Following Tyler, the Creator’s entertaining interview, Trey Songz sat down with Larry King for his Ora TV talk show “Larry King Now.” The R&B hitmaker, who will release his sixth album Trigga on July 1, opened up about everything from being a sex symbol to his complicated relationship with his biological father.
He also weighed in on the controversy surrounding Justin Bieber, who appears on the remix to “Foreign.”
Plus, hear what he had to say about his idols Jay Z and 50 Cent, his first kiss, and the secret to his success.
On Justin Bieber’s use of the N-word: “I think we all make mistakes. Especially as young people. I think if I was found on tape saying some things at 15 I wouldn’t want people to see, you know? And I think the fact that he’s owned up to it and not ran away from it is something that we need to very much encourage, you know, because people do make mistakes and people do have blemishes. But to act like we don’t.”
On being a celebrity: “It’s a double-edged sword. There’s times when you want your privacy, but you give yourself to the world.”
On the secret to his success: “It’s all about my smile. ”
On his biological father: “I haven’t talked to my birth father in almost four years. I think I may be still bitter a little bit actually. At this point, I want to have a conversation with him, a real conversation. We’ve spoken over the years, but he’s never been real with me as to why he hasn’t been in my life.”
On Jay Z: “Jay Z’s been an influence of mine since I was a young man. When I got the opportunity to tour with him and work with him in so many different ways, it was an honor.”
On 50 Cent: “50, he’s hilarious. 50’ll tell you some of the funniest stories you’ve ever heard.”
On President Obama’s impact: “If you tell a young man of any color, race or creed that he can do anything, he can now believe it.”
On his first kiss: “It was a song called ‘The Kissing Game’ out and we kissed while that song was playing at the recreation center. I was probably about six.”
