Brandon Leake is entering a new creative chapter. In an exclusive conversation with InMusic, the groundbreaking spoken word artist reflects on life after winning America’s Got Talent, discusses his new single “I’ve Got,” and shares how faith, fatherhood, and music have reshaped both his artistry and his perspective on success.
Six years after becoming the first spoken word performer to win America’s Got Talent, Leake says his relationship with storytelling has expanded far beyond poetry. While he initially focused on bringing spoken word to a broader audience following his victory, he now feels he’s found a healthier creative balance.
“Because my storytelling can exist in poetry, it can exist in film. It can exist in music,” he explains, describing how he has reconnected with every artistic outlet that inspires him.
Leake’s new single, “I’ve Got,” blends spoken word with hip-hop, gospel and soul. The 34-year-old singer reveals that the song was shaped by years of personal highs and devastating losses, crediting longtime collaborator and producer Fariss Ryan for helping translate those experiences into a sound that feels authentic to both his artistic identity and Black musical traditions.
Gratitude sits at the heart of the record, but Leake says resilience has been equally important throughout his journey. He speaks candidly about how his Christian faith has anchored him during difficult seasons, while his biological family, church family and chosen family continue to provide unwavering support behind the scenes.
In his conversation with InMusic, Leake also explores vulnerability, one of the defining qualities of his work. Rather than trying to write universally relatable stories, he says he has always focused on honestly telling his own experiences, trusting that audiences would naturally discover pieces of themselves within them.
Outside of music, Leake seamlessly wears comfortably hats: educator, motivational speaker, husband and father. Becoming a parent, he says, fundamentally changed how he defines achievement.
“If I were to die and they put World’s Greatest Poet on my gravestone, but my children did not feel like they had the father they deserved, I would find that to be a failure,” he says. At the same time, he believes chasing his dreams gives his children permission to pursue their own.
Looking ahead, Leake hints that fans can expect much more than a single release. His vision includes a large-scale international tour featuring symphonies and orchestras across approximately 20 cities, creating what he describes as a once-in-a-lifetime live experience.
In his full interview with us, Brandon Leake dives even deeper into his creative evolution, his memories from America’s Got Talent, the making of “I’ve Got,” and why he believes success is never a final destination.
As the first spoken word artist to win America’s Got Talent, how has your relationship with storytelling evolved since that life-changing moment?
In the beginning of my time after AGT, my sole focus was how do I help the art form of spoken word become a more consumable and admired talent on a global stage. But in a lot of ways, I feel like I lost touch with the other parts of artistry that I loved in the pursuit of elevating one of the art forms I love. And now I feel like I’m finally at a beautiful balance where I get the chance to bring all of the aspects of artistry that I value to the table. Because my storytelling can exist in poetry, it can exist in film. It can exist in music.
Six years later, how do you look back on that experience? Is there a particular memory or moment that still stands out to you today?
Six years has flown by. Sometimes it feels like it was yesterday, sometimes it feels like it was ages ago. But one memory that will forever stick out to me is being in the rehearsal room at 3 o’clock in the morning and a couple of my fellow contestants, walking into the room and seeing me in a drenched sweat and then looking at each other and then telling me there’s no way you’re not winning. That made me feel really good.
Your new single, “I’ve Got,” centers on gratitude and resilience. What personal experiences inspired the message behind the song?
My life has been a complicated mixture of both blessing and immense hardship. From bearing friends and family, to the highs of winning AGT and performing on stages I never dreamed of, you have to have a sense of resilience to overcome the lows and a true sense of gratitude to enjoy the highs. My faith and God centers me in.
The song blends spoken word, hip-hop, gospel, and soul. How did you approach bringing those different influences together while maintaining your unique artistic voice?
