Rest assured, Bruno Mars is not going bald. The 23-year-old wants his fans to know that the only thing he’s hiding under his signature fedora, which today happens to be grey, is a mess of unruly hair. “I always rocked an afro in high school,” he reveals to Rap-Up.com while sitting on a couch inside a Manhattan high-rise. “It was humongous. After I cut it, I got into these hats and I could never get rid of them. I’ll put a baseball hat on every once in awhile, but mainly it’s a fedora. Once I unveil the collection, it’s gonna be monumental.”

Just like his assortment of hats, Mars’ career is just as epic. Since bidding farewell to his home state of Hawaii as a teenager, the Elektra Records signee formed The Smeezingtons—a production group comprised of himself, Phil Lawrence, and Ari Levine, teamed with rapper B.o.B to score the No. 1 record “Nothin’ on You,” and created a four-song EP, It’s Better If You Don’t Understand, to whet listeners’ appetites until the release of his debut album. Quite the résumé for a man who once sang Chuck Berry tunes for tourists on his native island.

The recent success Bruno Mars has experienced hasn’t turned him into a pompous jerk. He politely excuses himself to take a call from Ari, who’s handling a studio session back in L.A. “We’re still humble,” admits Phil, who accompanied Bruno for the day. “Our A&R Aaron Bay-Schuck likes to remind us about an embarrassing record we once made. It keeps us in check.” As Bruno makes his way back to the couch, laughter ensues while he threatens Phil for demonstrating the “bad” song’s chorus. The curly-haired crooner may be embarrassed by the lackluster work, but these days, his feats outnumber his foibles.