Leon Thomas

Leon George Thomas III, born on August 1, 1993, in Brooklyn, New York City, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He began his career on Broadway at the age of 10, portraying Young Simba in the production of "The Lion King" in 2003. The following year, he appeared as Jackie Thibodeaux in the original Broadway cast of Tony Kushner's "Caroline, or Change," touring with the company during its five-month run in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Thomas also performed in the Broadway production of "The Color Purple."

In 2007, Thomas expanded his repertoire to film, playing Arthur in "August Rush," where he performed the song "La Bamba." He also provided the singing voice for Tyrone in the animated series "The Backyardigans" from 2006 to 2008. His television appearances during this period included guest roles on "Just for Kicks," "Just Jordan," "Jack's Big Music Show," and "The Naked Brothers Band." Notably, he appeared as Harper in the "iCarly" episode "iCarly Saves TV."

Thomas gained prominence for his role as Andre Harris on the Nickelodeon series "Victorious," which aired from 2010 to 2013. His performance earned him a nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Youth at the 2012 NAACP Image Awards. During his time on "Victorious," Thomas showcased his musical talents, contributing to the show's soundtracks. He co-wrote and performed songs such as "Song 2 You" and "Tell Me That You Love Me" on "Victorious: Music from the Hit TV Show" (2011), and "Countdown" on "Victorious 2.0: More Music from the Hit TV Show" (2012).

In 2012, Thomas released his debut mixtape, "Metro Hearts," featuring tracks like "Forever," "Bad," and a cover of Drake's "Take Care" with Ariana Grande. He co-wrote the song "Ain't No Other Me" for the British girl group Stooshe, included as a deluxe edition track on their debut album "London with the Lights On." Thomas also co-wrote and co-produced four songs on Ariana Grande's debut album "Yours Truly" (2013), including "Honeymoon Avenue" and "Tattooed Heart." His production work as part of the duo The Rascals contributed to Toni Braxton and Babyface's Grammy Award-winning album "Love, Marriage & Divorce" (2014), specifically the track "I'd Rather Be Broke."

Continuing his musical endeavors, Thomas released the single "Hello How Are You" featuring Wiz Khalifa in 2013 and the mixtape "V1bes" in 2014. He co-produced Post Malone's 2016 album "Stoney" and released the mixtape "Before the Beginning" that same year. In 2017, Thomas appeared in Kathryn Bigelow's film "Detroit," portraying Darryl.

In 2018, Thomas released his debut EP "Genesis," featuring collaborations with artists like Buddy and Tayla Parx. His songwriting and production skills led to a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Song at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards for co-writing "Gold Roses" by Rick Ross featuring Drake. He continued to work with prominent artists, co-writing and co-producing tracks on Ariana Grande's "Positions" (2020) and Drake's "Certified Lover Boy" (2021).

Thomas signed with Motown Records and Ty Dolla Sign's EZMNY Records in 2022, releasing singles such as "X-Rated" featuring Benny the Butcher and "Love Jones" featuring Ty Dolla Sign. His debut studio album, "Electric Dusk," was released on August 18, 2023, followed by his second album, "Mutt," on September 27, 2024, which peaked at number 161 on the Billboard 200 chart. The lead single from "Mutt," also titled "Mutt," charted on various international platforms, including number 67 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 13 in New Zealand. In 2024, Thomas co-wrote and co-produced the track "Burn" by ¥$ (Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign) from their album "Vultures 1." His contributions to SZA's song "Snooze" earned him the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.

Throughout his career, Leon Thomas III has demonstrated versatility and talent across multiple facets of the entertainment industry, establishing himself as a prominent figure in music, television, and film.