Diplo: Rihanna Once Compared My Music to a ‘Reggae Song in an Airport’
Both Diplo and Rihanna have collaborated with artists across the board, but the prolific music makers have yet to work with each other. In a new interview with GQ Style, Diplo reveals that the absence of a Diplo-produced Rihanna track has not been for lack of trying – on his part.
“I just want her on a Major Lazer song,” he told the publication, adding, “She’s like the one artist we can’t ever get.”
The music producer, who has worked with everyone from M.I.A. to Justin Bieber, then explained that he had attempted to gauge her interest on several occasions, but she turned him down forcefully.
“I played her ‘Lean On.’ She was like, I don’t do house music,” he said. “I face-palmed so hard on that one. Another time I had a session with her, and Future was also invited. The Weeknd was there. Metro Boomin was there before anybody knew who he was. I was so contact high. Future played her, like, 700 songs. It was four in the morning. Finally, I was like, Yo, G, I’m leaving unless you let me play her a song. So I played her a song. And she was like, This sounds like a reggae song at an airport. [laughs] I was like, I’m gonna kill myself.”
Diplo previously admitted that “Lean On” was offered to both Rihanna and Nicki Minaj, but eventually gave it to MØ when both superstars declined.
Rihanna has collaborated with many other high-profile producers for some of her biggest singles, including Calvin Harris, Stargate and most recently, DJ Khaled, for her summer dance hall hit “Wild Thoughts.”
Diplo claims to remain hopeful but nonchalant about his future chances of creating a Rihanna smash of his own.
“I think before we’re all done, she’ll be on a song of ours,” he said. “Hopefully. But if not, I don’t really care.”