Just Jaded
Leon Thomas: The Little Brother of R&B
By Kelly Carciente
The multi-hyphenated genius behind all of your favourite hip-hop and R&B artists takes centre stage as he debuts his first album. Leon Thomas may have started off making a name for himself in films, television and Broadway, but his music creativity has been brewing behind the scenes for years, preparing for the release of his debut album Electric Dusk. In recent ˚1824 press conference, Thomas breaks down everything from his career as a producer and songwriter for a variety of artists, to the creative and fulfilling experience in taking a lead on his new album, released on August 18th.
FROM BACK TO FRONT OF STAGE
Growing up in Brooklyn and playing around with instruments since he was a toddler, music has always been a constant in Leon Thomas’ life. By ten, he debuted on Broadway. By eighteen, he found a mentor in music legend Babyface, guiding him through the complex nature of the music industry and who offered him a personal connection. Thomas has also dabbled in the television and film scene in his late adolescence and early adulthood. While he may be a jack of all trades, a “vivid storyteller” is the way Thomas would encapsulate his work across mediums.
Throughout the last several years, Thomas has grown his career in music as everyone’s go-to in production and songwriting. While he may be known as a multi-instrumentalist and a vocalist, the GRAMMY Award winner has received accolades for working with the biggest names in modern R&B and hip-hop, with notable credits on work for Drake, SZA, Snoh Alegra, Post Malone, Ella Mai, Kehlani, Giveon, Coco Jones, and Ariana Grande.
Coming off the high of his debut EP Genesis in 2018, fans of Thomas’ work anticipated what would come next, but it was Thomas’ drive and inspiration of being newly signed to Ty Dolla $ign’s EZMNY Records, in partnership with Motown Records, that made him so enthusiastic and eager to release this project. He also jokes about the ‘Drake Effect,’ where anyone who is fortunate enough to work on a project with the rapper is recognized for deserving a shot at their own work.
After renting out a house in Hollywood to record, Thomas channelled his frustration of not being heard for his own voice and the version he had of himself in his head, as opposed to being heard by everyone’s favourite artists, into the emotional aspects of the record. With various roadblocks he alludes to, the singer is ultimately proud of his evolution as an artist and his ability to overcome the various trials and tribulations he faced.
Regarding his evolution as an artist, Thomas tells Jaded Productions that he was able to learn from the mistakes from other artists careers, especially in the creation of a sophomore project that has proven to be a difficult hurdle for many artists at the height of their career to conquer. He also notes learning that specific teams and creative minds shape and influence the creative process and also the longevity of certain artists. When working on his debut EP Genesis, he did not have as much direction and focus on his own work. Rather, he fell into the mentality of “let’s see where this goes,” while also juggling his acting career and working for other artists. Now, with Electric Dusk, Thomas takes full control.
FINDING HIS VOICE
Inspired by the singer’s passion for film and named after the longest-running drive-in theatre in Los Angeles, Electric Dusk encapsulates a variety of emotions tied to the LA dating scene surrounding Thomas’ life. Drawing from his love for movies, the actor reflects on Black romance and comedies he grew up adoring, setting the foundation for what he believed love and romance could mean for him. He references his admiration for Quentin Tarantino, with films like Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill, helping him get in the proper headspace while working on the album.
Thomas describes this project as a “nuanced conversation,” where he offers a complex understanding of the inner workings of his mind and who he is as a person. The songwriter emphasizes how songs generally begin with lyrics and the melody would follow soon-after, with ease. The emotions, although varied in what the lyrics evoke, will then guide him toward a musical direction where an all-encompassing story is then spelled out through his lyrics and sound. Compared to working with others where he usually finds himself playing therapist prodding others for their stories, Thomas had difficulty tapping into his deeper, more uncomfortable and vulnerable thoughts and feelings for this project. The singer also faced the pressure of feeling the need to be the best in R&B with a lot to live up to, but reassures that staying honest and true to himself was the best place to start off.
Thomas continues to push the boundaries of R&B. He has credited his musical influences to a variety of music from his upbringing, from jazz, classical, R&B, and hip-hop. He points out the influence of 1960s psychedelic rock, infusing vintage electric guitar effects into his modern R&B sound, as well as drawing from the simplicity of lyricism of that time. The singer encourages the influence of live jazz music as he notes the opening track ‘Slow Down’ encompasses the vision he has of himself animated through the juxtaposition of live jazz music and hard drums with more programming. He recounts the memory of listening to Miles Davis in the car with his grandfather on his way to Manhattan, exemplifying how jazz music has also played a special role in his work. While he may reminisce on the more traditional sounds, he respects anyone that tries to explore new sounds and recognizes that there is a lot of good music out there that embraces the contemporary, technology-influenced sound. But, ultimately, he thinks, “as we continue to progress … [I will] continue to push records … even with my projects where I have a lot of programmed elements … I’m going to find a way to spoon-feed that live R&B energy”.
Electric Dusk is ultimately the culmination of Leon Thomas’ amazing sonic vision and the belief in himself that he would be able to complete it. And just like when Kendrick Lamar passed the baton to Baby Keem, Leon Thomas feels like the R&B little brother to his big brother who took him under his wing, the one who signed him to his label, and the one he will tour with this fall on the More Motion Less Emotion Tour, Ty Dolla $ign. He ensures this is just the beginning.
