Young survivor LaVon “Prince” Thomas tells Nestor about the importance of the National Kidney Foundation and the story of his infancy transplant and love of music – all music. Meet this old soul and young prince before the Kidney Walk on Sunday, September 10th in Catonsville. Learn more here about the event and all that benefits the National Kidney Foundations Serving Maryland and Delaware.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
dj, kidney, years, national kidney foundation, people, play, spinning, september, music, ravens, talk, tunes, belt buckles, young, fresh prince, man, grew, love, song, hip hop
SPEAKERS
Nestor Aparicio, LaVon Prince Thomas
Nestor Aparicio 00:01
W N st Towson, Baltimore and Baltimore positive or positively taking the show out on the road. We’re going to be at Pappus on the 29th with Andrew county executive Steuart Pittman, also going to be joined by our former longtime producer Ray Bachman on our 25th anniversary on brought to you by our friends at the Maryland lottery scratching them off. They’re celebrating 50 years we’re celebrating 25 years. We’ll also be at fade Lee’s on the 15th of September, with Coppin State Head Basketball Coach Larry Stewart, my old pal stew, as well as compensate President Dr. Anthony Jenkins, who is a repeat offender to this program. We’ll be doing that fadeless at the old Lexington market also going on in September, not just an Oreo pennant race, not just the Ravens go play some some football but we also have the National Kidney Foundation, doing their annual kidney walk and it’s happening actually the same day the Ravens season begins it is on September the 10th. It is during the day that day. So if you’re not going to the Ravens game, and they’re gonna be Houston anyway, we all know that Lamar is gonna get us off to a good start. We hope that you participate. I love telling these stories. This young man doesn’t know that my wife is a two time bone marrow transplant survivor from 10 years ago, but he is a kidney transplant survivor. This happened to very young age young, talented musician, women when they send me this kid and he’s spinning tunes. And he looks the part I mean, it looks like a DJ I’m gonna hire but more than that you were in the old school throwback, Dr. Jay road read six or six. I said I gotta have that guy on. He is the the young Fresh Prince. I remember the old Fresh Prince who I also had on this program about 30 years ago. We welcome him in to talk about all things kidney transplant in the walk. First off man as a music career Gollum is 17 years old, you got your whole life in front of you to play this music
LaVon Prince Thomas 01:49
was going on. So I am young, fresh Prince. Music was going good. You know, I dealt with that one and producing a little bit and you know, as you said, from the lottery that they’re celebrating 50 years from fact we’re celebrating 50 years of hip hop. Not too long ago on August 11, we celebrated the 50th anniversary, HIPAA.
Nestor Aparicio 02:08
You know, I know about these things. Because I remember Run DMC for back in the day and Sugar Hill gang. Actually, at some point, we were supposed to have one of the Sugar Hill gang members on so I’m holding out hope that that will happen at some point. But so when you’re 17, and you celebrate 50 years of hip hop, and I hear that you’ve worked with the guys from naughty by nature, because I don’t remember when opp came out, you know, I remember hip hop or eight came out, I was a DJ, my hair is not as good as yours, but I got pretty good hair. Let me let my hair down here. And I’ll show you I got a little bit of rock and roll going on here. So back in the day, when like naughty by nature in the 90s when all stuff was coming out, I was spinning tunes to you know, before you were around.
LaVon Prince Thomas 02:52
New Kids on a black type of thing there they Yeah, no,
Nestor Aparicio 02:55
no, no, it’s not by level if I let it out. It’s more Paul Stanley kiss maybe 81 Yeah, yeah, yeah, it’s more 80s hair than it is anything Yeah, it’s 80s rock hammer Jacks guy back in the day. So when when a young guy like you talk to hip hop, and the whole world is your oyster right? Everything Chase anything current. What’s What’s your flavor? What is a 17 year old? Young DJ what appeals to you to want to spin?
LaVon Prince Thomas 03:24
See, I love the classics. You know, I grew up listening to the classes like the Fat Boys. And Dan Dan, you know what I’m saying? Like my first hip hop song I ever knew was the Fat Boys Are Back so I used to be boxing be known germs and pretend like I’m you know, cool Raskin, Prince Marquis de. So I always grew up with hip hop, and Slick Rick, Dougie fresh. So
Nestor Aparicio 03:46
that’s my era. Why How can a shepherd but you know what, I see people you’re reaching out more of a rock guy. Everybody that listens knows that. But I see young people into whatever the chili peppers, histone Springsteen, whatever your music is, that it is touching the next generation. It warms my soul to think that you’re mentioning all this music that I grew up on.
