From Nickelodeon’s Victorious to producing and writing for artists like SZA, Drake, Kanye West, and more, Leon Thomas has really seen everything. For some of us at HNHH, it’s hard to disassociate him from his character on the popular kid’s series when he’s writing heavily emotional and explicit tracks. But it just goes to show how much he’s grown in about a decade, and it may be safe to say Leon Thomas is at his most mature on MUTT. Yes, for those who don’t know, the Brooklyn, New York native also has a solo career. This is his second album and a follow-up to 2023’s Electric Dusk.
With this record, Leon Thomas focuses a lot on what his life and love have done to him mentally and emotionally. According to an interview he did with Uproxx, he explains how his dog was a source of inspiration for the themes and its title. “Perfecting that sound and just continuing to tell these stories as I’m a single guy doing my thing, trying to figure it out, trying to find love in a very interesting dating circus that we have right now”, Thomas says. “As I started working on the album in my new home, I began to notice similarities between my dog’s behavior and my own. Even though my dog may sometimes [make mistakes]… I know he means well. This became a metaphor for not being a perfect partner but having good intentions”. Those messages are strong, as are the production and feature choices. Check out MUTT now.
Leon Thomas is an imperfect man in an equally imperfect world. His sophomore album Mutt, out now, depicts him surveying the damage and debris left behind over the last year due to both life and love.
“Mutt is an example of me really perfecting that sound and just continuing to tell these stories as I’m a single guy doing my thing, trying to figure it out, trying to find love in a very interesting dating circus that we have right now,” Thomas tells Uproxx over a Zoom call.
Though this “very interesting dating circus” serves as entertainment in the form of an album, it brought forth important life lessons for Thomas thanks to his new dog. “As I started working on the album in my new home, I began to notice similarities between my dog’s behavior and my own,” Thomas noted in a press release for Mutt. “It made me think about the give and take in relationships, and the struggle for obedience.”
He added, “Even though my dog may sometimes make a mess in the house or bark loudly at the neighbors, I know he means well. This became a metaphor for not being a perfect partner but having good intentions.”
On Mutt, Thomas flips through moments of this past relationship to recall the flawed behaviors and moments by both him and his ex-partner. “Safe Place” kicks in gear with a steady drum that pedals Thomas’ infatuation with the fast life and how it may not be appealing for a companion. Thomas uses soul-stirring ballads to navigate the imbalances of love caused by either him (“I Do”) or his partner (“Yes It Is”). Then, with help from Masego (“Lucid Dreams”) and Wale (“Feelings On Silent”), comes the struggle to silence the noise and move forward.
Before the release of Mutt, Uproxx caught up with Leon Thomas to discuss his sophomore album, finding love in his current home of Los Angeles, and how fame and success affect his pursuit of love.
We’re a little over a year removed from the release of Electric Dusk. What in that time gave you the confidence and confirmation to get right back to it and craft another project?
I knew going into my deal with Motown that they wanted two albums in my first cycle with them. So, even prior to dropping Electric Dusk, I was in the studio really trying to figure out what the sound palette was going to be and how I was going to progress from the first album to the second. Touring and seeing the response to my first album really gave me a jolt of energy towards the tail end of this creative process. I went through some breakups and some turbulence that really turned into some amazing songs. It was cool to live life and express myself through music on this new project. It’s definitely a labor of love and I feel like I really found an amazing pocket to live in for this new album.
Your new album Mutt is inspired by the similarities you saw between you and your dog’s behavior and how you both make mistakes despite having the best intentions. What was the exact moment you made this realization?
This is kind of trippy, I don’t know how this works with you guys, but listen, I was doing some shrooms for a lot of this album, right? I was staring at this new painting I have in my house. I’m on the floor Indian style looking at this new painting [and] I’m kind of tripping. My cat and my dog are fighting. My cat, she’s older than my dog, so she makes sure he’s in pocket, and they were going at it. She hit him with a paw, he whimpered, and he had this face. I think because I was tripping a little bit, I just saw the similarities between the two of us just living life, [and] trying to figure things out. He had the best intention, all he wanted to do was play. It was interesting to see him in that moment.
There’s such a connection between dogs and music from Elvis to Snoop Dogg. We’ve seen this metaphor [with] Parliament-Funkadelic. It’s been a common theme because I think there’s a real element of control that we have as human beings and that dog correlation definitely makes a lot of sense. I wanted to play into it and see what happens.
