Beyoncé samples Atlanta rap pioneer Kilo Ali on new album ‘Renaissance’
The wait is over! Queen Bey just dropped her highly anticipated new album.
While fans got one single from the album, we are now able to listen to the full 16-track compilation. It’s been six years since Beyoncé's last studio album and this time around, she’s giving fans a full-on celebration of dance music on “Renaissance.” “My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment,” Beyoncé said to her fans via Instagram. “A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom.”
With this latest album, Beyoncé took the time to pay homage to several different pioneers in dance, disco, funk, soul and of course house music. “Thank you to all of the pioneers who originate culture, to all of the fallen angels whose contributions have gone unrecognized for far too long,” Beyoncé wrote. “This is a celebration for you.” And celebrate she did! On Bey’s song “AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM,” she brings it down to ATL, as she samples Kilo Ali’s “Cocaine (America Has A Problem).” Kilo shouldn’t be left out of the conversation when it comes to Atlanta Rap pioneers – he’s contributed heavily with a number of regional classics that have forever stamped his name in the industry.
This isn’t the first time Bey has worked with Atlanta artists - she worked with Big Boi and Sleepy Brown on her first album, and André 3000 on her fourth album and “Great Gatsby” soundtrack.
Beyoncé also sampled a number of other artists on “Renaissance” like Right Said Fred’s song “I’m Too Sexy” on her track ”Alien Superstay.” The song was everywhere throughout much of the early and mid-90′s and even recently as it was sampled last year on Drake and Future’s song “Way 2 Sexy.” Beyoncé also sampled Teena Marie’s “Ooh, La La La” on her song “CUFF IT” and Kelis’s “Milkshake” on her song “Energy” – which caused a bit of an uproar online. Kelis claims she wasn’t notified about being sampled, even if she doesn’t own the rights to the song.
“She’s one issue because it was stupid and disrespectful and she should’ve at least reached out, but the real issue is the fact that people, like Pharrell…. Pharrell knows better,” Kelis said in a video posted to her Instagram page. “From one artist to another, you should have the decency and the common sense and the courtesy to call, reach out.… it’s happened before where people at least had the wherewithal to be like ‘yo, using your record. We understand that, like, Pharrell, totally swindled you out of your stuff, just want to give the respect,’ because that’s what you do.”
It didn’t stop there, Kelis had more to say – when a fan page tagged her about being excited for the collaboration between Beyoncé and Kelis, she pushed back against that idea. “No it’s not a collaboration, it’s called thievery,” Kelis said in part two of her video.
Let’s hope these two ladies can reconcile! In the meantime, I’ll be in my living room dancing like no one is watching to “Renaissance!”
About the Author
Vicky Ro is the Entertainment Reporter for Access Atlanta. When it comes to the latest in music, film, reality television (and all things entertainment), you can count on Vicky to keep you up to date! Vicky's goal is to create fun and informative content that everyone can enjoy - from a casual entertainment consumer to the pop culture obsessed!