My best friend and lead PRODUCER on this track Fariss Ryan and I sat down almost 2 and a half years ago, and I just played him songs that I’ve loved throughout time. Tracks that I felt resonated deeply with the lyrics. I was writing during this three year hiatus. And we began to pair down some of my inspirations being gospel, soul and hip-hop. And the spoken word being the way that I convey it just seemed like a natural place to go. And then also just being honest all of these wonderful aspects of musicianship are deeply intrinsic to the black experience, which I feel like this song lends itself to a lot of the black experience from resilience to grace and gratitude.
Gratitude is a central theme of the song. In your own life, what are some of the things you hold onto during difficult seasons that help keep you grounded?
It is my faith and God holds me down in the most difficult seasons. Being a believer in Jesus has given me an anchor when the turbulent wins of life try to knock my ship overboard. When the waves come and crash, I know that God has me. And an extension of God‘s love for me and having me has always been my family. Whether it be my biological family, Church family, chosen family I can call and rely on them anytime.
The song features an impressive group of collaborators, including John Wineglass and the Joe Douglas Gospel Choir. What did each collaborator bring to the project that helped shape its final form?
John Wineglass being a servant in the orchestral World and Joe Douglas gospel choir being home to some of the most skilled singers in the northern California region, allowed me to focus on my art, knowing that they’re excellence would shine in the places that I just simply can’t. so above anything and everything, they helped shape it by giving me the freedom to trust them.
Throughout your career, you’ve transformed deeply personal experiences into art that resonates with strangers. What is the challenge of balancing vulnerability with universality?
To be honest with you, I’ve never tried to make these stories. Universal. It was never a goal. I simply went into it. Sharing my story because I felt called too. And in the midst of it, people begin to see themselves in the midst of my story, and despite the fact that I was not trying to, I always hoped for it too, so I don’t necessarily even know what the secret sauce to it is. I’ll give that one to God‘s pen working through me lol.
You wear many hats—artist, educator, speaker, husband, and father. How have those different roles shaped the stories you choose to tell today?
As I look at the world, I think one of the things we are in the deepest needle is a sense of hope and vulnerability. I think people do one or the other very well. I think some people are very vulnerable and it just stays dark when I see it. Some people are very hopeful because it has no realism. My goal is to be able to paint a full picture to use these new Aunt stories to allow for the world to know that there is hope in dark spaces and that even if the dark spaces do exist, it doesn’t mean that they won. Being an educator allows me to see this in real time with the students I teach. Being an artist allows me to see the impact of my words in real time with the people in the audience. I think a husband and father allows for me to take off all of these hats to have no pressure to be anything but dad and husband.
Fatherhood often changes the way people view purpose, legacy, and success. How has becoming a father influenced your perspective as an artist?
Fatherhood is a mirror up to my ambition. It made me really examine. Why do you want some of the things that you want because if I were to die and they put World‘s greatest Poet on my grave selling stone, but my children did not feel like they had the father they deserved. I would find that to be a failure. But if I didn’t push towards my dream and allow my family to be a part of the journey, I think I’d be failing my children because they deserve to see their father chase after his dream too.
Looking back at your journey from spoken word venues to national television and beyond, what has been the most unexpected lesson you’ve learned about success?
There is no final step. There’s only more work once you hit a new plateau. The idea that there will ever be enough is false because if I were to travel back in time seven years that version of me would freak out to know all we’ve done. Versus the version of me now looks at all the things that I have yet to do. But I will continue to put the hard work and preparation and dedication to my craft because not only does my craft deserve it, but what God gave me deserves it.
With “I’ve Got” marking your latest chapter, what does the future look like for Brandon Leake? Can fans expect a larger musical project?
If all goes as I pray it will, the fans can look forward to a tour unlike anything I’ve ever done before. My hope is to do 20 cities around the world working with symphonies and orchestras, and these major markets bring to life a phenomenal once in a lifetime live show experience. After this album is done and the tourists complete I have no idea what they can expect. It might be a movie. It might be a TV show. It might be another album. I’ll trust that I will know what it is when the time comes.
Is there anything else you would like people to know?
If you are a fan of me and you have supported me just now I love you more than you know.
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