There’s a lot of hip-hop-inspired production on this album. For example, you have a beat from Conductor Williams on here. For a breakup R&B album, why did you feel like that was the soundscape to have for your story?
That’s a really interesting question. After I got out of my long-term relationship, there were times when I was super inspired by everything that Alchemist was doing [and] all the Madlib tapes he did with Freddie Gibbs and a bunch of other cats. That was a huge source of inspiration for me. There was this light bulb moment of, man, I haven’t really heard a lot of R&B artists sing on tracks that have that lo-fi production. I know for a fact that as a musician, I can make some of these sample-based ideas come to life with my band and I just wanted to attack it.
I’m a huge fan of hip-hop from A Tribe Called Quest up to Pharrell, and you know, with Pharrell being a really big inspiration for me, and even Kanye [West], I see how that can turn into really classic moments. Conductor, to me, has this J Dilla sound that I’m a huge fan of. I’m just glad I was able to pair that up with my vocals and turn it into something special.
You start off the album with “How Fast,” which is, contextually, a complete change of pace from “Slow Down,” the intro to Electric Dusk. What in the past year has brought on this new perspective, and have your thoughts on the woman on “Slow Down” changed?
What’s interesting is that I just feel like [with] being on tours, moving pretty crazy, it’s so easy to move too fast and miss very important things. “How Fast” is just an example of me understanding myself more and just asking the question, “How fast till it all comes crashes down?” You want to find balance on this journey, but you gotta keep it moving. “How Fast” was me expressing myself and just talking that talk, talking my sh*t. I feel like I’m getting more confident, I’m popping out more, I’m doing my thing, and I wanted to show people on this album that I’m not afraid of the man I’m becoming. I’m just more confident these days, so I wanted to show that on a lot of these songs.
On “Feelings On Silent,” you repeat this one line multiple times throughout the song: “Don’t tell me what they say about me.” There’s a certain desire to be numb to the outside that you display here, especially with that line. Where does that come from and how did it come about?
We live in a world of communication through social media and I think it’s really just me just trying to, like you said, quiet the noise. People love to talk, they love to gossip, and all this other sh*t. For me, I’m just focused on my dreams and focused on my inner circle and my inner self. I feel like “Feelings On Silent” is just a ballad talking about how numb you have to be in order to be an artist.
One thing I love about this album is you do a great job keeping the balance of blame in the aftermath of this breakup. From the male perspective, a lot of these breakup albums are either “she did me dirty” or “I f*cked up and now I gotta win her back.” There’s a nice balance there, was it intentional for you to keep this balance?
I wish I was super intentional about that, but I think it’s just me expressing myself. I’m growing man, I’m learning [and] getting into my spiritual walk and prayer, and just knowing myself more. Accountability is a huge part of growth, so I’m just expressing that through the music without even explaining myself, just expressing myself. That comes with a little bit of a back-and-forth. There are times when people have done me wrong and there are times when I’ve done the same. I just wanted to express both sides of it because that’s the real sign of growth when you can do both.
After going through the breakup that inspired the album, as well as creating the project, what is your stance on being the perfect partner? Is it possible to be perfect?
I feel like fools chase perfection. I think it’s really important to be constantly growing and honest with yourself. You can have a partner that fits you right now, but you’re both going to evolve. So it’s just about just genuinely finding ways to grow with each other. That’s why, for me, I’m big on friendships and trying to build and cultivate them because that lasts longer than the physical attraction. A lot of that comes from just knowing yourself, but the perfect partner? I don’t think [it] exists. I think the partner that’s gonna be the best for you over time, that’s the real piece, and that’s something I’m still looking for to this day.
What would you say are your biggest frustrations with love? Songs like “Far Fetched” point to the frustrations of a materialistic woman (something I think appears in your music a lot). And despite these frustrations, what makes you keep trying at it?
I think we all deserve it, man. I think it’s an important thing to have. It’s the thing that grows the family tree. It keeps you balanced. There’s no powerful man without a powerful woman behind him — or beside him, I should say. It’s just been a journey living in LA. I feel like it’s a place where you can travel to houses with Rolls Royces and Lamborghinis and flashing lights and makeup and surgeries, and then you go like a short 10-minute trip down to Skid Row and it’s literally hell, it’s just insane, you know?
