Leon Thomas On New Single, 6 Grammy Noms And Wale Collab

During a recent conversation with DJ A&G, Leon Thomas opened up about how he’s balancing a busy tour schedule, a growing international fanbase, and the excitement of multiple Grammy nods — all without losing sight of the people who support him most. The singer, songwriter, producer and actor says performing for packed venues feels “even more meaningful” now that the Recording Academy has recognized his work.

He also discussed his latest single, “Yes, It Is” which he co-wrote and says pulls inspiration from real-life experiences and the stories of those closest to him.

From linking up with Wale in D.C. to preparing for upcoming dates in Europe and South Africa, Thomas remains focused on community. “After a 90-minute show, I’m still going to the after-party to connect with the supporters,” he shared. Between the “MUTT” remix with Chris Brown and recent collaborations like “Watching Us” with Wale, Thomas continues to show why he’s an artist built for longevity — and rooted in humility.

Earlier this year, he appeared on NPR’s Tiny Desk, and when the fam at Cassius wrote about it, they noted that Thomas got his start as a Disney kid and notably landed a role on the popular Issa Rae television show Insecure.

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With a few mixtapes under his belt, fans really began to take notice when he was credited with helping SZA develop her 2022 hit, ‘Snooze’ and also on Drake‘s Certified Lover Boy‘s sleepy track with Lil Durk and Giveon, ‘In The Bible.’

And now, with the release of his Mutt album being hailed as one of the best and most refreshing R&B projects of 2024, he graced the famous cubicle known as NPR’s Tiny Desk, much to NPR’s surprise, as the Washington, DC, area was facing a brutal snowstorm.

With a guitar strapped around his chest, he launched into compact 20-minute live performances with newer cuts like ‘Vibes Don’t Lie,’ ‘Yes It Is,’ and some sleepers from his 2023 Electric Dusk project like ‘Breaking Point’ and ‘Treasure In The Hills.’

Thomas scored big with his Billboard 100 hit “Mutt,” of which he told HuffPost, “I was nervous when we dropped [‘Mutt’] because, first off, a lot of the music wasn’t necessarily TikTok-coded. Some of the [songs] were pretty long and it was kind of fighting against the microwave generation culture of music that we’re in. But I knew for a fact that there were gonna be millions of people with my same taste buds, and I was hoping that the marketing would help find them.”

“I’m just happy to be here, to be honest with you. It’s nice to be invited to the party.”

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