Mike Posner

RJ here, chilling at the Young Hollywood Studio with Mike Posner.

Now, your song Cooler Than Me is on the radio every time I turn it on.

You got designer shades just to hide your face, and you wear 'em around like you're cooler than me. And you never say, "Hey" or remember my name, and it's probably 'cause you think you're cooler than me.

So where were you the first time you heard this song? What were you doing?

I was in LA.

Okay.

And I got a text, and, um, a friend was like, "They're about to play your song on Power 106." I was like, "Oh, wow." So I rushed over. I have like a clock radio. That's like the only, my alarm clock, it's like the only radio I have in my house. So I like turned the dial, like found it, and I was like, "Oh my God!" He wasn't lying. They play it a lot now, so I'm grateful.

Yes, I was gonna say, now we're on probably like 10,000. What's it like the 10,000th time you've heard the song on the radio?

I don't really listen to the radio that much, 'cause I don't want it my music to sound like the other stuff on it.

But it's so crazy, like the debut album hasn't even hit yet, and yet you're getting that much airplay. Like, how do you, how do you top it? What do you go from here?

Oh, I have way bigger records coming.

Really?

Don't worry.

Give us a little sneak peek of what,

Do I look stupid enough to put my biggest record first? No, but for the last two years, you know, I started out making music in my dorm room. You know, I built this base, and I have this army of people across the country that's supported me when when they didn't have to. You know? So for the last two years, I I like to say I'm holding the bow, and I've been pulling back the bow farther and farther and farther. We're about to let it go right now.

So I've heard a couple really just crazy comparisons. I mean, one of them said, like the voice of Justin Timberlake with the producing skills of Timbaland. I mean, that's like the best and the best. And like that's saying Mike Posner is that. Like, when you hear that, what do you, what do you think?

You know, that's an incredible honor. I like both those guys. He's sold hundreds of millions of records. And you know, you're talking about the best producer in the game and one of the biggest pop stars in the world. So I have a lot of work to do before I can, you know, I feel like I can be in the same sentence with with either of them. But that's an honor. But, you know, that being said, I don't think my music sounds like anybody's. You know, I'm my own artist. If I thought I sounded like Justin Timberlake, I don't mean it's in a bad way, I would I would quit. You know what I mean? 'Cause Justin Timberlake is Justin Timberlake, I'm me. I feel like that's why I'm on this couch with you, you know, because people react to my lyrics. You know, I write all my own songs. And I really believe that listeners can tell.

So what what was the inspiration to Cooler Than Me?

Well, I wrote that song, um, when I was still at Duke. I was a junior. And, um,

Right.

there's a lot of girls on campus there that that, you know, have big egos.

Oh, RJ, by the way, he's getting a little red here, but continue, continue.

Like there are all over the world. And, you know, I meet, there's so many girls that have come out of my past and be like, "I know that song's about me." I'm just like, "Uh, okay." You know, "You can keep thinking that if you want."

So, so a couple of other things we've heard about. Just want to know, you know, the truth behind it. Like the whole Jay-Z thing. Is it true like he he came after you or sought after you and you met with him early on?

No, I've been making that up.

Oh, you're making it up all along.

No, I'm just kidding.

No, so tell us what happened. I mean, Jay-Z's like, that's legendary, man.

It was, it was finals week my junior year.

Right.

You know, so I had a 20-page paper to do. It was like the only thing between me and my summer. And, uh, my manager, Dan, who's standing back there, he called me, he's like, "I got some big news." He's like, "Jay-Z wants to take a meeting." You know, so I flew out there in finals week to New York. It was my second time in New York that week 'cause I had met with a bunch of other labels, you know, earlier. And, um, I played him Cooler Than Me, and, uh, his face just went like that. He made the ugly face.

You got a good Jay-Z impression going on, man.

And he made the ugly face, and, um, I'll never forget, he said, he turned to his manager, he goes, "All right, so what do we do now?" And his manager goes, "I think we do a deal now." He goes, "All right, let's do a deal."

Wow.

And, uh, so fast forward, I'm back at Duke finishing this paper, and I look in my email, and it's like a record deal offer from Roc Nation. I was just like, "How am I gonna finish this at this point?" My mind's like going, going nuts. But I didn't sign with them. Oh, I signed with RCA.

If I could write you a song to make you fall in love, I would already have you wrapped around my arm. I use all of my tricks. I hope that you like this, but you probably won't, you think you're cooler than me.

Thank you, Mike, that was fun.

Thanks.

Was it good?

Yeah, I had a blast.

Good times. My butt kind of hurts.

I know, right?