A “MUTT” maestro is getting his just due. Leon Thomas performed on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Thursday, and you’ve got to see the multi-hyphenate in action.
Source: Prince Williams / Getty
The GRAMMY-winning producer, actor, and R&B star performed the title track from his sophomore album, MUTT, and made it funk-infused. Dressed in all-black, the talented artist belted out the track that hit the Hot 100 this week while playing guitar.
In case you’ve been living under a rock, Leon Thomas is the man of many hats who co-wrote SZA’s hit record “Snooze.” This may be Thomas’ TV debut as an R&B star, but he’s no stranger to the small screen as he’s had early beginnings on Broadway and Nickelodeon. Thomas voiced the character Tyrone’s singing parts on Nick Jr’s The Backyardigans. He also played Andre Harris on the Nickelodeon series Victorious, earning an NAACP Image Award nomination for his performance.
Thomas also made notable appearances on iCarly, first as the character Harper and later as Andre, his Victorious character, in a crossover episode.
Leon Thomas Reflects On Creating MUTT
Thomas recently told Billboard about the cathartic nature of writing and recording for himself.
“I really create selfishly, said the first signee to Ty Dolla $ign’s EZMNY Records. “For me, when I’m an artist, it’s a break from the boundaries and the borders. I can actually paint freely and do what the f*** I want to do. And I want to win. I’m lucky to have really talented friends who are down to do features and build with me, but I’m definitely just rocking with my taste buds because I’m usually pretty early on s***.”
He also explained how MUTT came to fruition, citing living and dating in L.A. as inspiration.
Source: John Nacion / Getty
“Materialism is a constant theme that flows in and out of this album,” he told Billboard. “Living in L.A., it’s interesting, because everybody’s searching for the next best thing on both sides of the fence. The girls are doing that and the guys are doing that. Everybody’s really confused and there’s a reason that these podcast mics are well-used. [Laughs.] It’s f***g insane being single right now. It’s diabolical, bro.”
He continued,
“The way I see it, I’m gonna at least document my process. There’s been no other generation that had to deal with Tinder, Instagram, Snapchat, all this other s*** – our grandfathers don’t know what the f***k that is! I can’t ask my dad for advice, this is a whole different pocket! I’m really showing my experience through modern technology, and how it influences the way we interact now when it comes to love.”
Congrats to Leon Thomas on his success!
You can catch him on tour this year, tickets and more information are available at https://www.leonthomas.com.