That dichotomy of intense poverty and intense wealth all in the same place really focuses a lot of people’s energy and intentions on financial gain and that bleeds into trying to find a partner and it’s tough and very frustrating. Being a black man and trying to figure things out in a world that doesn’t always cater to my growth, it can be tough to kind of trust in somebody who really just wants a check.
When you look back at this album — all the moments and just creating the music for it — what’s one memory that sticks out the most for you?
I set up my house like a musical playground. I had my living room constantly playing loads of anime at that time – the Studio Ghibli films, Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, and just vibes like that. I was kind of getting my infant child together. I had a whole studio room in the back with a live drum set and I would constantly just make music and then watch movies and kick it. It was a time where I was spending a lot of time by myself, but it’s where I came up with the concept for the album [and] finished a bunch of songs for it. I think another very important part of this creative process was meeting Rob and D. Phelps, they’re a production duo called The Doctors. They brought such an element of live musicianship, that’s how we made “Mutt” [and] we made “I Used To” working with Baby Rose and having a live band playing with us while we were recording like the old time days. [It] just brought a whole new level of musicianship to the body of music that I’m making right now.
I like to look at albums as little puzzle pieces that, in time, come together to tell a story about a musician’s artistry. How do you hope the Leon Thomas–Mutt era is remembered a year or so from now?
I don’t think much about that, but, I genuinely want people to feel like they know me better. I want them to just understand my musical palette. I explore a couple of different subgenres throughout this album and I just want to be seen as more than just a straight up-and-down R&B artist. That’s why there are hip-hop and rock themes because I feel like it’s very important for them to understand that I’m a creative who works with other artists for a reason. I am a melting pot and I’m just really looking forward for people to see me for exactly who I am – just a creative mind. I hope that they accept the fact that I create with no boundaries.
Mutt is out now via EZMNY Records/Motown Records. Find out more information here.
On Monday, July 29, Blxst announced his 2024 I’ll Always Come Find You Tour, which will stage 30 North American shows. Blxst captioned his announcement, “PLAYING SONGS FROM ALL PROJECTS,” so that’s a bonus. Blxst will be joined in select cities by Leon Thomas, Joyce Wrice, and Joony.
According to a press release, tickets will first become available via the Citi pre-sale on Tuesday, July 30, and “additional pre-sales will run throughout the week” before the general public sale on Friday, August 2, at 10 a.m. local time. Find more ticketing information here.
The press release also relayed that Blxst partnered with Education Is Key to donate $1 per each ticket sold toward providing “scholarships for inner-city students in Blxst’s hometown of Los Angeles.”
Blxst’s 2024 Dates: I’ll Always Come Find You Tour
10/01 — Houston, TX @ House of Blues^%
10/02 — San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theatre^%
10/03 — New Orleans, LA @ The Fillmore^%
10/05 — Orlando, FL @ House of Blues^%
10/07 — Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom^%
10/10 — Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle^%
10/11 — Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz^%
10/13 — Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore^%
10/15 — Boston, MA @ Citizens House of Blues Boston^%
10/16 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore^%
10/17 — New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17^%
10/19 — Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring^%
10/24 — St Louis, MO @ Pageant^%
10/26 — Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit^%
10/28 — Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre%
10/29 — Chicago, IL @ House of Blues%
10/30 — Chicago, IL @ House of Blues%
11/01 — Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium#
11/02 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex#
11/03 — Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl#
11/06 — Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo#
11/08 — Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom#
11/09 — Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom#
11/12 — Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater#
11/15 — San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic#
11/16 — Wheatland, CA @ Hard Rock Live Sacramento#
11/19 — Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre#
11/21 — San Diego, CA @ Gallagher Square at Petco Park#
11/22 — Los Angeles, CA @ YouTube Theater#%
12/05 — Honolulu, HI @ The Republik&
^ with Leon Thomas
# with Joyce Wrice
& with Zacari
% with Joony
On Monday, July 29, Blxst announced his 2024 I’ll Always Come Find You Tour, which will stage 30 North American shows. Blxst captioned his announcement, “PLAYING SONGS FROM ALL PROJECTS,” so that’s a bonus. Blxst will be joined in select cities by Leon Thomas, Joyce Wrice, and Joony.
According to a press release, tickets will first become available via the Citi pre-sale on Tuesday, July 30, and “additional pre-sales will run throughout the week” before the general public sale on Friday, August 2, at 10 a.m. local time. Find more ticketing information here.
