Drake new album Certified Lover Boy has already caused controversy after it dropped early this morning (Sep 3rd). It appears that Drake has credited R. Kelly as a co-lyricist on one of the tracks, as well as The Beatles and Notorious B.I.G.
According to the site WhoSampled, Certified Lover Boy’s ‘TSU’ uses the same orchestral intro as R. Kelly’s ‘Half On A Baby’ from 1998. Consequently, Drake has been forced to include the controversial figure on the songwriting credits to avoid infringing on copyright laws. Kelly’s name is listed alongside the track’s producers Harley Arsenault, Noel Cadastre, OC Ron G, and Christopher Cross.
Although R. Kelly’s work has been sampled by a range of artists in the past, this occasion marks the first usage of the musician’s catalogue since he was charged with federal sex trafficking and racketeering in Brooklyn. Kelly is also facing federal and state charges in his hometown of Chicago.
The sample controversy follows a week in which the Kelly trial focused on his illegal marriage to the then underage Aaliyah. Drake has been vocal about his admiration for Aaliyah and even has a tattoo of the artist on his back. He was also reported to have been working on a posthumous Aaliyah LP at one time in his career.
Drake’s inclusion of R. Kelly on the album’s songwriting credits has drawn a good deal of criticism on social media. The song ‘TSU’ has reportedly existed in a demo form since 2018, but it seemed that Drake has exploited the prominence of the Kelly trial in the press to boost publicity for his new record.
The news comes just a week after Kanye West received negative press for giving writing credits to DaBaby and Marilyn Manson, two artists who, like Kelly, have also drawn widespread criticism. the credits are featured in the details to West’s track ‘Jail Pt.2’ from his recent album Donda.
