Between velvet falsettos and cinematic videos, his universe hides fragments few people know.
1He once donated his childhood mattress to a museum
The Weeknd grew up in Scarborough, Toronto, raised by his Ethiopian mother and grandmother. His old bedroom, complete with worn-out mattress, was reconstructed in the Art Gallery of Ontario as part of an exhibit on his early life. Visitors could walk through the tiny space and feel the silence that shaped his earliest melodies.
2He learned to sing by imitating Ethiopian pop cassettes
At home, there was no formal vocal training. He listened to old Ethiopian records and mimicked the melismas and rhythms. Artists like Tilahun Gessesse became his first vocal coaches without ever knowing it. The patterns stuck, giving his falsetto a deep emotional texture built from memory and mimicry.
3He lost his voice after one of his first performances
During one of his early shows, long before the stadium tours, he performed in a small Toronto venue with no sound monitor. He sang over the feedback and pushed his voice past its limits. The next morning, he couldn’t speak. Doctors advised complete silence for two weeks. He kept writing lyrics during that period using scraps of napkins and paper bags.
4He financed his first mixtape with a stolen MacBook
Before fame, he lived with friends in a shared apartment with barely any furniture. When money ran out, a roommate disappeared with a laptop from a college library. They sold it and used the money to buy studio time. The result was *House of Balloons*. The computer was never returned and the college never pressed charges.
5He turned down a role in *Uncut Gems* to rewrite his own cameo
The Safdie brothers wanted him to appear as himself in *Uncut Gems*, set during his early career. He agreed but refused the original script. He insisted on recreating a real backstage moment from 2012, including lighting, outfits, and crowd behavior. His team worked with the film crew to bring accuracy. He walked into the set and said it felt like time travel.
