Travie McCoy Claims Bruno Mars Doesn’t Return His Calls 15 Years After Their Hit Collaboration ‘Billionaire’

Travie McCoy is reflecting on his relationship with Bruno Mars.

In an interview with PEOPLE, the Gym Class Heroes frontman opens up about the making of “Billionaire,” which was released in 2010 and features the “Just the Way You Are” hitmaker.

McCoy, now 44, recalls that he was making music with T-Pain before he was introduced to Mars, now 40.

He recalls his A&R rep at the time mentioning that a Los Angeles writing-producing trio known as The Smeezingtons — comprised of Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence, and Ari Levine — were big fans of Gym Class Heroes.

“I can’t remember the first song they played me, but they played me a rough demo of ‘Billionaire,'” he says. “And the original top line was part of it, ‘I want to be on the cover of Forbes Magazine standing next to Diddy and the Queen.’

McCoy claims he wanted to approach the line differently.

“I’ve never been to [Diddy’s] White Party but I was like, ‘Bruno, I don’t want to say Diddy’s name every night. He’s like, ‘Alright, cool, easy fix.’ So he changes it to Oprah,” he recalls.

McCoy continues: “And I’m so glad I made him change that s—, because I’m sure…I probably wouldn’t have been subpoenaed, but my fans would have probably been asking questions. You know what I’m saying?”

“I don’t want to stand next to Diddy in anything,” he says.

McCoy also claims that he hasn’t spoken to Mars in a long time.

“He doesn’t return my calls,” he says.

A rep for Mars has not yet responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

McCoy also opened up to PEOPLE about celebrating the 20th anniversary of Gym Class Heroes’ 2005 albumThe Papercut Chronicles.

“We’re going to do some 20th anniversary [shows for] The Papercut Chronicles,” he said. “I’ve never played that album in its entirety, so I know a lot of people are going to come wanting to hear ‘Stereo Hearts’ and ‘Billionaire,’ but sorry motherf—ers, all you getting is the PCC.”

McCoy noted that he’s going to make the shows “an experience.”

“I want people to feel what it’s like to have that pressure of being a big fish in a small pond,” he said.