Peter $un Explains How He & Blue Rondo Flipped An Isaac Hayes-Produced Jazz Record For His ‘Phone Calls Gimme Anxiety’ EP

Virginia-bred artist Peter $un, also known as Sunny, and his longtime friend and producer Blue Rondo are, for lack of a better term or phrase, suckers for a good jazz sample.

That’s part of the reason why Peter $un’s Blue Rondo-produced anthem “Metamorphosis (Butterfly)” kicks off his six-track Phone Calls Gimme Me Anxiety EP. Equipped with a deep sense of purpose near and dear to Sunny’s heart, that record helps amplify the introspective tone of the EP thanks to the alluring, disembodied vocals and empirically soulful piano riff embedded within the masterful production.

During a recent interview with DROPSMEDIA, the “Work” lyricist explained how he and Rondo put their heads together in order to come up with a way to keep their fan-acclaimed “Metamorphosis (Butterfly),” single from hitting the cutting room floor while recording Peter $un’s new EP Phone Calls Gimme Anxiety.

“It wasn’t going be on this project,” Peter $un revealed. “We was gonna save it for the album because we wanted to make sure that this didn’t get pushed back, or I wanted to make sure it didn’t get pushed back. Cause I wanted to put it out. So it would’ve originally started with, you know, the second song without ‘Butterfly’ being on there. But I really wanted this piece because it was like, it felt like the glue. Like it, it glued everything else together. Like everything makes sense now. Like without that, it would’ve been like, ‘Okay, but where did this come from?.’ Like with that, it’s like, ‘Oh, I get it.’ You feel me? So we needed that. So I’m glad that got, that. Got cleared. That, that got cool with that. ”

The strenuous task Peter and Rondo undertook to bring the track to life was Inspired by jazz trumpet player Donald Byrd’s 1981 album track “Butterfly,” which Peter $un re-created himself by singing a version of the vocal arrangement over Blue Rondo’s immaculate piano composition.

The main reason Peter $un and Blue Rondo, who both share an innate love for jazz music, revamped the sample reference for the track was due to issues clearing the original Donald Byrd song from his Isaac Hayes-helmed album. However, according to Peter $un, their decision simply stems from the duo’s desire to showcase the diverse sonic palette they drew from while making the EP.

“That butterfly song is definitely inspired by some other stuff that me and Rondo was digging through,” he said. “The Donald Byrd joint, you know, like of course like the jazz music we was digging through also, like it’s definitely inspired by some things. So, we tried to stay true to that and keep that element of it when we, when we made it. But also, you know, put some newness, put a little twist, our vibe on it, you know? ”

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In a statement provided by Red Bull Records, Peter $un went further into detail about the creative space he was in when crafting “Metamorphosis (Butterfly),” revealing it was the first song he recorded in the aftermath of the death of his elder brother.

“This was inspired by an energy of renewal,” he remarked. This was one of the first songs I wrote after my brother passing that I spoke on it at all. It was like a release of pent-up emotions and just throwing it all out. The message is growth. Learning how to deal with growing pains and becoming the person I see myself as and leaving the old me behind.”

The release of Phone Calls Gimme Anxiety extends Peter $un’s impressive seven-year-long run, which was initially catapulted off the ground in 2016 upon the release of his fan-favorite mixtape Paradise Is A Day Away, followed by his 2018 project Don’t Forget To Smile, which generated 3.9 million Spotify streams. Sunny reached new heights in 2021 following the release of his Scumbaby LP, home to his widely popular “Work” single which was also featured on BET Jams.

Watch the full interview below.