His songs are classics that, when played in a public setting, can cause an entire room to erupt in concert, and Tevin Campbell is sharing some tales of his youth. The “Can We Talk” icon has been in the industry for most of his life as he launched his singing career as a young teen looking for his big break. His talents took him to the top of the charts and around the world, and Campbell has been a respected voice in the industry for decades.
The R&B icon recently sat down with the State of Black Music Podcast to relive some of his greatest moments, and during the discussion, Campbell laughed through a story involving Wyclef that he said now is “actually pretty funny.”
“When I was a kid, dude. I can tell you the story of when I had too much to drink and I was working with Wyclef,” said the singer. “This is actually pretty funny… I had a session with Wyclef. Great session, we did some great songs. And so, before the session, I went into the lobby at the bar and had eight cosmopolitans. Eight. In the span of probably two hours, three hours. So, I was sh*t-faced.”
Campbell said they went into the studio and listened to a few tracks, “and every song he played for me I was like, ‘Oh, that sucks. That’s horrible, play the next one.”
“I was cursing, too! I was being very, very nasty and just horrible,” Campbell recalled. “I was like, ‘This sh*t sucks. What the f*ck is this, play the next one… And so, then he called my mom ’cause he couldn’t take it anymore. I was drunk! Acting a fool, acting like a brat.” Wyclef made sure to update Campbell’s mother on the situation, but even with his mother on the line, the singer admitted that it didn’t change a thing.
The session was canceled due to Campbell’s antics and the singer believes that Wyclef “still holds that against me ’til this day… maybe not.” Watch Campbell’s appearance on the State of Black Music Podcast below.
