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Here's How Rapper Michael Millions Cleared Two D'Angelo Samples for Free
A music business miracle.
Michael Millions managed to clear two separate D'Angelo samples... for free.
In a recent DJ Booth interview, the rising rapper from Richmond, Virginia talked about how the music business miracle came to be.
Millions' 2018 album Hard to Be King features the songs "Water" produced by Namebrand and "Blacksugar" produced by EPTheOutkast, which sample the neo-soul legend's tracks “The Line” and “Brown Sugar.”
READ: Questlove Talks J Dilla, Offbeat Drumming, & His Work on D'Angelo's 'Black Messiah'
In the interview, Millions explains how, as an independent artist without major label finances or resources, didn't expect to have the records cleared until D’Angelo himself reached out and gave him verbal authorization to use his music free of charge.
He explains how the two connected after he did an interview where he talked about why D’Angelo’s 1995 classic Brown Sugar is his favorite album. Millions explained, "Lou Barber, who is D’Angelo’s best friend and stage manager, contacted Monseé Woods, an industry level creative director and videographer from Richmond. Lou was asking about me because D’Angelo was trying to get in touch with someone from Richmond who may have my contact."
"Then I was on the line with D’Angelo. We had a quick chat. He was like, "I like what you doing, I fuck with your music, I heard you got a new record that people are talking about." I told him I could send some records over and then mentioned that I might run into some trouble clearing them. He said to send them over. I sent them over. He was just like, 'You won’t have any problems out of me dog, you from Richmond.'
Read the full interview here, and check out "Water" above and "Blacksugar" below.
