Drake allegedly neglected to clear sample for ‘Blue Green Red’
Over the past year or so, the Canadian rapper and producer Drake has made the headlines for all triumphs and dramas. Most notably, earlier in the year, he engaged in a heated diss track battle with Kendrick Lamar after the latter began to criticise the former’s OVO label.
In the latest news, Drake has stirred excitement among fans with his 100 Gigs extended play release, which arrived on August 10th. However, several issues have arisen regarding its translation to streaming platforms since then. Specifically, the rapper has failed to clear the rights to specific samples in the music.
The song ‘Blue Green Red’ samples Steely and Clevie’s track ‘When’. Since the EP’s arrival on Spotify and other major streaming sites, Clevie has claimed that Drake has published without clearing the sample.
Speaking to Dancehall Magazine in a new interview, Clevie said that Sony/EMI reached out to him with a clearance request. However, ‘Blue Green Red’ wasn’t included in the request. “We can’t clear a song without hearing it,” he said. “But Drake went ahead and leaked it before.”
The reggae artist then explained that the label put the song out on streaming platforms without getting the green light from himself or Steely. At present, it is unclear whether this was the result of an admin mistake or otherwise. Either way, if Clevie speaks the truth, a lawsuit seems likely. “Because they did this before the fact, that can mean problems,” he added.
The alleged sample Clevie refers to is Drake’s use of Steely and Clevie’s line, “What the clock inna London? Yeah, Big Ben,” in the post-chorus section. The line and accompanying melody are repeated twice throughout the song. “They used the melody just in a section, and it was repeated twice,” he asserted. “So this is a clear infringement.”
While the Jamaican producer and songwriter admits that Drake may have no idea about the discrepancy, he asserts the necessity for prompt reimbursement. “Efforts were made to get to us, but it is the record company’s responsibility to clear the song,” he said.