American Songs He’s Sampled & Interpolated

“City Boys” from Burna’s 2023 album I Told Them… samples Jeremih‘s 2009 breakout debut single “Birthday Sex” from his self-titled debut album, which peaked at No. four on the Hot one hundred. “Honestly, I only located out that there was a Jeremih sample like two days ago…. I saw it on the online, it is from the online I realized it was a sample…. When I produced the song, I didn’t hear [‘Birthday Sex’] at all,” he told Speedy Morman in an interview final August. “City Boys” was a single of the 1st songs to earn a nod in the new very best African music overall performance category at the Grammys this year, exactly where Burna was up for 3 extra nods.

“Sittin’ on Leading of the World” from Burna’s I Told Them… samples Brandy’s 1998 track “Top of the Globe,” featuring Mase, from her sophomore album In no way Say In no way, which was nominated for very best R&ampB album at the 1999 Grammy Awards. The 21 Savage remix of “Sittin’ on Leading of the World” earned a Grammy nomination this year for very best melodic rap overall performance, and Burna brought out 21 and Brandy to carry out his smash at the awards show, becoming the 1st Afrobeats artist to do so. The song peaked at No. 80 on the Hot 100 and reached No. two on Rhythmic Airplay.

“Ye” from Burna’s 2018 album Outdoors samples Fred Wesley and The Horny Horns’ 1977 track “Four Play,” featuring Maceo Parker, from their A Blow For Me, a Toot to You album. The kicking drum pattern from “Four Play” underlines Burna’s memorable anthem, which reached No. 12 on U.S. Afrobeats Songs and No. 26 on Mainstream R&ampB/Hip-Hop Airplay.

“Level Up (Twice as Tall),” featuring Youssou N’Dour, from Burna’s Twice as Tall, samples Pat Boone‘s 1997 track “Twice as Tall” from the Journey to the Center of the Earth soundtrack. “Oh, I’d have to be twice as tall at least/ To really feel far better than I do/ Yes, I’d have to be twice as tall at least/ I mean me multiplied by two (By two),” Boone sings at the start out of “Level Up.”

“Mary Jane,” from Burna’s 2016 EP Redemption, samples Minnie Riperton’s Hot one hundred No. 1 smash “Lovin’ You” from her 1974 sophomore album Ideal Angel. The “Lovin’ you is straightforward ’cause you are beautiful” and “And all the things that I do is out of lovin’ you” from Riperton’s 1st verse and “La la la la la, la la la la la” chorus is softly playing all through “Mary Jane.”

“Ice Cream Man” from Burna’s 2011 compilation album Very best of Burn Series, Vol. 1 interpolates The Jackson 5’s 1969 Hot one hundred chart-topping 1st single “I Want You Back” from the group’s debut album Diana Ross Presents The Jackson five. The synth chord progression of “Ice Cream Man” mimics the hook of “I Want You Back.”

“Naughty by Nature,” featuring Naughty by Nature, from Burna’s Twice as Tall interpolates Naughty by Nature’s Hot one hundred top rated ten hit “Jamboree,” featuring Zhané, from the group’s 1999 fifth album Nineteen Naughty Nine: Nature’s Fury. “That’s the entire point of why I wanted them on the song. It just had to be performed. I got their verses on my birthday, and it came with a video of them saying delighted birthday and displaying adore,” Burna told me through our “The Explosion of Afro-Fusion” panel at Billboard‘s MusicCon in May perhaps 2022.

“Collateral Harm,” from Burna’s 2019 album African Giant also lifts from “Jamboree.” When Burna’s “Naughty by Nature” bore a lot of similarities to “Jamboree,” from its buoyant melody to “jam(boree) for me” chorus line, “Collateral Damage” borrows the groovy guitar line from Naughty by Nature’s anthem.

“Glory,” featuring Ladysmith Black Mambazo, from Burna’s Adore, Damini samples Enchantment’s 1976 Hot one hundred No. 25 hit “Gloria” from the group’s eponymous debut album. The titular “Gloria” line can be heard at the starting of Burna’s 1st verse on “Glory,” and he sings the refrain — “Hold me, ah, this is my story, yes/ Glory, yeah/ Like the final time that you ever noticed me, hold me, ah” — in the identical style of the opening lines from “Gloria”: “Gloria/ My Gloria/ Factors ain’t been the identical/ Given that you went away/ Gloria/ My Gloria/ I do not want to see/ Yet another day.”

“Time Flies,” featuring Sauti Sol, from Burna’s Twice As Tall borrows some components from Sade’s Hot one hundred No. five single “The Sweetest Taboo” from the band’s 1985 sophomore album Guarantee. The groovy drum sequence from Sade’s classic can be heard all through “Time Flies.”

“Time Flies” also interpolates Marc Anthony’s “I Have to have You,” from his 2002 sixth all round and second English album Mended. Burna sings the chorus — “Let’s take a ride/ Appear in your eyes/ No make ‘em inform you lies/ I’m on your side” — in the identical style as the hook from “I Have to have You”: “Oh infant I have to have you/ For the rest of my life girl I have to have you/ To make all the things appropriate girl/ I adore you/ And I’ll under no circumstances deny that I have to have you.”

“Real Life,” featuring Stormzy, from Burna’s Twice As Tall references T-Pain‘s 2005 breakout debut single “I’m Sprung,” from his debut album Rappa Ternt Sanga, which peaked at No. eight on the Hot one hundred. The “You do (you do)” bridge of “I’m Sprung” can be heard re-sung all through “Real Life,” which also loosely borrows the all round melody from T-Pain’s classic.