LaVon Prince Thomas 04:09
Yeah, it’s it’s crazy how a 17 year old kid you know all this music in his head because I still get constantly How do you know all this music I just grew up on like slick, Rick, I know all the words, the chosen story and all of this. It’s crazy.
Nestor Aparicio 04:24
Do you listen to current stuff? Or no, no, listen,
LaVon Prince Thomas 04:26
I listen to current stuff I listen to little baby Drake all that I’m a listener.
Nestor Aparicio 04:31
Okay, so so so you are current? Listen, I have you want to talk about the miracle that you are. I want to let you tell your story because I can read from the press release and talk about your family talk about your background, but you’re healthy and you’re giving back to something that you don’t really have a recollection off, correct.
LaVon Prince Thomas 04:51
Yeah. So when I was born, I was born with prune belly syndrome, which causes kidney failure. And so when I was about 11 months old, my mother actually We donated her kidney to me. So I have my mother’s kidney inside of me right now. That’s amazing. I know it sounds wild, but it’s
Nestor Aparicio 05:07
belly syndrome. I’m not a doctor, I’m not gonna play one right now. So you have to tell me what prune belly syndrome is all about.
LaVon Prince Thomas 05:14
I don’t know too much. I remember my mom speaking of it. And it’s, it’s, it’s, I can’t even remember what it was. But I know it’s like, serious.
Nestor Aparicio 05:26
Well, for you all these years later, you had a you had your how old? 11 months old? So all these years later, what, what is I guess you don’t know another life? Like, I lost my finger when I was three. And people ask me all the time. What’s it like to not have a finger? And I’m like, I was three. I’m 54. You know? Like, I it’s just the way it’s always been for you. Any other medical things that get in your way? All these years later? Are you? Would anybody never know that it ever happened other than maybe a scar?
LaVon Prince Thomas 05:59
Well, yeah, maybe they didn’t know, they really want to know other than a scar. Because literally, I have I got approved. So I got scars on my stomach. And you know, growing up, I had to go to the doctor’s office multiple times throughout the year, you know, get blood drawn and all that. So people wouldn’t really know I had it on. So I explained it to them, like, oh, yeah, I have this. So it’s like, oh, yeah, I just look like normal, ordinary kid.
Nestor Aparicio 06:22
Well, then you show up on things like this. And when people ask, I guess you’re spinning tunes and making people happy. And you’ve spun tunes all throughout the Mid Atlantic region, I will let you talk about your DJ work. And I knew more about your love of music, but people wouldn’t ask you unless you bring it up. But you clearly brought attention to this. You’re participating, you’re giving back you’re trying to figure out the awareness and obviously showing some gratitude for your own good fortune to to have a mother that is donated and that everything worked out, okay. My wife’s life was saved by a man in Germany, on the bone marrow registry. She was diagnosed in 2014 with leukemia, and needed to go out on the registry. So I think it’s different when it’s your mom, but obviously, for you to speak out about this. And if this isn’t your first kidney walk on September 10, you’ve done this before, right? I did it last year. I did it last year, don’t want to tell me about the day to invite everybody out and why this is important to you.
LaVon Prince Thomas 07:15
Oh, it’s an amazing time we go out we have fun. There’s different vendors out there. We celebrate kidney health, we celebrate with friends and family. So it’s a wonderful event. And I’ve also spinnin records that you can just laugh.
Nestor Aparicio 07:31
Hold on. You’re the DJ of this thing. Yeah. Oh, now obviously, it’s all coming together. For me. It’s at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. We call that UMBC. Here over Catonsville, I call that the Ville young prince. You can walk with everybody your walk, builds hope for a future without suffering for every person in the fight. And if you’re with the folks at the tune of 2023 Maryland kidney walk I’m reading right from the website cuz I’m GOOD like that. You’ll let others know they’re not alone, unable to attend because you’re like you’re going to the Ravens game, you got to tailgate or whatever. You can go out to kidney walk.org/maryland. Learn about things you can register. You could put a group together to do you have a group, young,
LaVon Prince Thomas 08:11
you have a team, I got a team where to DJ young, fresh prints, and we’re raising money up to $1,600.
