On Thursday, when Drake shared the first production credits for his new album VIEWS, one of the more remarkable inclusions was actually missing. Steven Vidal, a 23-year-old from the Paris suburbs who works as Stwo, had contributed to the album's sixth track, the Mary J. Blige-flipping "Weston Road Flows," for what should've been his first-ever official production credit. As Stwo tells it, the omission happened because Drake was convinced the beat was made by his longtime chief producer, Noah "40" Shebib. Alerted of the mistake during Drake's Thursday night interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe, an apologetic 40 tweeted confirmation of Stwo's involvement.
Stwo's debut as a producer for a major-label artist punctuates a rapid rise. He moved from Paris to Toronto early last year to work for 40, and his own track "Haunted," featuring the vocalist Sevdaliza, was closing in on 2 million SoundCloud plays as of this post. Along with 40 and R&B, he cites such influences as James Blake, Toro Y Moi, and Jai Paul. He's also prepping his own EP for a release this year. Stwo talked with Pitchfork about his seemingly overnight ascent, meeting Drake and 40, and the making of "Weston Road Flows." Of his name being left off the pre-release credits, he says, "To me, it's even better, man—I'll remember this even more."
Pitchfork: So, did I read correctly that you got your start in music playing bass in a reggae band?
Stwo: It wasn't really a reggae band. It was just me and my friends making music. It was kind of like a mix of everything. But yeah, I was playing bass in that group, like actual bass guitar.
Pitchfork: How did you get into DJing and producing your own tracks?
I don't know how to read or understand music in a theoretical way. My friends both knew how to do it, so I was kind of limited. When I had ideas, I couldn't be like, "Yeah, we should do that." I picked up a computer and I just wanted to make music that felt right to me. I started going in Logic, and that's how I started making music at first. Then I met my manager [Will Cole] and he started booking me shows and everything started for me.
How did you meet your manager?
My manager is Kaytranada's manager, too. He was coming for Kay's show like three years ago at this festival in France. He told me to come there so I met Kay and him. Right after that, we started booking some shows. I kept on producing stuff on SoundCloud, and at the same time I would travel and play DJ sets. So I had to learn how to DJ on the road, too.
How did Will find out about you?
One of his roommates sent him the first EP that I made, called Beyond. He was already in contact with the OVO people, like Oliver [El-Khatib], and they were looking for some stuff back in the day for Nothing Was the Same. He sent them some stuff from Kaytranada, but that wasn't really what they were looking for. And then he found my stuff, and he was like, "Oh, this kind of makes sense," and he sent it back to Oliver. That was like three years ago. I wasn't even signed to 40 yet. I didn't even know who 40 was.
So, in 2013, you found yourself opening for Hudson Mohawke. What was that like?
It was like my third show ever. I was somewhere in the Netherlands, and I played this big festival with Major Lazer and HudMo. I was playing just before HudMo. It was weird, man! I never really thought about DJing or anything like that. So it was just like, this is crazy. I really enjoyed it, and I still enjoy it. It's really fun. But it was just crazy going from nothing to that, within a couple of weeks or months.
So then Will passes your stuff along to 40—
Actually, not even! 40 hit me up out of the blue. I know they kept going back and forth with Will, but not really. Nothing was going on. On my side, I was getting really into Drake's music. I've always been a fan of Drake. Nothing Was the Same was one of my favorite albums ever. And I made a mixtape, Ninety Two, where its beats that are inspired by that.
I had this beat tape and I didn't do anything with it, but then one day 40 just DMed me on Twitter. He started following me, and I didn't even know who was 40 back then. I was like, "He looks important," but I didn't really know. He's not really about interviews and stuff. It's hard to know who he is really. So I looked for his name and his story and I was like, "My god! He's important! He's Drake's main producer." That was like two years ago. He hit me and he was like, "Hey, if you have anything for Drake or Party[NextDoor], I would really like to make it happen." But that was nothing sure.
I kept on sending stuff, and then eventually I sent him that beat tape, and then for two months he disappeared. One day, he hit me back and he said, "I really like what you sent me. I want to bring you out to Toronto and sign a publishing deal and help me out on VIEWS." And I took my luggage and I left. I moved to Toronto.
What's the process like working with 40?
When he first hit me up, I didn't know what to expect at all. I read some stuff where for Nothing Was the Same they were sleeping in tents. I didn't know. But it was not like that at all. When I met 40, he made me feel really comfortable. Straight from the first day I met him, I could tell we were going to get along.
Where did you meet him?
At his house, where his studio is. It's a little bit outside of Toronto, the studio where they made most of VIEWS. I went there and he was the nicest guy. He showed me the studio, and it was the craziest studio. Because I came to the studio straight from my bedroom, right? And I had never been in a studio before, and the first studio I see is 40's latest, most modern studio. I didn't even know how these things worked. I was like a kid in a toy shop. I was just like, this is Christmas.
And then later, after that, he literally gave me a key to the studio. And what's crazy is he signed me but we never really talked. I never really talked to him on the phone. He signed me without knowing me, just from the music. I was like, "Man, what if he doesn't like me? What if I'm weird, or not good enough?" You always have these questions. And I guess he trusted me from the music.
