While Drake has at all times been beneficiant together with his reward of different artists, solely a handful truly signal their title on the dotted line to hitch the coveted OVO Sound roster. After being handpicked by Drake, Oliver El-Khatib and Noah “40” Shebib, Roy Woods knew he needed to take management of this co-sign of a lifetime that so younger artists can solely dream of.
To maintain from buckling underneath the stress, the 22-year-old singer from Brampton, Canada, made certain he set his personal tempo. Since being signed in 2015, he launched two EPs that wove collectively his takes on heartbreak, small-town experiences, and parts of his Guyanese tradition whereas headlining his personal solo excursions to make sure he constructed up and nurtured his personal fanbase earlier than some other main strikes.
Woods is at present opening up for Drake and Migos on the nationwide Aubrey & The Three Migos Tour, the place he finds himself heart stage in entrance of tens of hundreds of screaming followers who — though they paid to see the 6 God and the Atlanta lure trio — cling onto each phrase of Roy’s hits like “Drama” and “Get You Good.”
His journey is quickly progressing, however Woods has discovered to maintain a good grasp on actuality and never fold underneath the expectations positioned on him from being signed to one of many greatest artists on this planet. His most up-to-date album, Say Less, is a testomony to how he achieves this: block out all of the noise whereas letting your actions converse. “There’s no need for the gossip and conversations when you can just say less and do so much more,” he informed Billboard again in March.
With this mind-set, his extraordinarily close-knit group, and his OVO labelmates who deal with him like a “normal guy still,” Woods is ready to maintain the power and poise that propels him to ship nice performances underneath the colossal highlight and in addition make a few of the finest and most “mature” music he has ever made.
Roy Woods lately sat down with Billboard to debate what life is like on the highway with Drake and Migos, assembly icons like Stevie Wonder and Mike Tyson, and about that one time he really virtually gave all the things up, however didn’t.
Wow, you’re actually out right here on the Aubrey & The Three Migos Tour, man. Has all of it sunk in but?
Tour life is lit and it’s lots. I often simply be chilling on my dolo, however I’m with the dancers lots too and so they’re fucking hilarious. My favourite music to carry out is “Love You.” It truthfully did hit me, although. Pretty a lot the primary present. It wasn’t even onstage whereas I used to be performing, truly. I used to be watching the present from the group, like I used to be watching Drake and Migos carry out. I used to be like, “Holy shit. I’m really out here. I’m 22 years old and I’m doing arenas.” It’s surreal.
Oh, I’m 22 too. You know. Us younger’ns out right here or no matter.
Wow, it’s lit! [Laughs] I by no means knew my life could be like this at this age. Definitely didn’t. I’m going day-by-day. This is only a interest. That’s all I used to do music for. Do it for enjoyable to maintain it enjoyable.
A interest? So what’s your predominant factor then?
Shit, I play video games lots. [Laughs] I simply began enjoying FIFA once more. I play a variety of nerdy games you in all probability wouldn’t know. My sister put me onto them.
Speaking of your sister, I do know she did the art work to your most up-to-date album, Say Less. How did it really feel to see that come collectively?
Amazing. It’s wonderful. My sister did this, and now the entire world can see it? It made me really feel actually nice as a brother. I simply informed her to do it, and he or she was like, “Sure.” It was actual simple for her. She does this. I gave her songs and concepts of what I needed for the album. She took all that into her artwork, got here up with a pair concepts. We went with the second concept.
What was it like assembly Stevie Wonder? He’s my No. 1 of all time. What did he say? Was he good? What did he odor like?
Oh my God. Yo! I did a whole 180 and simply *begins furiously faux sprinting*. It was Chicago on the Drake and Migos tour. I needed to! The second was too actual. It was loopy. My engineer was like, “This is Roy Woods, Drake’s artist.” He was like, “Keep doing your thing, boy.” Jesus! It was loopy. [Laughs] I can’t actually let you know what he smells like, however I bear in mind he has actually delicate palms.
