The-Dream has been under the radar for a minute but he’s ready to remind everyone why he’s one of the top songwriters/producers in the game. Ahead of his forthcoming trilogy album, Sextape, due this Friday (Dec. 21), Terius Nash spoke to Billboard about the explicit release, the role he played in R&B and his business affairs. He also shares his interesting take on the current King of R&B discussion.
Here are four takeaways from The-Dream’s conversation with the famed music publication.
1. He had a hand in bringing new life to R&B.
“When I dropped, there was a complete void of R&B music and of those people that wanted to sing it. I was trying to deliver it in a way where it wasn’t lame. And it wasn’t this sappy sort of place that certain people were coming from at that time. I don’t think I get enough credit for that part, but that’s the part that was changed and gave R&B a certain new life. It just took a while, about five or six years, for it to catch up and for people to catch on but it’s how we got to this particular point today.”
2. He has no regrets selling 75% of his catalog.
“It’s about timing, assets and whether or not you’ve expunged everything from that particular property that you own. Do you wanna wait 15 years to get money out of that? Or do you wanna get it now and reinvest? You can’t look at it and say, ‘Oh, because I don’t have that piece of that anymore means I didn’t do it.’ No. That thing is still gonna read ‘Written by Terius Nash.’ That doesn’t matter. It depends on whether or not you’re at your prime and you know what you’re doing next.”
3. It’s all The-Dream on his new album.
“This album is gonna bring the smoke that everybody wants, if you want it, you gonna get it for a whole 12 months. It’s gonna be a nice continuation of what I started 10 years ago. And that’s just because I felt like it. That’s how I started Lovehate. Because I felt like it, not because I had to or needed to. Having records on the charts every time, it was good. But Sextape is three volumes, 38 records which I’m calling the “38 Special” so anybody who wants it can come get it. And there are no features or fillers. I’m really happy about it and proud of it.”
4. He isn’t interested in being a contender for the King of R&B title.
“I’m not sure at this point that I would wanna be on that list right now anyway. I just think whoever aligns themselves with that title, it should be suited to their best gifts. I still don’t think I would wanna be a King on that list because I wanna be more multifaceted than that. I don’t want to give up my liberty in the hip-hop culture of writing this crazy lyrical onslaught at the end of Rick Ross’ ‘Money Dance.’ I don’t wanna give that up just to become the King of R&B. You can call me ‘The Wittiest’ or ‘The Melodic King’ or ‘God of Music,’ let me get that title. I’ll take that.”
Make sure to stream and download your copy of The-Dream’s three-part Sextape album this Friday. It marks his first solo release since 2016’s Love to You Death.
Words by Danielle Brissett
