You might recognize Leon Thomas from his previous roles on Victorious or Insecure, but the multi-hyphenate creative is drawing more attention nowadays for his off-screen work. Thomas has carved out his lane in the music industry as a songwriter and producer, steadily rising toward R&B superstardom.
After signing with Ty Dolla $ign’s label, EZMNY Records, in 2022, Thomas quickly made waves, dropping hit after hit. His debut album, Electric Dusk, arrived in 2023, followed by MUTT in 2024, featuring chart-topping tracks like “YES IT IS” and the title song. MUTT even got him a shoutout from Keke Palmer, Issa Rae, and SZA (Insecure fans will know the lore of his relationship with Issa).
He recently went viral for his Tiny Desk concert on February 20, where he delivered a stunning live performance. Thomas played electric guitar, treating listeners to throwbacks like “Treasure in the Hills” and “Breaking Point. ” The performance channeled the soulful energy of legends like Marvin Gaye and Teddy Pendergrass. And in true entertainer fashion, he even braved a snowstorm to arrive 30 minutes early, according to NPR.
If his Tiny Desk performance made you a fan, you’d be surprised to know that he’s no newcomer to making hits. His list of songwriting credits is longer than a Ye tweetathon, including the Grammy-winning “Snooze” by SZA and “Pipe Down” by Drake. Below, we dive into his impressive songwriting résumé for hip-hop and R&B heavyweights.
Leon Thomas’ writing for Drake
You’ll see Thomas’ name in the writing credits for three songs off Drake’s 2021 album Certified Lover Boy. He’s also credited as a producer on each song except “Love All.”
- “Pipe Down”
- “Love All”
- “In The Bible”
Leon Thomas’ writing for Ye
Thomas contributed to multiple songs from Ye and Ty Dolla $ign’s Vultures era.
- “BURN”
- “SLIDE”
- “FOREVER ROLLING”
Leon Thomas’ writing for J. Cole
Leon Thomas’ writing for Nardo Wick
Leon Thomas’ writing for 6LACK
Thomas scored writing and production credits on 6LACK’s “Mean It” and “Rent Free” which are both from 2023.
