Art of the Come Up With Jabari Banks

“BET is home,” Leon Thomas says with a knowing grin.

“BET is home,” Leon Thomas says with a knowing grin. “I remember back in the day I couldn’t even get into half the BET parties. Now I’m performing. Look at me.”

I remember back in the day I couldn’t even get into half the BET parties. Now I’m performing. Look at me.

“Technology plays a huge part in my sound,” he says. “I engineer and produce a lot of my own music. I’m definitely a nerd when it comes to all the different ways to make sure my vocal is really at its best—and that the production sounds are brand new and modern.”

For the last five years, it’s been really a process of just creeping out of the shadows.

I would describe my artistry as inventive… I’m constantly blending things to create something that feels different and new.

In an era where fans discover talent through TikTok snippets and surprise features, Thomas has the rare ability to move between the mainstream and the underground. His background gives him credibility in both.

In the show’s first season, Banks showed that he was more than capable of carrying off the role. He brings back the charm, style, charisma, and golden heart of the original character. In Bel-Air, Will is a straight-A student and talented basketball player in West Philadelphia. He and his friend make a bet on the basketball court with an unsavory character. Their win leads to a scuffle and Will shooting his friend’s unregistered gun in the air to break things up. Will is arrested. His Uncle Phil pulls strings to help him avoid the gun charge. Will’s mother moves him in with his wealthy relatives in California to keep him safe and far from the characters who continue to present danger. In California, WIl finds love with his cousin’s ex named Lisa, deals with various social and racial politics at school, and pursues his basketball dreams while attempting to circumvent the drama in Philly and maintain his old relationships.

Born in Brooklyn in 1993, Leon George Thomas III wasn’t just a talented kid—he was a prodigy. By the age of 10, he was performing as Young Simba in The Lion King on Broadway, soon followed by roles in Caroline, or Change and The Color Purple. If you were a millennial parent, your kids likely heard his voice as Tyrone on The Backyardigans. But it was Victorious, Nickelodeon’s music-centered sitcom, that made Thomas a recognizable face to a generation of fans.

“The stakes are high. Everybody thinks, ‘what is this gonna be? Why are they doing remakes? Why do they keep remaking stuff? Let's make something new.’ That's the talk of the town,” he said. “I understand that mindset. But then when I read the script for Bel Air, I was like, ‘this can be really, really good if we execute it right.’” “It's a family drama, so we have to show up for each other. If one part of the machine is a little rusty or a little broken down, that affects the whole machine,” Banks said. “So we encourage each other to continue to be great every day. I think we all showed up and poured so much love into this project. And I think you can see that in the work of the show.” While his castmates have shown unity on the set, Banks has had to deal with insecurity and anxiety as

Video produced by Photography by Design by Words by Khalilah Archie

Leon Thomas today is more confident, more experienced—and ready. I’m ready right now.

“I hope people learn that I’m a student of the game,” he says. “If you listen to my music, you’ll hear the references of the people that really inspired me.”

What most people didn’t know back then was that Thomas was already laying the groundwork for something deeper—something long-lasting. Behind the scenes, he was producing, writing, and quietly becoming a musical powerhouse.

Thomas became one half of the Grammy-winning production duo The Rascals, creating tracks for Ariana Grande (Yours Truly), Toni Braxton and Babyface (Love, Marriage & Divorce), and Drake (Certified Lover Boy). In 2024, he earned his first Grammy as an artist for co-writing SZA’s “Snooze,” which won Best R&B Song.

“I would describe my artistry as inventive,” he explains. “It’s like being a painter or even a chemist. I’m constantly blending things to create something that feels different and new—whether it’s rock and roll with R&B, or hip hop with soul.”

Leon Thomas isn’t just the voice. He’s the vision. He engineers his own vocals. He plays instruments. He obsesses over plugins and production presets the same way some artists obsess over red carpets.

This technical control helped him create Electric Dusk, his 2023 debut studio album under Ty Dolla $ign’s Motown-backed imprint, EZMNY Records. The follow-up, Mutt (2024), became his first Billboard 200 charting album—and the title track marked his debut on the Hot 100.

“The internet plays a huge role in collaborating in modern-day society,” Thomas says. “Through the DMs, I’ve actually worked with some of my favorite artists, favorite producers. Showcasing my abilities online definitely gives a lot of amazing collaborators a nice little sneak peek on what I can offer.”

Still, his focus isn’t on trends. It’s on longevity. “I want to be one of the people that really continue to build on the pyramid of love songs and real instrumentation,” he says. “That’s what I grew up loving.”

“Leon’s performance at the 2025 BET Awards is more than just a booking—it’s a manifestation. Literally.

He’s also preparing for a world tour this fall, another full-circle moment for an artist who has been building for years. “It’s gonna be an opportunity to really experience a bunch of different cultures,” he says. “We’re doing a world tour this time, so it’s gonna be nice to travel to places I’ve never been to. It’s a brand new feeling for sure.”

IIf there’s one thing Thomas keeps coming back to, it’s patience.

As part of Art of the Come Up, sponsored by Xfinity, Leon Thomas reminds us what the long game really looks like. Not just fame, but foundation. Not just moments, but mastery.

“For the last five years, it’s been really a process of just creeping out of the shadows,” he tells BET. “I was writing and producing for a lot of major artists, but right now I’m taking in the role of being in the spotlight—and it’s just a beautiful thing for me.”

“The importance of patience is a real thing,” he emphasizes. “I think a lot of people want things to happen overnight. And there have been things that happened fast, but the bulk of what I’m dealing with now took years and years to build.”

He credits his mother for instilling the habits that ground him today. “A lot of the lessons she taught me—prayer, manifestation, belief in myself—those are the things I still carry. There’s a lot of responsibility that comes with success, but a lot of it was already written.”

“I used to have a whole vision board,” he says. “One of the things was an audience of people just really excited about whoever was up there. It’s just nice to now live that experience and see people excited to see me—ready to party, ready to have a good time.”

So where is Leon Thomas now?

“Leon Thomas today is more confident, more experienced—and ready,” he says. “I’m ready right now.”

When asked to describe this chapter in five words, he doesn’t miss a beat: “Persistence. Innovation. Patience. Responsibility. Power.” Power, in this case, isn’t about ego. It’s about presence. It’s about ownership of a journey that’s taken him from Broadway lights to Billboard charts—one calculated, creative leap at a time.

And now that the spotlight’s squarely on him—he’s not letting go.

“Leon Thomas today is more confident, more experienced—and ready,” he says. “I’m ready right now.” When asked to describe this chapter in five words, he doesn’t miss a beat: “Persistence. Innovation. Patience. Responsibility. Power.” Power, in this case, isn’t about ego. It’s about presence. It’s about ownership of a journey that’s taken him from Broadway lights to Billboard charts—one calculated, creative leap at a time.