Meet Solomon Dobbs

We had the good fortune of connecting with Solomon Dobbs and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Solomon, why did you pursue a creative career?
Growing up I wasn’t the most well behaved kid. My father owned strip clubs growing up and to the best of his ability tried to make sure I stayed in a child place. Even with these precautions I still found my self Imitating the things I saw both in the clubs and outside amongst my friends. In short you can say that I was far being myself. In 7th grade I heard of a school called DSA which stood for Dekalb school of the arts. I didn’t think much of it at first especially when I was told you had to audition to get in I never thought I would make it into something like that. After all the only thing I could compare the school too was victorious which in a way was similar but for from the televised depiction of arts schools. Even though I’d been introduced to playing guitar and piano from a young age I never saw the value in it because of the environment I was in. The following summer I attended an alliance theater summer camp where I became apart of the theater for young audiences troop. I had participated in the camp before but this year we put together actual productions. The first time i was there we did a rendition of the red badge of courage this time we were doing “tuck ever lasting” where i played Jesse tuck. I remember it so vividly, running out in to the warm tungsten lights in the black box. I wasn’t a larger crowd but it was enough to give me nervous gas. But the moment i stepped on stage I felt so free in way I never had before. When I was in 8th grade I had an Epiphany about my life. If I kept behaving the way I was I may never be able to experience that feeling again. I’d end going to my home school and either dead or in jail because of my actions and attitude. Because of this I decided change my ways

I wasn’t an “A” student, or a basketball player, or even the class line leader. Girls never seemed to like me, and I didn’t fit in with the boys. My sports IQ was less than stellar. It wasn’t until eighth grade that I came out of my shell and began to understand the hard work, discipline, and dedication that success demands.
  When I began middle school, I was focused on trying to impress my peers. Involved with the wrong crowd, I wanted to fit in. I tried out for the basketball team – wasn’t tall enough. I tried for football – wasn’t large enough. I did gain a place on the track team where everyone who couldn’t make the other teams wound up.
I loved making people laugh and smile. I still do. I never saw a problem with that; however, teachers would often tell my parents that the classroom was not the place for me to practice my stand-up routine. They said I needed to find an outlet, and then maybe I would stop acting up in class. I’d already been playing piano and guitar, but that clearly wasn’t enough, so, in eighth grade, I made the decision that I didn’t want to go to the same high school as the majority of my peers. Here’s why.
One day, after school, I passed my history classroom. I was mesmerized by the game the students in the class were playing. My history teacher, who was not a big fan of my stand-up, was also the drama teacher. Although I was not very fond of her then, she came to play a pivotal role in my passion for the performing arts. 
The next day I asked a friend what they were doing in the classroom. She told me it was the drama club meeting and the game they were playing was called Bing Freeze. She said I should consider joining. I did. I dropped track and joined the drama club. It was not long before false rumors of me being a “lame queer” began to surface. What difference would it make if I were?  I didn’t care. 
One day when in the restroom, my former track teammates walked in, surrounded me, and began to tease me about being in the drama club. They jumped me and left me injured in a pool of blood and piss. I picked myself up, looked at my busted lip, bloody nose, and split-open fist. At that moment I understood that I have the confidence and courage to stand up inside myself and deal with whatever life may bring my way. My passion for the performing arts is unshakable. In overcoming my fears I would find myself, and a deeper understanding to what life really holds, through theater. 
Since then I have performed at the Alliance Theater, the Junior Thespian Conference, ThesCon, Georgia Theater Conference, the Southeastern Theater Conference and I’ve had the opportunity to work with multiple production companies most recently  for two seasons as a standin for the lead character for a starz drama series.  I have trained in Commedia dell ’arte, method acting, and the teachings of Stanislavski – and maintain a 3.0+-grade point average while attending morehouse college as a theater major. 
I enjoy working with people, and I am very thankful for the many people who have helped me along my path.  I think that the arts allows us to look at the layers of society from different perspectives. 

For me when I create art I’m moving what’s is the blind to the open. For my self and other because all I can do is be the change I wanna see.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m still on the journey of understanding my art. When I first started off there was a lot of Imitation. The first film I made was shot on a psp camera with my friend Malik resse it’s called “brick hit and can still be found on YouTube today. I dream of playing Myles Morales and I know me a Donald would kill it.