Nestor Aparicio 08:17
Okay, so what do they have to do to do this? They have to just come in and dance and walk basically, right?
LaVon Prince Thomas 08:22
Yeah. And if you can’t come, you know, you can still donate. And link is in my bio on my instagram at DJ young, fresh prints.
Nestor Aparicio 08:30
So let’s say that again, you’re, you’re going through the theta D. J. young, fresh prints on Instagram. Yep, that’s homepage for you. Yep. I would encourage everybody to try to help out here. Come on, how far is this walk? Like I didn’t know.
LaVon Prince Thomas 08:45
Ah, I don’t even know because I’ll be spinning. Walk in man. I get into my zone. And then once I get into my zone, I tune everything out. And I started
Nestor Aparicio 08:58
this is a very important generational question, because I’ve deejay hundreds of weddings, parties. Bar Mitzvahs, I did this back in the early 90s when my hair was long the first time. This is COVID here, so are you DJing for the crowd there are you DJing for yourself, but thinking like they’re gonna like the music, I’m spinning.
LaVon Prince Thomas 09:21
I DJ for not only me but the crowd because I can see what the crowd is feeling I can get in and I can feel off their energy and how they’re feeling. And I like to spend everything so I can play a little bit of this and blended with that because I like to blend old new different genres together so I can blend this that and then they’ll go crazy.
Nestor Aparicio 09:42
Man, you kids DJ and I get let me tell you and this isn’t me just be an old alright, because I’m sure your mother told you. She walked up hill when it snowed six feet barefoot every day. But as a DJ, I would always say I’ll play for free. You’re paying me to lug the equipment. And I went through this with my buddy Josh Levine who did The show a couple months ago, he is a DJ, my electro DJ, he’s an awesome guy does a lot of a bar mitzvahs and bar mitzvahs. And we were talking about this about the equipment in 1993, that I had to lug these PV 1502 speakers that weighed about 65 pounds each. And they were these giant crates, and I had to put them on these giant universal stands. And I had to pack all of the CDs. You know what a CD is? Yeah. I know, I saw you spinning turntable. But I had to take all the CDs in these toolboxes to weddings, parties, bars, and like everywhere bars, I did it everywhere. Write music now, like it’s on the internet. If I come up and say to you, I want the 12 inch mix of eight wonders, Sugar Hill, can you play it? You just like hit your little phone, your little gadget. And next thing you know, you’re mixing that in with by you know, I don’t know, Run DMC. Right, or, or beastie boy or whatever I asked you to play right? Basically. Yeah, there’s nothing I request that you can’t play.
LaVon Prince Thomas 11:08
There’s Well, unless it’s like, something that’s an art like a certain artists did. Or like something that people don’t really play because of a situation that yeah,
Nestor Aparicio 11:20
I understand. I mean, I get that. But the world is your whole library. I guess my point is, somebody would come up and ask for something wacky. And I’d be like, I don’t have that. DJ, you never have to say, I don’t have it. You say I’m not playing that. But you have the ability to play. And that’s way different than my day where people come up with crazy requests. They’re like, maybe I won’t even want to honor but you couldn’t have every song.
LaVon Prince Thomas 11:45
Yeah, you can’t have every song. And you know, unfortunately, with DJ now, I, whenever I do parties, I play towards the people that pay me the people that booked me for the show. And if you know, they want to request all right, cool. And if like if there’s a song that somebody wants, and it flows when I’m doing Yeah, I can add it in there. But if it’s not flowing, then I can probably put it in later, but I can’t put it on next song. I can put it in there later.
Nestor Aparicio 12:15
So what’s something you play every night or a couple songs or a mix that you make that you can look at me, right? You can see up? I’m not hip, but I’m relatively cool. There. You almost I’m trying I don’t want to be too hip, you know, because then then you flame out when you get to hip. I was there. 20 years ago, I was a little too we had been I flamed out. So tell me what you will play like, what’s what’s going to be on the menu, people come out to the kidney walk on the tents. They forget the Ravens game or they just, you know, bet on their app and follow it along and they’re there to help you help the National Kidney Foundation raise money, awareness, what is definitely going to be played that day.
