Everyone Wants to Work With Leon Thomas – LeslyNewsMagazine

Ariana Grande’s 2013 debut album, Yours Actually, not solely marked a seminal breakthrough for the previous Nickelodeon actress, however it additionally helped launch the careers of its creators behind the scenes. A decade later, two of these acts are taking middle stage on the Grammy Awards.

Victoria Monét co-wrote two songs on Grande’s debut and has written on each Grande album since. She’s competing for a whopping seven Grammys, together with greatest new artist and file of the 12 months with “On My Mama.” Leon Thomas, who starred on the Nick sitcom Victorious alongside Grande, co-wrote and co-produced 4 tracks on Yours Actually, and he’ll probably add Grammy winner as a prefix to his title. SZA’s megahit “Snooze,” which Thomas co-produced, is the frontrunner in the most effective R&B tune class.

“I respect everyone who was concerned in [Ariana’s first] undertaking. To this present day, we’re all very shut and actually look out for one another,” Thomas tells THR. “This trade’s virtually like a highschool — no person’s going anyplace, which is dope — and it’s simply very nice to see everyone evolve and develop.”

Profitable a Grammy has been high of Thomas’ thoughts for the previous 18 months: “At present on my telephone, I’ve an image of a Grammy as my lock display. Each time I verify the time, I see it.”

Manifestation has labored for him — however he’s additionally put within the work. On his personal and as half of the songwriting-production duo The Rascals, with Khristopher Riddick-Tynes, Thomas has written and produced for Drake, Submit Malone, Chris Brown, Zendaya, Jack Harlow, Meghan Trainor, Toni Braxton, Ty Dolla $ign, 6lack, Ella Mai, Kehlani, Giveon, Jessie Reyez and legendary singer-songwriter-producer Babyface, who has been a mentor. Thomas even earned his first Grammy nomination, for greatest rap tune, on the 2020 present for co-writing Rick Ross and Drake’s “Gold Roses.”

However music is only one of his many skills: He began his profession as a preteen on Broadway, showing in The Lion King, The Shade Purple and Caroline, or Change. And his performing credit embrace Insecure, August Rush, Detroit and Rising Stars.

In an interview, Thomas discusses his work on SZA’s “Snooze,” Drake’s humorous demeanor and eventually releasing his debut album.

While you meet individuals, do they put the items collectively and acknowledge that you simply’re André from Victorious, Eddie from Insecure and in addition a singer-songwriter-producer?

It’s fascinating you say that. I used to be in Atlanta; I had to do that present for Morehouse and Spelman, and after I was strolling round, it was fascinating to see the totally different pockets of my profession that folks would acknowledge me for. Surprisingly, lots of people who know me from music have been on this journey with me for some time. And if they’re simply coming to the celebration, they’ve additionally seen me on TV. So it’s laborious for them to place the items collectively at first, however I’m assembly lots of people who know all features of my profession, which is actually, actually, actually shocking for me, man. That’s been a blessing to have the ability to populate so many alternative industries. It’s undoubtedly been laborious at occasions, however I’m glad that I gave myself an possibility to simply assault no matter my coronary heart needs.

Did you all the time write and produce music?

At a sure level in my 20s, I centered on writing and manufacturing as a result of it was paying extra. And typically within the performing area, as you noticed with the writers strike, you could possibly do a whole lot of work on a TV present or a film however not essentially receives a commission Will Smith costs or something like that. I used to be undoubtedly that low season like, “Maintain on, y’all ain’t about to have me broke out right here.” So I used to be undoubtedly hustling, attempting to ensure I bought some placements to stability the whole lot out.

It’s humorous as a result of some individuals will say it’s laborious to make music from songwriting …

Manufacturing although. You get a producer’s payment and you then get these royalties. And that’s residual earnings, passive earnings, cash I don’t actually have to consider. It simply comes after you do the work. In order that’s what I used to be chasing. I learn this e-book referred to as Wealthy Dad Poor Dad, and it talked about royalties and publishing and catalogs. And I used to be like, “Oh, let’s go. Let’s do it.” So I’m presently on my second catalog now. And I’ve been constructing this catalog for a very long time, man. I bought a whole lot of songs underneath my belt, and I’m trying ahead to having the ability to move one thing right down to my future generations.

Babyface additionally labored on Ariana Grande’s debut album. Did you introduce him to her?

Yeah. I threw a celebration at his studio and Ari got here by, Taco from Odd Future. We had a bunch of individuals there that night time. And we had some drinks and everyone’s hanging. And I introduced her to one of many studio rooms and I mentioned, “I wish to play you some songs. I do know you’re working in your new undertaking.” And we performed her “Child I” and I feel one different joint, and he or she performed me “The Manner” at the moment. It was nonetheless a demo. And it simply genuinely become a tremendous, artistic relationship. I then invited her again to satisfy Babyface. I heard the ’90s vibe she had on “The Manner,” so we actually took that vitality and added it on to a bunch of different songs she had beforehand recorded, and in addition some songs that we helped write for her as properly.

