We are in a sample-heavy era of music. From hip-hop to R&B to pop, artists are constantly digging in the crates and pulling inspiration from the legends who helped shape the sound in the first place. Sometimes it works beautifully and creates a nostalgic moment that feels fresh again.
Other times, the internet will let you know when somebody should’ve left a classic alone. Now, one popular R&B artist is sharing his feelings about others taking inspiration from his catalog.
According to Keith Sweat, if artists want to sample his records, there’s one major rule they need to follow – they must run it by him first.
While appearing on Nick Cannon’s podcast “We Play Spades,” the R&B legend got candid about today’s music landscape and how he feels about younger artists pulling from his catalog.
During the conversation, one of the hosts asked whether he listens to current artists, to which the quiet storm artist quickly gave credit to Chris Brown, saying, “you can’t take nothing from that brother.”
But after showing love to Brown, the 64-year-old admitted he feels like there’s “too much sampling” happening these days. The hosts pushed back a bit, reminding him that those samples also help keep money flowing back to him as an original creator. But for Sweat, it’s bigger than a check.
“I do think they’re really giving me my flowers. My whole thing is let me clear it,” he explained.
The “Nobody” singer then laid out his approach.
“If I don’t clear it and I don’t like what you did, I’m snatching it off the internet,” he said bluntly. “I own my sh*t. Don’t just put it out there.”
However, Sweat maintained that he’s not against the new generation of artists at all. In fact, he seems pretty open to them reworking his music when it’s done creatively and respectfully.
“Some is dope, some is wack. Let me be the judge,” he continued, later adding that if a flip is good enough, he may not even charge the artist because they’re keeping him “relevant.”
He even shared love for an artist named XO, who sampled his 1987 hit “Right And Wrong Way.”
According to Sweat, the record impressed him so much that he personally flew the artist out and told him, “Whatever song of mine you want to use, you can use it.”
You can see the clip in full below.
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