LaVon Prince Thomas 12:55
I will play everything and we’ll play some Justin Timberlake. Used to be all right. Let me see. Because, you know, for me, I like to grab. I like to grab maybe 15 songs from each genre, put it in a crate and go and Okay. So I like to put like maybe Justin Timberlake some maybe Meghan Trainor, and I’ll go new school. Maybe some little baby or a little bit of Drake and then I’ll take it back to like disco with some Beegees fire and then I can mix that in with some rock him you phone I’m saying she may
Nestor Aparicio 13:43
you shake beaches. I gotta go get my BGS belt buckle now you’re talking my language now. Right?
LaVon Prince Thomas 13:48
Yeah, so I’ll take it back there. And then I’ll probably take it to some house because you know, I’m from Chicago.
Nestor Aparicio 13:53
I teach 77 Right here, man on the back of the Pacific Abell boy, I collect these specific belt buckles. So when you said beat us, it gives me a chance to break it out. You know, so five, five requests. Like I’m just trying to figure out what I got here. Like so five requests Stevie Wonder and I want to hear sir Duke. Well, you mix that in.
LaVon Prince Thomas 14:08
Yeah, I could probably mix that in for you. I can mix that he
Nestor Aparicio 14:12
told me you know if you don’t have time for Stevie Wonder I’m not coming. We always guys have this check in man. I’m just checking. I’m just checking. So last week and I’m trying to find all my proper belts here. So here’s an example of what I did last week. I want to see Lionel Richie at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore. And the one of my favorite band earth when a fire open up so if I asked you play well, serpentine fire or little fantasy, or even September you play some September for me, right? Yeah, I’ll
LaVon Prince Thomas 14:42
play September because I really September. I made a beat off in September. So I’m gonna play some time because it’s in September, so why not play it when it says September.
Nestor Aparicio 14:51
I love this kid. He is the DJ young, fresh prince. He is a kidney transplant recipient. He’s got a hell of a story to tell about being 11 years old with though with this affliction that I don’t understand he had and he barely understands prune belly syndrome. Again, everybody out there googling it right now, the big event is on the 10th of September. It is the National Kidney Foundation kidney walk. It happens every year. This year. It’s happening on the first day of ravens season especial it starts at nine in the morning. So even if you’re going to the game, you get there early on the way and it’s at UMBC right in the circle of Catonsville. And the DJ will be there spinning, you know, your musical selections are making they’re they’re making my audience flocked to Kingsville on the 10th Because you’re playing some good music, man. So where else can people come out and catch you? And I get you play private parties. I mean, you played a lot of different you played up in New Jersey that you get hired out, man.
LaVon Prince Thomas 15:44
Yeah, I played in Jersey with kg and rock from naughty by nature. That was a real blessing. And they invited me out to do their virtual HIePRO dialect event. Like Metaverse, they didn’t have a whole Metaverse room. So I opened it up for them. They had like a metal concert. So it was really cool. So
Nestor Aparicio 16:03
everybody loved naughty by nature today. I mean, really? Yeah. Everybody loves him. So you, you hang out with them. You’re hanging out with good group.
LaVon Prince Thomas 16:11
Yeah, it’s a blessing. It’s a blessing. Because I remember like years ago, me and my dad, we used to be singing to film the flow, and opp and all of that. And I made me Yeah, yeah, I made one video. And I posted on Instagram, and I made a blend with naughty. And then, like, weeks later, they saw it and I was like, cool. That’s cool. And my DJ teacher Nick, nice shout out to her. She’s, she’s amazing. She helped me out through all of this. She got like a virtual meetup with them. And she put me on there. So they recognized who I was. And then they sent me some music from one of their artists and then now and then I remix that artists and now that is the official phenomenon remix for hilltops logos in detail and fresh prints and it was through resin.
Nestor Aparicio 17:02
Are you sure you’re 70? Yeah, I’m
LaVon Prince Thomas 17:05
17. I was born in 2006. Yeah. Now I’m
Nestor Aparicio 17:08
not the last guy that are the first guy to tell you. You’re an old soul. Right?
