Trey Songz is out here promoting a brand new double album on the week of his 34th birthday. To mark the occasion, Trey drafted an itinerary of his preferred choice of media hubs. Among them, he listed Big Boy's Neighborhood, the eponymously-named mainstay of Los Angeles "hip-hop" radio. The interview proved on some level, that even after a decade in the media spotlight, there is still lots to learn regarding the soft-spoken R&B singer. On the docket this week: his decision not to sign Drake back when they first met in 2007.
The conversation picks up at about the 17-minute mark of the interview, as Trey Songz recounts the first time he met Drake, back when the R&B singer was still living in his manager's unfinished basement. In fact, it was his manager who put two and two together.
This was likely back in 2007, Drake was not primarily focused on his songwriting process. Trey Songz, as I said before, was living in an unfinished basement - his studio setup was pretty minimal. We're talking two mic outputs and a 14-inch laptop, and the natural acoustic of the housing unit.
As the story goes, Drakes comes in sporting Moncler jacket, with his "Replacement Girl" demo reel in hand. Trey muttered to himself upon shaking Drake's hand. "Who's this light-skinned guy?" he thought. In reality, it didn't take long for Drake to win him over.
Although Trey admits the Drake we bear witness to Today is far more "kitted and fitted," the star potential was there from the start. "Drake wanted to sign to me, but I couldn't do what needed to be done for him," Trey said, showing little regret.
"I saw the talent in him," he added. Big Boy didn't press him any further. It was quite evident, Trey was not in a place to oversee someone else's career like he is Today. Trey would eventually record a singing part on "Replacement Girl" later in 2007. The duo would hit pay dirt two years later on "Successful," the follow-up to his breakout hit "Best I Ever Had."