When did you first meet Drake, and what's he like?
The day I met Drake, I made "Weston Road Flows." Drake is so busy, as you can imagine. Most of the time when he's in the studio, he's only with 40. They have this chemistry where they trust each other, so there's not really a place for other people yet. You need to really make your way through so they trust you enough to be in a room with him. I was in the studio with 40 just working on some stuff, and out of nowhere, 40 is just like, "Drake's coming. You met him?" And I'm like, "No man." "All right, well just stay there."
So I'm staying in a room and Drake just pops in. I'm like, "Oh shit, this is Drake." And he doesn't even go to 40 yet—he just comes straight at me and hugs me. He brought us some food, and he's just really nice. It's not a scary atmosphere, where he's trying to act cool. It just feels like home. It really feels like it's just a family.
After he comes in, they start working on some stuff, and I was in my room working on some more things. In the studio there was a kitchen, and that's where 40 came with this idea that was the beginning of the "Weston Road Flows" beat. And he was like, "Try whatever on it." And I added stuff from a keyboard with my laptop. And that's what's so funny to me, that I was in this craziest studio and I didn't even use any of that material for this song. I made some chords and whatever, so he went back to his room with Drake. They kept on working all night. I was the last one in the studio, and before 40 went to bed, it was just like, "Yeah, man. You made the record." I went in the room and I heard the song and I was just like, "Oh, shit."
That night was when you first heard the song?
Yeah. I heard most of Drake's verse, and they probably recorded some more stuff. They obviously mixed the song and changed some stuff. But from that night, when I made the idea, at the end of the night, by the morning, I already heard the final product. They're so fast.
Did 40 come in with the Mary J. Blige sample?
Yeah, that's him. Most of the beat was done. The sample was here, the drums were here, and then I came out with the chords. There's this outro at the end—I used that part of the sample, and I filtered, and I added the chords on it. When the drums stop at the end, that's when I start.
The pitch-shifting that 40 did with Mary J. Blige, though, is like things you've done before, like on your remix for the Weeknd?
Yeah, it's perfect, because for some reason this song is really something that I could have done myself just in the past. I really like R&B. I've remixed a bunch of R&B people. So it really makes sense for me to be on that song. And I'm really happy to be on it, because this is also a timeless song. It could have been on Take Care. It's not too trap. It's a really timeless record, and I'm really proud that they let me be on that one.
Are there other tracks of yours that Drake may have rapped on that we haven't heard yet?
I made so many ideas for VIEWS. I don't even know how many ideas I sent 40. Probably like a hundred. And there are so many ideas that I know were started into something. We might use them later. There were a lot of other beats that were close to making the cut but didn't do it. I'm signed to 40, so I know there's going to be other opportunities down the road.
Do you have any thoughts about the lyrics on this song?
For me to understand all the lyrics, I have to go on the Genius and read the lyrics. That's another funny story. I was in the studio, the day after we made the song, and 40 played it again. Other people were there, and they were all just losing their minds to the lyrics. And I was like, "Yo, what's going on?" And they were like, "You don't realize what he's saying on this? For Toronto it's huge! He's going so hard." And I was like, "Well, I guess he is." I didn't really know.
Another funny thing about me as a producer is I always focus 100% on the beat and the melody of the vocalist, whoever it is. But I'm not going to focus on the lyrics. Sometimes people are telling me lines from songs, and I'm like, "Who is that?" And they're like, "That's your song." And I'm like, "Oh shit, I didn't notice."
["Weston Road Flows"] is the sixth song on the album, so it's the song for Toronto, and it's the album for Toronto, and I'm not even from Toronto. But I'm glad, because this city welcomed me, and I'm glad to give it back that way, by helping on a track that gives it back from Drake to Toronto.
So you don't know if he's taking shots at anyone in particular with that Hershey's line, for example.
I don't think there's any of that. I think this song is really about how much the city counts for Drake and all the team. It's all little references to little shops and before he made it. It's a love declaration to the city. And it makes sense, because I fell in love with the city, too.
How did you end up being left out of the credits?
They keep it mysterious. Even if you work on the stuff you don't know everything. They have a million things to think about. So yesterday they dropped the credits, and I was not on there, and I was confused. I was like, "I guess I didn't make the cut." Which is totally fine. I was just like, "All right, man, well, let's keep working and we'll make it happen next time." I was on the plane, so then I landed in Toronto and I listened to the album, because I was just dying to hear it, and I heard "Weston Road," and I was like, "Well, my part is still there.
So I texted 40, and I was like, "Hey man, my part is still there, but do you know what's up?" And he texted me, "Oh my God, man, me and Drake had a talk a few days ago about who made that part." And Drake was sure that 40 made it. Because I feel like it just sounds really like 40. So I guess Drake was like, "No, you made it." And 40 was like, "I don't remember, but maybe I did." And Drake was like, "It's you, for sure."
I told him and he opened the session and looked at the file and he was like, "Oh man, it's you. I totally forgot. I'm sorry about that." It's not a shot or anything—it happens. So he called me and he was like, "I'm really sorry, but at the same time, I'm so happy, because I wanted you to be a part of this, and now you're part of it." I'm just really happy.
via Marc Hogan
