How Swizz Beatz's Saudi Connections Helped Him Clear a Key Clipse Sample

Swizz Beatz came through for Clipse before the release of their single "So Be It."

On Tuesday (July 22), just weeks after the release of the duo's comeback album Let God Sort Em Out, Audiomack co-founder Brian Zisook posted a thread on X about his recent interview with Clipse's manager, Steven Victor.

During the conversation, Victor revealed how Swizz facilitated the clearance of the 1976 song "Maza Akoulou" by the late Saudi Arabian singer Talal Maddah that is sampled on "So Be It."

As Zisook explained, an alternate version of the song that doesn't sample "Maza Akoulou" was featured in the "So Be It" music video.

As Pusha T told MSNBC news anchor Ari Melber last week, the album's executive producer, Pharrell Williams, first heard "Maza Akloulou" in an Instagram post from Swizz.

"Pharrell heard it and he just called me, like, 'What the hell is that?'" Pusha said.

He added that Williams is "always looking for something futuristic" and "polarizing," which motivated him to sample "Maza." But the effort didn't happen without a rough start, as the rap duo had to pivot during the scheduled "So Be It" last month release by dropping the sample-free version of the track.

Swizz intervened just in time for the Let God Sort Em Out release. The record dropped, coincidentally, on the same day as the superproducer was taking a previously-planned trip to Saudi Arabia, Maddah's homeland..

"Swizz asked, ‘Why didn’t you call me about [“So Be It”]?' Victor said in his interview with Zissook. "I told him, 'I did—I sent it to you.' He said, 'I didn’t realize it was that record. Let me handle it.'"

"He said,'‘I’ll connect with the right people in person and get it resolved.' And that’s exactly what he did," Victor continued.

Through Swizz's efforts, the sample clearance occurred just after the album's midnight release on July 11, with Roc Nation providing a metadata update on DSPs. Along with Tyler, the Creator's feature on "P.O.V.", the sample isn't on the first vinyl pressing of LGSEO, although Victor plans to change that on its second run.

Complex Shop has Clipse's new album in stock in vinyl and CD formats, available for purchase here.

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