From making noise in his Koutu bedroom to landing on the tracklist of a global superstar, Rotorua producer Sonny Bishop has scored the biggest placement of his career on Chris Brown’s new album. Te Ao Māori News caught up with him at home, in the same bedroom where the magic happened.
The track, titled “Hours,” is a major international breakthrough, but the opportunity began with a sudden FaceTime call from Bishop’s US-based mentor, Troy Taylor. Taylor was in a studio session with Chris Brown when he gave Bishop an urgent deadline while Bishop was out on a lunch date.
“He FaceTimes me and he’s like, ‘I need you to add some production to this beat.’ I said, ‘Oh, yeah, I’m just having lunch with my mum,’ and he’s like, ‘I need you to do it right now.’ He played Chris Brown on the phone, and I was like, ‘Mum, we gotta go’
They rushed home to finish the track, but the instrumental was not built in a million-dollar studio. Bishop had to piece it together while recovering from a serious health setback.
“I grabbed my keyboard, put it on my lap in bed, hooked it up to the TV, and I made that particular beat in bed, which is crazy. This is the biggest song of my career, and I made it in bed, sick”
A 20-Year Grind
Landing a spot on an album where thousands of tracks are rejected is a testament to Bishop’s long-term hustle. His music journey began 20 years ago with kapa haka, and he was still a teenager when he first packed his bags for Auckland to give the industry a serious shot, relying on a tight weekly budget from home just to survive.
“I was only 15, like, I haven’t got no money, my mum doesn’t have much money, she was sending me, like, $20 a week, and I had to live with that... but those are the sacrifices you have to make to chase your dream”
Bishop spent a decade establishing himself locally with artists such as Melodownz before signing a major deal in 2019 with Grammy-winning US producer DJ Mustard, which kick-started his American connections.
The Bittersweet Release
While his music career was taking off in the US, Bishop made a major personal decision to step away from his established networks in Auckland. After the passing of his father, he put his city life on hold and returned to his roots.
“I gave all that up to come look after mum, and looking back at it now, it was the best decision I ever made”
Confirmation that “Hours” had made the final album selection came two months ago, giving Bishop and his mother time to celebrate his biggest career win together. As her health declined in the hospital, Bishop says she remained his biggest fan.
“She was in hospital... it was funny, she kept telling the nurses, ‘My son’s got a song with Chris Brown.’ So yeah, she was proud, she was proud”
But the milestone arrived with devastating timing. Just hours before the song was released worldwide over the weekend, Bishop’s mother passed away. He says the moment brought a heavy mix of emotions, but he knows she is still celebrating the win with him.
“Oh, it was bittersweet, you know, because I was proud that it was finally released, but it was tough. I know she’ll be proud. She’ll just be like, ‘I’m proud of you, my baby, I can’t believe you have a song with Chris Brown”
Looking ahead, Bishop is already working on future projects but says his main focus now is using his global network to discover local talent. For other young Māori trying to break into the industry from small towns, his message is simple.
“I’m proof that you could actually do it. I’m a Māori boy from Koutu, Rotorua. I wasn’t brought up with a silver spoon, but whatever you find, you’ve got to love it, love it and protect it.”
