If you have even a cursory interest in hip-hop, rhythm and blues, and/or hi-top fades, chances are you’ve heard about Canadian dark R&B mega-sensation the Weeknd. You are also probably aware that the main man behind the project is a 22-year-old ex-American Apparel employee named Abel Tesfaye. He’s done very well for himself in a very short period of time—becoming BBFs with Drake, securing an upcomi”ng 2012 Coachella performance, and remixing a Lady Gaga song within a year of his free mixtape debut House of Balloons.
The tidal wave of hype that has been building over the last 12 months began with the release of three songs: “What You Need,” “Loft Music” and “The Morning (Original Version).” Discerning listeners might remember that the production of these standout tracks was originally credited to a guy named Jeremy Rose, who has since parted ways with Abel. Yet, until now, no one knew the full story of why and how the split happened.
The handful of Weeknd fans and music journalists who have followed the story have only been able to discern that “creative differences” were to blame, Jeremy is now producing under the moniker Zodiac, and that all mentions of his name had been scrubbed from the final version of House of Balloons. Recently, Jeremy decided to set the record straight, and the facts ain’t pretty. After our interview, I attempted to reach out to Abel to see if he had anything to add to the discourse. A member of his crew who goes by the name “XO” got back to me via Facebook, claiming that Abel had “no comment.”
VICE: What’s your backstory? When did you start making music?
Jeremy Rose: I was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and lived around Nova Scotia, mostly Dartmouth, until I was ten. It’s kind of a shitty town, so my parents, my brother, and me moved to Chatham, Ontario. I lived there until I was about 21. Chatham is a small town surrounded by cornfields. Nothing to do. Lots of drug use. Teen moms. Stuff like that. The music scene there was just kids playing screamo shit. I didn’t really fit in, so that’s why I got out. Then I moved to Toronto. I had some intentions of doing music out here, but I’ve always been a slow worker. I really take my time with it.How did you first meet Abel?
My girlfriend was working at Poutini’s [a poutine spot in Toronto, obviously] and I used to hang out with a couple of these Australian guys that worked there. That’s where I met Abel, he was hanging out at their house. I was showing them some things in Ableton, because they were interested in that stuff and I was playing the beat for “What You Need.” I had that thing for a couple years and I didn’t know what to do with it. Anyway, Abel was there and he started free-styling on top of it.So that was the impetus of the Weeknd?
Yeah, that’s when I asked him if he wanted to work on something—I had this idea for a dark R&B project. I think I talked to Curtis Santiago [aka Talwst, local Toronto R&B dude] about it, but he wasn’t really what I was looking for because he was on some other thing. Abel seemed to suit the project.
