1 minute read

GINA THOMPSON

First discovered by superstar producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, Gina Thompson debuted her first single, “The Things You Do (Bad Boy Remix)” featuring Missy Elliott, on Mercury Records/Universal Music Group. Her then cutting-edge R&B swing style - with an infectious hip-hop bounce and smile to boot - left you feeling like the world was yours. With Gina in your ear, you could conquer anything. “I loved singing in church because the act of singing to rhythms that moved me gave me a feeling that there was something much higher than myself,” Gina reminisces about her early roots in understanding who she still is today. Ultimately, this passion from within catapulted her on a journey far beyond her hometown in South Jersey where she forged a spot in 1990’s R&B music.

Moving on to Missy Elliott’s GoldMind/Elektra Records, Gina charted again with her playful girlfriend anthem “Ya Di Ya.” She also sang the lead single and title track rework of the 1955 Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers hit, “Why Do Fools Fall in Love”; then, Gina appeared on “You Bring the Sunshine,” a Babyface and Jon-John Robinson co-write for the NBA at 50.

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She also performed lead backing vocals to rap legend’s MC Lyte’s second highest charting single to date, “Cold Rock A Party.” Despite such a quick rise to the spotlight, there became the business of the music industry. Gina recalls,

Ultimately Gina would walk away from trying again, but that inner voice kept getting louder and louder. She is choosing once again to center her energies on the gift she was given, but this time on her own terms - because ultimately you can’t run away from who you are. WThe music industry is now changing, as it always does with new technologies. Web3 and digital collectibles (NFTs) delivered through the blockchain gives Gina the freedom to record and release limited edition songs that move her and offer her fans unique experiences they otherwise couldn’t receive through streaming alone. She is also coming home to a professional family who also shares similar values. “I chose technology startup Infanity, which is about music NFTs (non-fungible tokens), because they also have and value passion besides expertise, the same way I do.”

New plans for Gina are in the works with her guest feature on Baltimore-based premiere band, “The Leftovers” cover of “The Things That You Do” that catapulted Gina Thompson in the first place. Her new single, “Starving,” will be released with Infanity and will be available on other streaming platforms. Some people go their whole lives trying to figure out what they’re supposed to do. Others forcefully fit themselves in a box, faking their way through it. Gina Thompson knew earlier on what she was supposed to do, and went on a journey, but now she’s back.