: You know how there are a few times every year where you take a chance and click on a new artist you’ve never heard before, and you’re like ‘Oh damn, this is actually dope!’ ? And then 8 months later your homie tries to act like he fresh and play you that same dude you already tried to put him on? And then you have to remind your friend that he ain’t shit and this is YOUR new artist? Yeah….I want to be that next guy for everybody reading this interview.

Follow Tyler Thomas on Twitter, Instagram and check out his SoundCloud.

Standouts: "Alright Tho"

"Passport"

"Saab Story"

"I Got This" feat. Logic and Vic Mensa