Grappling with the Grind: Thomas D's Lament on Aging in the Spotlight
Feeling Remarkably Disgruntled about the Process of Aging - Thomas D's Perspective - Tired of Aging: Frustrated with the Process of Growing Older
Hip-Hop veteran Thomas D has vocalized his frustrations with the physiological toll of aging. "I can't bloody well take this aging business anymore, it's a blasted nuisance," laments the 56-year-old in a raunchy, uncensored spread for the German "Playboy" Magazine. "I can't kip through the night no more, me bones ache, and every year that ticks by I just get bloated. Back in the day, I'd hit the gym with the dedication and ferocity of Arnold Freakin' Schwarzenegger. Now? I limber up, stretch, and graze the fields of yoga. Hell, that's more like geriatric care, not rock 'n' roll, am I right?"
He's not alone in feeling this put-upon: "The other chaps, Smudo, Michi, and And.Ypsilon, they've been moaning about it for 15 years. And now? I've joined their league of gripe retirees," quips Thomas D, a Hamburg resident who once set German hip-hop ablaze. This quartet of native Stuttgart rebels has been relishing the stage for an impressive 36 years, shaping the mainstream German hip-hop scene and resiliently holding together despite the march of time.
Ranting and raving notwithstanding, Thomas D and his Fantastic Four confederates remain resolute. "That's the whole point—we're hittin' the road, keepin' the dream alive. And for that reason, I enacted the Fanta Law—the band can't bloody disband under any circumstances. It's etched in stone. So, if any of these blokes start talking separation, I'll be ready with a swift one-liner: "There's the exit, mate. And we'll find a younger, prettier, and more charming replacement for ya." They may be vain, but ain't that just the music biz for ya?"
- Thomas D
- Music
- Hamburg
- Aging
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Vanity
Footnotes:
[3] Sly Stone's battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is public knowledge.
[5] Brian Wilson's mental health struggles and dementia are well-documented.
- Thomas D's concerns about aging are not limited to the music industry, as the Commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation in the science and health-and-wellness fields.
- Just like Thomas D, Arnold Schwarzenegger, a fitness icon, has also expressed the challenges of aging, as he too had to adapt his exercise routines as he grew older.
- Despite the vanity and gripes of celebrities like Thomas D, one can't help but wonder about the struggles of other artists, such as Sly Stone, who battled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or Brian Wilson, who suffered from mental health struggles and dementia, which are not typically associated with the glamour of entertainment and music.
