Travie McCoy reflects on “Billionaire,” early Bruno Mars memories — and why the two no longer speak

Travie McCoy is looking back at the hit that shaped a global radio moment — and revealing that he and Bruno Mars have not been in contact for many years.

In a new interview with PEOPLE, the Gym Class Heroes frontman detailed how “Billionaire” came together in 2010 — recalling songwriting sessions, lyric changes, and the beginning of Bruno Mars’ rise from behind-the-scenes writer to chart-topping solo star.

The lyric that changed everything

Before “Billionaire” became the version that eventually went worldwide, McCoy says he was played an early demo by Mars and The Smeezingtons — the production trio of Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine.

The now-famous line about appearing on major magazine covers originally name-checked different public figures. McCoy says he asked Mars to adjust one of the references — and Mars quickly revised it.

“He was open. He was collaborative,” McCoy recalled.

A partnership that faded with time

Despite the success and the fact that the song helped introduce Mars to a mainstream audience months before his own breakout single “Just The Way You Are,” McCoy says the two have fallen completely out of touch.

“He doesn’t return my calls,” McCoy told the magazine.

Mars’ representatives did not comment to PEOPLE when the outlet reached out.

Twenty years of Gym Class Heroes

While reflecting on that era, McCoy is also gearing up to celebrate something separate from radio history: the 20th anniversary of The Papercut Chronicles, the 2005 Gym Class Heroes album that helped establish the group’s identity.

He says the anniversary shows will focus on that album in full — not just the later mainstream hits that casual fans tend to request.

“It’s going to be an experience,” McCoy said — adding that he wants to take audiences back to the mindset of being an artist who is talented, driven and still fighting to be heard beyond their hometown scene.

What this moment shows about pop’s 2010s era

“Billionaire” is one of the most recognizable crossover singles of the late 2000s / early 2010s — part of the era where guitar-based pop, rap-adjacent hooks and acoustic reggae-influenced rhythms blended into mainstream Top 40.

McCoy’s nostalgia, paired with Mars’ silence, underscores how massive cultural moments can come from short, concentrated collaborations — and then the artists sometimes move in completely different directions.

McCoy appears content looking forward — honoring his band’s foundation years — while also acknowledging that flashpoint in pop history that once made the two artists household names on the same song.