LaVon Prince Thomas 17:11
I got we always say I got those order. No. Hi, go.
Nestor Aparicio 17:15
All right. Well, I’m gonna we’re gonna get in on a chance. Go out to kidney walk.org/maryland. Learn about the National Kidney Foundation in the kidney walk and saving the lives of special people like you young man, DJ young, fresh Prince and show. Did you watch Fresh Prince of Bel Air to get
LaVon Prince Thomas 17:34
Fresh Prince of Bel Air? That’s that’s that’s no question. I grew up watching Fresh Prince. I used to be saying all the lines. Like I’d be saying that my mom would be like Pascal, I got that from Fresh Prince. I’ll be saying that, like every day. So I grew up watching Fresh Prince. And it’s blessing because years ago, I went to Jazzy Jeff concert. And so one of his artists, Dean Jordan. He was like, Hey, have you met Jeff yet? He was like, have you met Jeff yet? I was like, No, he was like, come on. And I was like, wait, what? So he told me backstage I met Jeff completely. I mean, a Jazzy Jeff. So then, a day later, he’ll follow me on Instagram. And he’s watched me ever since. And I’m like, bro, this is crazy.
Nestor Aparicio 18:14
You’re leading a great life. I tell you, you’re gonna be a superstar. I can’t believe you’re 17 I mean, that’s kind of the crazy part of all this. But yeah, DJ, I mean, parents just don’t understand came out in 88 I was at the beach. And we were and I know you’ll find it’s hard to believe there wasn’t an internet then. So if you wanted to learn the words to the song, like write them down. So we literally there was some beer involved and we were not of legal age. I shouldn’t be telling you that but this is 1988 and it’s a long time ago. So we wrote down the words of parents just don’t understand because we love the song so so if I request that you would play that too. Are they really all that hip hop you though you you probably want more summertime? Yes, something more? Right?
LaVon Prince Thomas 18:58
So my time is slowly coming to an end but I’ll probably play it just to close out to some of the time you know as far as starts to hit,
Nestor Aparicio 19:04
summer never ends brother summer never ends September 10 National Kidney Foundation in the kidney walk saving the lives of my new friend and my new house DJ here Lavon Prince Thomas, better known as as it says right on the screen DJ young Fresh Prince. Hey man, we’ll see you on the 10th I’m glad you’re doing well. I love talking music with you. I love to taste the music. And at some point I’m going to come out and let my hair down and dance a little bit how about that all right.
LaVon Prince Thomas 19:31
Now that lets you whip your hair. You can
Nestor Aparicio 19:33
play something good man. Yeah, you know what if I if I were if I requested let it whip by from the seventh he said put ban was let it whip was that dance? I think it was dad’s let it when you got that one.
LaVon Prince Thomas 19:49
Yeah, I got down I got that was saved. Do you
Nestor Aparicio 19:52
so you know all the songs. I get come out and have you do all 70s Disco 70s funk
LaVon Prince Thomas 19:59
OG. To take it to we want the phone guy could take it to James Brown. I could take it to BGS I could take it so I have players fire. I could take it to Abba I could take it everybody.
Nestor Aparicio 20:12
Alright man, I’m bringing my belt buckles we’re gonna go spin up everybody get out and support this great cause the National Kidney Foundation. I talk about it all the time. Sunday happens every year. So does the kidney walk. This is on September the 10th find them at kidney walk.org. You can find me at Pappas Glenburnie on the 29th We’re gonna be interviewing in animal county executive Steuart Pittman. I’m looking forward to spending some time with him. It’s been a little while since the beginning of the plague and on the crabcake tour we had a Moto G and M years ago now. So it’d be good to catch up with him also on the 15th. We are at fade Lee’s in Lexington market with our compensate crew and our partnership with eagles. We are the flagship for the basketball program. And of course Larry Stewart who is no stranger to this program. Coming back on that is September 15. It’s all brought to you by the Maryland lottery in conjunction with our friends at window nation I am Nestor we are wn st am 1570, Towson Baltimore, man I’m gonna be listening nothing but Hip Hop beginning from here Grandmaster Flash is coming up next. Back for more right after this
