Jon B has been a beloved figure in R&B music since the ’90s thanks to hits like “Someone to Love” with Babyface, “Are You Still Down?” featuring Tupac and “They Don’t Know.” But he’s facing some backlash after criticizing Chlöe and Gunna‘s sample of his music.
Jon B, who is white, appeared on the Can We Talk R&B? podcast and spewed some rhetoric that has put him in hot water with the Black community. After praising Robin Thicke, who is also white, for sampling his classic track “They Don’t Know,” he proceeded to give his thoughts on Chlöe and Gunna’s sample of the same song for their “you & me” collab.
“They put that ratchet record out,” Jon B said on the podcast. “I couldn’t stand it. I wish they never did it.”
Jon B speaks on Gunna and Chlöe sampling his song “They Don’t Know” for their song “You & Me” and calls their version ratchet, and says he wishes they never put it out.
Also, Jon B makes it clear he can’t stand Gunna and Chlöe’s song “You & Me,” and reveals that Gunna never got… pic.twitter.com/qchzJHD51l
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) August 4, 2024
The 49-year-old Grammy nominee also claimed that the sample of “They Don’t Know,” which peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1998, wasn’t cleared before attempting to soften the blow.
“It’s all a compliment to what we did,” Jon B said. “That’s [producers and co-songwriters] Tim [Kelley] and Bob’s [Robinson] compliment, that’s my compliment, but at the same time my lane is my lane and my area is my area and I earned that. If you made a hit in your area, you do your song whatever it is, I’m not going to just come into your area take your joint, and make it mine and not pay you or whatever.”
Understandably, people have been chatting about the ordeal on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“A white man calling two black ppl ratchet is crazy,” @restinpeacebrit wrote.
“I 100% understand him not being happy about sample clearance, but issue copyright strike or cease & desist or w/e you have to do but the scorn and way he’s talking about two young black artists is incredibly disappointing,” @isadorenoir added.
I 100% understand him not being happy about sample clearance but issue a copyright strike or cease & desist or w/e you have to do but the scorn and way he’s talking about two young black artists is incredibly disappointing
— isadore noir👱🏾♀️🐦⬛ (@isadorenoir) August 5, 2024
“It’s one thing to not like the sample of the song you don’t own, but watch your mouth! Also, this is why I don’t care for blue-eyed soul (excluding Teena Marie),” user @djprdxc tweeted. “This is why I’m not impressed/moved by what y’all perceive as soulful white artists or white musicians stepping above their normal mediocrity to perform at a level that’s basic for Black musicians. This is why I’m belligerently against those tired a** cookout’ invites y’all love to pass out. #CloseTheGates.”
It’s one thing to not like the sample of the song you don’t own, but watch your mouth!
Also, this is why I don’t care for blue-eyed soul (excluding Teena Marie). This is why I’m not impressed/moved by what y’all perceive as soulful white artists or white musicians stepping above… https://t.co/ZrR8kpPfIP
— Clāy (@djordxc) August 5, 2024
Contrary to all the backlash, some people have expressed their support for Jon B.
“They didn’t get sample rights to a classic, used it and butchered it but people hung up that he called the version ratchet. You youngins don’t understand Jon B’s contribution to R&B movement,” @Lugo_Rivera said.
They didn’t get sample rights to a classic, used it and butchered it but people hung up that he called the version ratchet. You youngins don’t understand Jon B’s contribution to R&B movement.
— 🇵🇷Panchito🇵🇷 (@LUGO_RIVERA) August 5, 2024
It isn’t fully clear as to whether Jon B owns his masters, but ultimately, the sample was cleared by Sony Music, Vibe reported. At the moment, Jon B has yet to respond to the backlash.
Check out Chlöe and Gunna’s new “you & me” collab compared to Jon B’s classic below:
