Discovered by Janet Jackson at the age of 20, he was catapulted to worldwide fame for his groundbreaking choreography on Jackson’s album, “Rhythm Nation 1814.” An overnight sensation, Thomas’ Rhythm Nation 1814 tele-musical won a Grammy Award for Best Long-Form Music Video, an MTV Music Award for Best Choreography and the MTV Vanguard Award. The video is ranked on MTV and VH1’s lists of Greatest 100 Videos of all-time. His innovative gift of versatility and physical rhythm earned him an honored place in music history when he combined popping and locking for the first time. The marriage of these two forms of street dance changed the direction of hip-hop and created a standard of excellence in the world that has yet to be matched since “Rhythm Nation.”