Bryson Tiller has opened up about why he ultimately chose RCA over Drake’s OVO Sound.
In a recent episode of New Rory & Mal, the 32-year-old singer revisited the decision, revealing that he was actually eager to sign with Drake before releasing his debut album Trapsoul. Talks were happening, but his team wasn’t convinced, pushing him toward RCA instead.
“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,” Tiller admitted. “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.”
He added, “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.”
Tiller revealed that his team flew him out to New York City and caught him off guard with a surprise RCA meeting. “I get there, and they’re like, ‘Yeah, we’re here to sign with RCA.’ I was pissed about it,” he shared.
During that time, Tiller said he went back to listening to some of Drake’s older songs, like 2009’s “The Calm,” before deciding to send Drake “one last text” ahead of making his choice.
“He never hit back,” Tiller admitted. “And I know he just busy, super busy dude. I’m not saying he didn’t want me to sign or anything, but in that moment, I had a kid; people back home were watching me like, ‘Is he gonna do it? Is he gonna make it?’ So I had to go with what felt like the surest move.”
The missed OVO signing is still a hot topic. Some argue Tiller would’ve been an even bigger star under Drake’s label, while others feel he might’ve been overlooked since Drake was more focused on his own career than building his roster. Rory sided with the latter, saying Tiller would likely be less famous today if he had signed with OVO.
“I’m not really chasing superstardom,” Tiller admitted. “Honestly, I just love making people happy with music and creating moments for them. Being on stage or being the most famous guy out there… I don’t care about that kind of stuff.”
He added that he never minded the criticism about possibly being shelved under Drake. “When people would say, ‘Oh [Drake’s] gonna put you on the shelf, have you in the sweatshop,’ I was like, ‘Cool. I’m cool with that.’ I was like, ‘Man, I know how to write… I’ll write anything he asks and still be rich.’ If you stripped away all my fame right now, if nobody recognized me, I’d be perfectly fine with that.”
Despite his chart-topping hits, Tiller told Rory and Mal that he feels more at ease working behind the curtain than in the spotlight.
“I just feel like I’m a better writer,” he confessed. “I see songs like orphans. I just want them to end up in the best home. Maybe they don’t belong in the orphanage with me, sitting around without enough love, because I don’t promote my stuff. They just sit there. I feel like the songs could really shine more with other artists.”
