Baltimore rapper YTK went viral on Saturday morning after he released his new single, “Let It Off,” which features a distinct sample of Mariah Carey’s 2005 track “Shake It Off.” After someone on Twitter reposted it with the caption, “Mariah Carey has 24 hours to respond,” Carey responded in a very light-hearted manner, writing “How about y’all have 24 hours to respond to my lawyers (purple heart).” It was later revealed that the singer’s reply was indeed a joke, but what some may not have realized is that Questlove also had a role in the ordeal.
https://twitter.com/rnbtommy/status/1390746907182514177?s=20
I’m DYIN. I helped w the Mariah sample cause 11 years ago we were in the same situation in which Erykah has 24 hours to clear “Gone Baby Don’t Be Long” w Paul McCartney & Lenny Kravitz saw the tweet & hit up Stella to hit her pops & the song was saved! #PayItForward
— ?st (@questlove) May 8, 2021
The person who posting the inciting tweet reached out to Questlove to aid in clearing the sample for YTK’s track. Questlove then messaged Mariah and was able to put the Baltimore rapper in touch with the right people to begin the clearance process. He later explained on Twitter why he helped YTK get the sample cleared. “I’m DYIN,” The Roots drummer wrote in a tweet. “I helped w the Mariah sample cause 11 years ago we were in the same situation in which Erykah has 24 hours to clear “Gone Baby Don’t Be Long” w Paul McCartney & Lenny Kravitz saw the tweet & hit up Stella to hit her pops & the song was saved! #PayItForward.”
“Gone Baby Don’t Be Long” can be found on Erykah Badu’s 2010 album, New Amerykah Part Two (Return Of The Ankh), on which Questlove is credited on two songs. As for YTK, it remains to be seen if and when the rapper will land the sample clearance.