I started recording music without adults with my best friend Treston rush aka hippi. My first stage name was shaolin diamonds and I got it from the wutang generator. But something about it didn’t hit. One day I remember my father telling me to pick a color to associate with my brand that wasn’t gang affiliated. So after a while I settled on the color pink. I didn’t wanna be called pink so after returning to the drawing board I came up with pinkskyz. And I chose this because I feel as though everyone always find such fascination in the sky when it’s pink and I believe that Im just as fascinating and fleeting at the same time. Even with this new found understanding I still didn’t feel complete with my discovery I felt as though there was a part of me that was not being covered. That when I added tab or the affluent bum to my stage name. Bum is an acronym for being of underestimated mentality as I often felt as though people underestimated my capabilities upon first meeting me. I also felt as though this gave the name a grounding that it didn’t have before
“PINKSKYZ THE AFFLUENT BUM” or “PINKSKYZtab”

My brand is not extremely fabricated or clean it’s about real and authentic experiences and feelings.

As I stated earlier when I create art I’m moving what’s in the blind and hidden to the open, so that we as viewers are able to access and understand the unknown.

This was not an easy place to get to after all art is subjective and at the same time you have to follow certain rules to make sure a viewer can digest the content.

It also hasn’t been easy for me due to the fact that I resemble Donald glover aka childish Gambino.

Imagine going to an arts where you think you’re about to discover who you are and the first thing you’re hit with is a comparison of a former alumni for your school. It not a bad thing I love his art and honestly look up to him and would love form him to be my mentor. But in this comparison I felt extremely confined to what I could be as an artist which is what my show I’m not childish Gambino focuses on.

Being where I am now
I’m contemplating my place in the industry.
The hours are long
Sometimes the pay isn’t that grate
And there are people who are sick and honestly just “mean miserable cruel fucks who are just power hungry fucks itching to shoot you down”
In all this I know I love art and want to tell stories that haven’t been thought of before but in all I just wanna be that change I wanna see for young black people in America.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m and outside person and I don’t really enjoy clubs because of my background

More then likely we’d hang at my crib a do some outside activities

Like kayaking, snowboarding in a different state of course hiking
Camping

Indoors
I enjoy painted duck
Underground Atlanta

But I’m extremely impulsive so you may never know what’s gonna happen but know you’re gonna have a good time and do things you may have never done before

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are a ton of people the deserve credit in my story.

-first and foremost it all glory to god. I’m thank for ever blessing and challenge he has sent my way.

-my parents taught what I should and shouldn’t be

-Ms osbe, Ms woodbine, & Mr Taylor were angles disguised as teachers that watched over me during my time in elementary school.

-Ms. Joy hammond helped my find my purpose in life (acting and telling stories)

-Kenneth Robison help me hone my craft and gave me the tools I’d need to get in dsa without him I’m sure if I would have made it.

-Mr yawn help me grow my confidence in writing and grammar also helped me understand that life is not always as serious as we make it

-Dr.hunt taught me consistency in presentation and to review my works and create my work with intention

-dean William and Candace lambert taught that is not about what you look but how you feel.

-Mr. Henner taught me that we’ve all got problems, but it’s about how you solve them

-Drew Patton taught me that we can look and come from completely different backgrounds and still connect as one. That we are all every age at once tucked inside or selves like Russian nesting dolls.

-my uncle phill gave me the gift of sight. I would have never gotten to the place I am now in film without him.

-Lamar Williams taught me that every opportunity is not necessarily a good one.

-my uncle Roger taught me to go out on a high note. And not to let others tell you that you can’t do something.

-Odgen bass and Anthony Wilson saw my potential and in the smallest ways had the biggest impact on me and helped me keep going.

And there are so many more people that have contributed to my story if I was to list them all I’d be going on forever

I think that ever encounter we make have a purpose wether it’s good or bad we learn something because no matter what no two people think alike we all have different Nero linguistic programming.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pinkskyz?igsh=d29meDczNTBlZTky

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/solomon-dobbs-b00251289?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/nSXe4RgedwwVwqPA9

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@pinkskyztab.?si=Iso7sbz385K9IUcV

Other: https://youtube.com/@egeglobalentertainment?si=cVYXvh1X8aBcpbN9 

Image Credits
N/a