The press release also relayed that Blxst partnered with Education Is Key to donate $1 per each ticket sold toward providing “scholarships for inner-city students in Blxst’s hometown of Los Angeles.”
Blxst’s 2024 Dates: I’ll Always Come Find You Tour
10/01 — Houston, TX @ House of Blues^%
10/02 — San Antonio, TX @ Aztec Theatre^%
10/03 — New Orleans, LA @ The Fillmore^%
10/05 — Orlando, FL @ House of Blues^%
10/07 — Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom^%
10/10 — Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle^%
10/11 — Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz^%
10/13 — Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore^%
10/15 — Boston, MA @ Citizens House of Blues Boston^%
10/16 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore^%
10/17 — New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17^%
10/19 — Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring^%
10/24 — St Louis, MO @ Pageant^%
10/26 — Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit^%
10/28 — Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre%
10/29 — Chicago, IL @ House of Blues%
10/30 — Chicago, IL @ House of Blues%
11/01 — Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium#
11/02 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex#
11/03 — Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl#
11/06 — Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo#
11/08 — Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom#
11/09 — Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom#
11/12 — Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater#
11/15 — San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic#
11/16 — Wheatland, CA @ Hard Rock Live Sacramento#
11/19 — Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre#
11/21 — San Diego, CA @ Gallagher Square at Petco Park#
11/22 — Los Angeles, CA @ YouTube Theater#%
12/05 — Honolulu, HI @ The Republik&
^ with Leon Thomas
# with Joyce Wrice
& with Zacari
% with Joony
The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.
On “Fade To Black” off Leon Thomas’Electric Dusk debut, lives a quote that is ultimately the foundation of his debut album. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Bones McCoy from Star Trek: The Original Series is the voice behind this clip, and the quote itself dates back to the 19th century via a letter from British politician Lord Acton to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887. In full, the quote reads, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” Here, “great” isn’t synonymous with behavior or quality, but rather, strength, power, and influence. Leon Thomas knows those three things all too well as a member of Hollywood, in both the metaphorical and literal sense.
Leon Thomas the solo artist may be new to some people, but Hollywood and the big life aren’t new to him. His time in the spotlight dates back to 2010, following a stint on Broadway, as he landed a role on Nickelodeon’s Victorious, a show that allowed him to put his acting and singing skills on display. By the time that series came to a close, Thomas was co-writing records with his then-Victorious co-star and now-pop superstar Ariana Grande for her debut album Yours Truly. That album, which will celebrate its tenth anniversary in the coming days, has six writing credits from Thomas and the credits would continue to pour in for him over the next decade. He worked as a solo writer and as one-half of The Rascals duo beside names like Drake (“Pipe Down”), Toni Braxton (“I’d Rather Be Broke”), Post Malone (“Yours Truly, Austin Post”), Giveon (“For Tonight”), SZA, (“Snooze”), and Rick Ross (“Gold Roses”).
A decade after that started, we’ve arrived at Electric Dusk, where Leon Thomas rolls the tape to explain how love in the hills has played out for him. With songwriting that proves why he’s one of the best in the industry, Thomas also crafted the album with the idea that it could be presented at the Electric Dusk theater he named it after. He isn’t just overwhelmed with life in the hills on “Crash & Burn,” he’s buried so deeply under it that a move to Mississippi, a state he seemingly has no connection to, and a fiery crash on the interstate sound like the escape he needs. There’s merely saying a relationship has reached its end and then there’s “slow dancing in a burning house,” as he sings on “Breaking Point.” Sharp imagery like this makes it so that Thomas is not only heard but seen and felt as well.
Though love is a dominant topic on Electric Dusk, the element of power stands right beside it. Aligned with Acton’s theory, Thomas seems to accept that power does corrupt, an experience he has as both a victim and a perpetrator. His sense of control vanishes on “My Will,” leaving him to write one final message to the world a request “no cat fights at my funeral” and not be “dressed up in no corny sh*t.” You’re initially led to believe that the song is about the loss of artistic freedom when it’s really Thomas holding a funeral for his playboy lifestyle. Money is his power on “Blue Hundreds” as he leads a rugged march towards a lavish night that could also be troublesome. Thomas reigns supreme in intimacy as he’s successfully corralled a taken woman on “Sneak” into consistently giving him her “sweet, sweet peach” for some “afternoon delight.” Though powerful men may be bad men as Acton posed, Thomas seemingly retorts that surrendering that power leaves one in turmoil. You’re left to think: to corrupt or to be corrupted?
