Drake Got “Say You Will” Sample Cleared, Despite Kanye’s Initial Refusal
Written by SOURCE on February 15, 2019
It seems Kanye West had a change of heart.
In celebration of So Far Gone‘s 10-year anniversary, Drake released the critically acclaimed mixtape on all major streaming services Thursday night. And guess what? It included the original version of “Say What’s Real”—a standout track that sampled Ye’s 2008 record “Say You Will.” This is notable detail, as the song had played a part in Drake and Kanye’s highly publicized beef.
Months after Drake accused the G.O.O.D. Music boss of spilling his family secrets to Pusha-T, Ye went to Twitter to deny the allegations and said the whole fiasco was “faker than wrestling.” Kanye supported his claims by posting a screenshot of a text message he received that stated Drizzy had sent a clearance request for the 808s & Heartbreak track.
Kanye’s denial led many fans to believe that the full, original version of So Far Gone would never hit digital streaming platforms. Because Ye produced “Say You Will,” Drake needed his approval to release the song on major services like Apple Music or Spotify; if he chose to ignore the clearance process, he would’ve risked major legal repercussions.
As shown on Apple Music, Kanye is credited on the track as a composer.
We’re not sure what moved Kanye to change his mind. Perhaps it had something to do with Drake’s recent Instagram post in which he thanked Ye for contributing to his breakout tape.
“@kanyewest a decade ago I rapped over your beat cause you just made the best shit,” he wrote, “and even though you stay wildin on twitter these days I will never forget what you contributed to the game and my career…”
You can stream So Far Gone now on Apple Music and Spotify.
