Bryson Tiller dominated 2015 and 2016 when Trapsoul first came out. White Nike dad hats, jean jacket and hoodie combos, and crooning over trap hi-hats. It’s such a brief but extremely specific era in which his music dominated. It was a natural step in the lineage of Drake’s take on R&B. Given how easy it is to trace Tiller to the stylings of OVO, it’s surprising he never ended up within his camp. However, apparently, he was supposed to be.
Recently, Bryson Tiller spoke on a recent episode of New Rory & Mal. There, he admits that he was initially supposed to sign a deal with Drake under his October’s Very Own label. This would’ve lined up where his breakout album Trapsoul would’ve been under the Toronto hitmaker. It’s easy to imagine Drizzy hopping on any number of records on the album. But things take a turn when Tiller’s team seriously advise him to roll with RCA instead.
Bryson Tiller Nearly Signs With Drake During TrapSoul era
“I’m being so blunt. Honest. The only reason I didn’t sign [to OVO] is just because bro didn’t hit me back one time,” the Louisville crooner explains. “This was in a moment when my label, like, they was hounding me, they was flying me, they was trying to get me away from Drake.”
“I was like, ‘Yo, OVO is really in my blood, for real.’ I really have studied [Drake’s] catalog. There’s a couple of people that I really consider huge strands of my musical DNA, and Drake is one of them,” Bryson Tiller adds.
But Tiller’s team insisted, surprising him with a meeting with RCA, something he wasn’t particularly thrilled about. Consequently, he held out until the very end, sending one last text to Drake before making his decision. Ultimately, Bryson rolls with the sure thing amidst Drake’s radio silence.
“He never hit back,” Bryson Tiller says. “And I know he just busy, super busy dude. I’m not saying that he didn’t want me to sign or whatever, but at that moment, like, I had a kid; people back home that’s looking at me like, ‘Is he gonna do it? Is he gonna make it?’ So I had to go with what was the most sure shot.”
The post ‘I’m Being So Blunt. Honest’: Bryson Tiller Reveals the One Reason He Didn’t Sign With Drake Before ‘Trapsoul’ appeared first on VICE.