On Electric Dusk, Leon Thomas speaks to those in and by the limelight – whether it be at its center, its edges, or just outside of it where many long to step into it for a moment of their own. Acknowledging that final piece is what makes Electric Dusk so captivating. It’s a message that’s about himself as it is one to others; a reminder that it’s never as good as it seems under the bright lights. Leon Thomas and Electric Dusk make an official entry to the R&B world that’s a bit reminiscent of Lucky Daye’s own in 2019 with Painted. Though both releases as more different than they are similar, in both cases, you’re left with the idea that a new mainstay in R&B has arrived. Leon Thomas’ fingerprints can be found in various corners of the music world over the past decade, but none were truly his own. Now, he has that with his stellar debut album, and ladies and gentlemen, there’s power in that.
Electric Dusk is out now via EZMNY Records and Motown Records. Stream it here.
Ty Dolla Sign is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Leon Thomas was first introduced to people as the actor who played Andre in the Nickelodeon hit TV shows Victorious and Sam & Cat. Even through those series, it was clear that Thomas was immensely talented. Over the years, he’s gone on to write and produce songs for some of the industry’s biggest names like Ariana Grande, Drake, Rick Ross, Kehlani, and more. Now, the spotlight is on him as he prepares to release his debut album Electric Dusk. The project is one that Thomas has been working on for some time. Uproxx was even able to catch up with him in 2022 in an interview to talk about the project. Now, Electric Dusk is just hours from coming out so here’s everything you need to know about it.
Release Date
Electric Dusk is be released on August 18 via EZMNY Records and Motown Records. It will be Thomas’ official debut album and follow-up to his 2018 project Genesis. You can pre-save it here.
Tracklist
You can view the tracklist for Electric Dusk below.
1. “Slow Down”
2. “X-Rated” Feat. Benny The Butcher
3. “Blue Hundreds”
4. “Love Jones” Feat. Ty Dolla Sign
5. “Sneak”
6. “My Will”
7. “Breaking Point”
8. “Crash & Burn”
9. “Fade To Black”
10. “Socialite”
11. “Treasure In The Hills”
12.”Breaking Point (Remix)” Feat. Victoria Monét
Features
Through the 12 songs on Electric Dusk, Leon Thomas recruits features from Benny Butcher, Ty Dolla Sign, and Victoria Monét. Benny The Butcher appears on the album’s lead single, “X-Rated” while Ty Dolla Sign, who created the EZMNY Records imprint that Thomas is signed to, is featured on “Love Jones.” Lastly, Victoria Monét contributed to a remix of “Breaking Point,” a stand-out single from the album.
Leon Thomas, as well as rapper Symba, will join Ty Dolla Sign as openers for his More Motion Less Emotion Tour which kicks off on September 15 and continues through October 27. You can view the full list of dates for the tour here.
Ty Dolla Sign is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Leon Thomas was first introduced to people as the actor who played Andre in the Nickelodeon hit TV shows Victorious and Sam & Cat. Even through those series, it was clear that Thomas was immensely talented. Over the years, he’s gone on to write and produce songs for some of the industry’s biggest names like Ariana Grande, Drake, Rick Ross, Kehlani, and more. Now, the spotlight is on him as he prepares to release his debut album Electric Dusk. The project is one that Thomas has been working on for some time. Uproxx was even able to catch up with him in 2022 in an interview to talk about the project. Now, Electric Dusk is just hours from coming out so here’s everything you need to know about it.
Release Date
Electric Dusk is be released on August 18 via EZMNY Records and Motown Records. It will be Thomas’ official debut album and follow-up to his 2018 project Genesis. You can pre-save it here.
Tracklist
You can view the tracklist for Electric Dusk below.
1. “Slow Down”
2. “X-Rated” Feat. Benny The Butcher
3. “Blue Hundreds”
4. “Love Jones” Feat. Ty Dolla Sign
5. “Sneak”
6. “My Will”
7. “Breaking Point”
8. “Crash & Burn”
9. “Fade To Black”
10. “Socialite”
11. “Treasure In The Hills”
12.”Breaking Point (Remix)” Feat. Victoria Monét
Features
Through the 12 songs on Electric Dusk, Leon Thomas recruits features from Benny Butcher, Ty Dolla Sign, and Victoria Monét. Benny The Butcher appears on the album’s lead single, “X-Rated” while Ty Dolla Sign, who created the EZMNY Records imprint that Thomas is signed to, is featured on “Love Jones.” Lastly, Victoria Monét contributed to a remix of “Breaking Point,” a stand-out single from the album.