And I met Mike Tyson yesterday. I used to be going to the lavatory and considered one of his dudes stopped me like, “Yo, your performance was amazing!” He tapped Mike and was like, “Look!” I used to be like, “Oh shit!” He was like, “Great performance, I enjoyed it. Keep doing your thing and don’t stop.” We spoke some extra and Mike was lit and he’s simply so pleasant. He’s truly in all probability my favourite individual I’ve met thus far out of everybody. I heard he was dancing alongside to my efficiency. Like, Mike Tyson informed me I can’t cease, so I actually can’t cease now.
What’s your favourite factor about being signed to OVO?
That I’m regular nonetheless. They make me really feel like only a regular man nonetheless. Nobody treats no person completely different and everyone will get handled like a human being. I may hit my label on some actual shit. Talk to them, ask them for recommendation about my life. I’m like, “Yo, I’m going through this,” and so they’re by no means going to provide me some bullshit recommendation. They give me the true.
I discuss to PARTYNEXTDOOR lots, largely about music. I’d be caught. Last time I ever had author’s block, I obtained out of it for good due to him. He was like, “Stop. Don’t stress upon the music. Go live your life. Just go live your life and come back to it. If you keep trying to force something, it’s not going to happen. Let it be natural.” I like speaking to Party. He needs me to be one of the best me. That’s what I would like for myself, to be one of the best Roy Woods, and that’s what he needs from me too.
I swear this can be a true story and I even have the receipts. I bear in mind I DM’ed you two years in the past when Nocturnal got here out as a result of I assumed it was wonderful and I needed to interview you, however you didn’t reply and —
[Laughs] Oh shit! I can’t even log onto Twitter on my cellphone anymore.
I solely deliver it up as a result of I believe it’s cool now that we’re sitting right here and the interview is going on regardless, and when you’re doing even crazier, greater issues now. Have you had a second like that but the place one thing didn’t wind up taking place for you, however finally with excellent timing, issues got here full-circle?
Yes. Before I went on tour with Drake final time, I used to be alleged to go on a Europe tour, however I canceled that. It was my tour. I actually canceled my very own complete Europe tour to go on the highway with Drake and Future as a substitute.
I’m completely satisfied I did that, although. I simply left Europe and got here again lately. But simply now, there have been so many individuals in Europe simply yelling, “I’ve waited three years for you, bro!” They knew each single phrase. It was so loopy and mind-blowing. That was one factor that I needed to occur. I needed to go to Europe and actually get to the followers. I notice I’m glad I waited as a result of it was simply such a greater expertise for everyone.
You spoke with Billboard back in March and the interview left off with the way you’re going to ship sounds that we’ve by no means heard from you. Although you’re on tour, have you ever had time to be within the studio and determine what these new sounds are?
I’ve a lot new materials that I’m so prepared to provide out. It’s nothing that anybody has ever heard from me. It’s simply extra mature. I’d say there’s extra vitality, extra enjoyable. There’s extra head-knockers. Then, once I actually need to put you in your feels, I’ll actually make you need to really feel such as you need to cry. You’re going to be like, “What the heck is going on in Roy’s life? Wow.” I’ve performed it for individuals and so they’ve been like, “Wow, I’ve never heard you like this.”
Were you ever shut to actually giving up?
I felt suicidal. This was 2016 through the summertime. We have one thing known as Toronto Island, and between that we’ve Lake Ontario and boats go to the lakefront and to the island. It’s actually much like how Chicago has their lakeshore. I used to stay throughout the road from there. I bear in mind it was like 5 within the morning, nobody’s there, and the solar was developing. I can’t swim, and I bear in mind I used to be pondering of the worst issues attainable. I used to be like, “What if I just jump in? Fuck it.” I don’t know what introduced me there. I simply felt that approach, and I used to be feeling that approach for a very long time. I bear in mind sitting on the nook of that wood shore simply wanting on the water.
I used to be pondering to myself, “Is it worth it? I mean, I’m already here. What else am I going to do?” So a lot was operating via my head. I used to be there for like 30 complete minutes, simply considering it. I touched the water and simply walked away. Thinking again, I believe I felt that I used to be in too deep into my life already, and that’s what stopped me. I believe there’s extra to see and extra for me to expertise.
If somebody studying that is feeling like that 2016 Roy proper now, what would you say to them?
Life is the one factor we’ve. Death is the one factor we’re promised. So why give it to your self so quick?