You’re nominated on the Grammys for co-producing SZA’s “Snooze,” which has spent 52 weeks on the all-genre Billboard Sizzling 100 chart, and is in its nineteenth week at No. 1 on the R&B charts. Why do you suppose it’s doing so properly?

That melody that SZA wrote and people lyrics are simply so poignant. I’m such a fan of how she wrote that file. I really feel prefer it’s simply such a powerful tune. It’s the sort of tune that you could possibly sing simply on an acoustic guitar and it feels good. And I undoubtedly respect the truth that individuals are exhibiting a lot like to it. It’s a superb feeling. That is most likely one of many largest data I’ve ever been part of, so I’m simply blessed.

SZA wrote the lyrics for “Snooze” — what was your position in making the tune?

I did the chords and performed a bunch of devices on it, like bass and guitar, and I had my boy, BLK, doing keys, and Khris did the drums, and Babyface got here in and added some licks on the guitar as properly. We actually simply formatted the file out and made it work. I additionally do that factor the place I pitch my vocals up, the place I’ll gradual the beat down and I’ll sing a melody-pass over it, and I’ll velocity it up and my voice seems like a pattern. That approach, we don’t need to pattern precise previous soul data and stuff. We are able to simply use my voice to offer that classic aesthetic.

You’ve labored with Drake a ton. What has that been like?

Actually dope. Drake’s a cool man, actually laid-back, actually humorous, witty. I really feel like typically we don’t get to see his character as a lot as a result of he doesn’t do a whole lot of interviews, however he’s a humorous man, man. He was simply very open when it got here to a whole lot of my concepts, musically. And I’m an enormous fan. I grew up on Drake. Drake bought me by way of a few of my first breakups and shit like that, so to be able so as to add to his musical story was an actual blessing. 

What was it like being a Nickelodeon star with the success of Victorious?

It was insane as a result of I feel I knew what I used to be stepping into, however I didn’t fairly understand it till it was most likely the second season when it began to hit me. That’s when my face was on cereal packing containers and McDonald’s Comfortable Meals. And it was like popular culture success in a approach that was actually, actually totally different. And I’m so grateful for that chance as a result of it actually gave me a possibility to see the world from a unique lens. But it surely’s undoubtedly a troublesome gig evolving out of that younger picture. However I discovered solace in writing and manufacturing, and even with among the movies and TV reveals I used to be in a position to e-book instantly after that. It was simply actually useful to maintain the ball rolling. My grandfather [was an opera singer] on this trade and he mentioned the important thing phrase to all of it is, “Subsequent? What are you doing subsequent?” So the second I used to be finished with Victorious, I used to be like, “All proper, what’s subsequent? And the way am I going to construct it?”

Did you must audition for the position of Eddie aka “Neighbor Bae” on Insecure? 

I did a movie referred to as Detroit proper earlier than that, and the casting director, Victoria Thomas, additionally did Insecure. She referred to as me in for an audition for Insecure and I’ll always remember it as a result of there was some fairly massive competitors within the audition room. Trevor Jackson and a whole lot of these actually massive actors on the time had been all there. And I simply bear in mind moving into there and I used to be simply ad-libbing quite a bit. I used to be doing a whole lot of improv and I used to be making Issa Rae chuckle, truly laughing, simply actual fast on my ft, and I bought it going. I used to be actual hungry at the moment, too. Like I mentioned, the performing world at the moment for me wasn’t actually paying the payments tremendous properly, so I actually wanted that position, and I’m endlessly grateful to Issa for permitting me to grace the display with it.

How does it really feel to lastly step in entrance of the general public, musically, along with your debut album, Electrical Nightfall, which dropped in August?

It’s actually cool to see individuals [feeling] the songs and lyrics and my tales. That is the album I lived life by way of. I went by way of quite a bit, from being dropped from my label, from having points, simply attempting to determine my approach out within the performing area. Writing and manufacturing was doing fairly properly, however I nonetheless wished to get this artistry off. There’s such an ebb and circulation of emotion that goes from feeling such as you’re so near your dream, however not fairly there but. I really feel like a whole lot of my feelings lived in Electrical Nightfall. Additionally my love life was up and down, so these are undoubtedly totally different scenes in my life.

Do you continue to plan to jot down and produce for others?

I’ve been flying round, working with everyone. I can’t let you know who I’ve been working with for the previous couple months earlier than I did my promo tour as a result of I signed an NDA. However one of many ones that I used to be working with, that I didn’t signal an NDA for, was J. Cole. And I don’t know if these songs will make it to the album, however they had been wonderful, man. We did three songs and so they’re actually, actually, actually dope. Been working with Wale quite a bit. He’s like my new massive bro. He simply invited me to the crib for dinner.

A model of this story first appeared within the Dec. 15 subject of LeslyNewsMagazine journal. Click on right here to subscribe.