Leon Thomas, as well as rapper Symba, will join Ty Dolla Sign as openers for his More Motion Less Emotion Tour which kicks off on September 15 and continues through October 27. You can view the full list of dates for the tour here.
Ty Dolla Sign is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Leon Thomas was first introduced to people as the actor who played Andre in the Nickelodeon hit TV shows Victorious and Sam & Cat. Even through those series, it was clear that Thomas was immensely talented. Over the years, he’s gone on to write and produce songs for some of the industry’s biggest names like Ariana Grande, Drake, Rick Ross, Kehlani, and more. Now, the spotlight is on him as he prepares to release his debut album Electric Dusk. The project is one that Thomas has been working on for some time. Uproxx was even able to catch up with him in 2022 in an interview to talk about the project. Now, Electric Dusk is just hours from coming out so here’s everything you need to know about it.
Release Date
Electric Dusk is be released on August 18 via EZMNY Records and Motown Records. It will be Thomas’ official debut album and follow-up to his 2018 project Genesis. You can pre-save it here.
Tracklist
You can view the tracklist for Electric Dusk below.
1. “Slow Down”
2. “X-Rated” Feat. Benny The Butcher
3. “Blue Hundreds”
4. “Love Jones” Feat. Ty Dolla Sign
5. “Sneak”
6. “My Will”
7. “Breaking Point”
8. “Crash & Burn”
9. “Fade To Black”
10. “Socialite”
11. “Treasure In The Hills”
12.”Breaking Point (Remix)” Feat. Victoria Monét
Features
Through the 12 songs on Electric Dusk, Leon Thomas recruits features from Benny Butcher, Ty Dolla Sign, and Victoria Monét. Benny The Butcher appears on the album’s lead single, “X-Rated” while Ty Dolla Sign, who created the EZMNY Records imprint that Thomas is signed to, is featured on “Love Jones.” Lastly, Victoria Monét contributed to a remix of “Breaking Point,” a stand-out single from the album.
Leon Thomas, as well as rapper Symba, will join Ty Dolla Sign as openers for his More Motion Less Emotion Tour which kicks off on September 15 and continues through October 27. You can view the full list of dates for the tour here.
Ty Dolla Sign is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Fresh off of appearances on albums from 03 Greedo and Larry June, Ty Dolla Sign has announced his More Motion Less Emotion Tour, which kicks off in September and runs through October. Although he hasn’t announced an album to go along with it yet, there’s plenty of time between now and then for a rollout. Fortunately, the late summer/early fall start date allows him plenty of time to recover from his skateboarding accident last year.
He’ll be joined on tour by singer Leon Thomas, whose album was so good it prompted Ty to redo his own, and rapper Symba, who had a bit of a breakout last year thanks to his DJ Drama-produced Gangsta Grillz mixtape and a standout Tiny Desk Concert. Tickets go on sale this Friday, June 23 at 10 am. You can find more information here.
9/15 – San Diego, CA @ SOMA
9/16 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
9/18 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
9/19 – Albuquerque, NM @ Revel
9/21 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
9/22 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
9/23 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
9/24 – New Orleans, LA @ The Fillmore New Orleans
9/26 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
9/27 – Nashville, TX @ Brooklyn Bowl Nashville
9/29 – St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live
9/30 – Miami, FL @ Oasis Wynwood
10/1 – Orlando, FL @ The Vanguard
10/3 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
10/4 – Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz
10/6 – Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
10/7 – Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall
10/8 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
10/10 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
10/11 – Montreal, QC @ MTELUS
10/13 – Toronto, ON @ Rebel
10/14 – Cleveland, OH @ Masonic Cleveland
10/15 – Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed
10/17 – Denver, CO @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom
10/18 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union Event Center
10/20 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
10/21 – Vancouver, BC @ Harbour Event & Convention Centre
10/22 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
10/24 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades**
10/26 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Novo
10/27 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield**
** dates without Symba & Leon Thomas
Ty Dolla Sign is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.