Bryson Tiller Explains How He Secured a Drake Collaboration
Written by SOURCE on October 7, 2020
Less than a week after unleashing his Anniversary album, Bryson Tiller revealed how he managed to secure a guest appearance by one of the biggest names in today’s music. Of course, we’re talking about Drake, who contributed a standout verse to “Outta Time,” the only Anniversary cut with a credited guest artist.
Tiller explained how the collaboration came to be during an interview on Genius’ For the Record series. The Louisville, Kentucky, native said Drake was supposed to make a surprise appearance on his 2015 effort Trapsoul, but the plans ultimately fell through for some reason.
“We didn’t get to make that happen, obviously, but this is dope to come back five years later—full circle—and do it,” he said, before revealing Drake was eyeing “The Sequence” and “Don’t” tracks.
Genius’ VP of Content Strategy Rob Markman then asked Tiller how he pitched the collaboration to Drake. It was at that time, Tiller explained he and Drake had been looking to a collaborate for years, but Tiller’s mental state kept holding him back.
“This is how it happened, actually. About eight, nine months ago—me and him have always, like, sent each other ideas, or whatever,” Tiller said. “I was supposed to be on More Life; at that time, I was just in a terrible mental space. I really couldn’t deliver the proper Bryson Tiller verse for a Drake album … it just wasn’t there at all. So I ended up not getting on the project. Anyway, we still kept in contact over the years.”
Tiller said he had sent Drake a track he had intended for the Serenity project. Drizzy liked what he heard and sent back a verse. And although Tiller said he was impressed, he was still hesitant about completing the track.
“I was like, ‘Wow, you sound amazing on this’ … I sat on it for a while, and I kind of found myself in the same place that I was when we first started collaborating,” Tiller said. “… I don’t wanna even come on a song if I’m not really feeling it … I kind of was just sitting on it for a while.”
Then during a studio session for Anniversary, his manager Neil Dominique asked whatever happened to the Drake track. Tiller then played the track for Dominique, who then encouraged him to release it.
“[Dominique] was like, ‘Man, that shit’s. I ain’t gonna lie. I don’t feel like shit would ever come out without you,'” Tiller recalled. “… He left the studio, and for the first time, I went in there and knocked it out … I was like, ‘Yo, can I use it on my album?’ [Drake] was like, ‘Yeah. Let’s go. Let’s go. I’m hype.’ So, that’s how that happened.”
You can watch Tiller’s full For the Record interview on YouTube. He also discusses the success and criticism of Trapsoul, dealing with self-doubt, and his intention to drop Serenity in three installments.
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