Bishop, 34, helped produce and compose the track Nthn2tlkbout, featured on the second release.
Though he never spoke directly to Brown, he found out early this year that he would feature on the album.
He said his mentor, Troy Taylor, was United States-based and had worked with “a lot of legends in the industry”, including Stevie Wonder and Whitney Houston.
He had advised Bishop to send “beats” to him every week.
Bishop was sending Taylor about 10 at a time, and Brown “jumped on” one after a studio session at which Taylor had played his work.
Bishop said Brown had held on to the track since 2024 while he continued to record “thousands” of songs.
Bishop didn’t want to get his hopes up and spent the next two years unsure if the beat would make the final album.
American singer Chris Brown released a new album in June.
In that time, Bishop moved back to Rotorua from Auckland.
He had left Rotorua Boys’ High School at about 16 to make the “scary” leap to chase a music career.
He said he “blossomed”, working his way up the ladder and building connections with people who became like family.
“I had a lot going for me up in Auckland.”
But after his father died and his mother, Susan, became unwell, he made the “difficult” decision to leave.
His mother needed kidney dialysis and “wasn’t really as independent as she used to be”.
He returned to Rotorua to look after her as a full-time caregiver.
Between cleaning, cooking and taking her to appointments, Bishop kept making music, often finding time when his mother was receiving treatment.
He got confirmation that he would feature on Brown’s album the same day that his mother was admitted to hospital for the final time, around March.
She remained in hospital until the album’s release, not returning home until June 18.
She died the next day, a few hours before Bishop’s song was released.
“It’s crazy timing,” he said.
“My number one supporter and she just passed away right before it came out.”
His mother was the reason he fell in love with music, after she bought him a keyboard for Christmas when he was 14.
Bishop taught himself chords and how to build them into beats.
DJ Jay (left) and Sonny Bishop in 2024. Photo / Andrew Warner
Now about 20 years into his career, he owns and operates NextWaveSquad, producing mainly R&B and hip-hop.
He said his mother would be “super proud”.
“She was there for the whole journey”, and had been trying to “fight all the way” to the release.
“She was the sweetest lady in the universe.”
The album milestone helped to honour her memory.
Bishop said that, despite “all the odds stacked up against me … I managed to achieve the biggest artist”.
Working with Brown had been a goal since Bishop entered the industry.
He planned to return to Auckland, then head to the US later this year.
At the top of his wishlist is a collaboration with Drake.
Chris Brown’s highs and lows
Brown shot to fame aged 15 when his debut single Run It! topped charts in 2005.
But a string of legal troubles often overshadowed his musical success. He admitted assaulting his then-girlfriend, Rihanna, in 2009 and served a term of probation.
He planned to bring his One Hell of a Nite tour to New Zealand in 2015, but the proposed visit sparked nationwide debate and drew strong opposition from domestic violence advocacy groups.
While Brown was reported to have publicly apologised on multiple occasions, speaking out against domestic violence and working with related charities, authorities ultimately prevented him from performing in New Zealand.
Annabel Reid is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and the Rotorua Daily Post, based in Rotorua. Originally from Hawke’s Bay, she has a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Canterbury.