Leo the Kind is the genre-mixing alias of Massachusetts native Joshua Jackson, a self-taught singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who established himself as an EDM producer under the alias IMAGIN8. Jackson made his major-label debut under his second performing name in 2020 with the single "Ain't Nobody Gon' Judge." The Boston-born musician had his musical interest piqued as a youngster with the video game Music Maker. He moved on to a digital audio workstation in his early teens, then taught himself to play instruments including keyboards and guitar, and tried his hand with equally promising success at singing and songwriting. During this process, Jackson produced material for upcoming rap artists and also took enough of a liking to EDM that he released tracks as IMAGIN8, including the Egzod collaboration "Focus." Concurrent with his IMAGIN8 output, Jackson started using the alias Leo the Kind, favoring a slightly left-field hybrid of R&B, pop, and rock with a down-to-earth songwriting sensibility. After he released numerous tracks under the name during the latter half of the 2010s, he continued moving forward in 2020 with extensive support from key H.E.R. collaborator Swagg R'Celious. An EP entitled The U.G.L.Y. arrived that April and was followed three months later by "Ain't Nobody Gon' Judge," which was issued through Lava/Republic. ~ Andy Kellman