Everton Blender, Tony Rebel Didn’t Know About French Montana Sample Until After It Was Released
Jamaican Reggae legends Everton Blender and Tony Rebel both say they didn’t know about French Montana and Harry Fraud’s sample of Blender’s classic Ghetto People Song (1996) until after the new song Higher was released on Friday.
The song appears on the American rapper-producer duo’s new joint album, titled Montega, released on June 23. The project, which features Rick Ross, Jadakiss, Quavo, and Benny the Butcher, is Montana’s fifth studio album and his first to be released independently, without major label backing—via Coke Boy Records.
Higher samples Ghetto People Song‘s lyrics and vocals, as well as the Tony Rebel-produced Lala Bella riddim—on which Blender’s original track was laid. The new song also includes a 2019 skit at the end, which features Jamaican comedian Majah Hype as the characters “Bobby Bunz” and “Di Rass”.
Listen to both songs below.
Rebel’s Lala Bella riddim, which was released on his Flames label, had also featured his hit song If Jah (Is Standing By My Side), Little Kirk’s God A Di Man, Aaron Silk’s Right Path, and Utan Green’s No Looking Back, among others.
Ghetto People Song was later included on Blender’s Rootsman Credential album, which was released in 1999 on Heartbeat Records.
When contacted by DancehallMag on Sunday, Tony Rebel, whose real name is Patrick Barrett, was unaware of the sample but declined to comment further on the matter until he consulted with his New York-based lawyer.
Meanwhile, Blender, whose real name is Everton Dennis Williams, could not be reached for comment on this story up to the time of publishing.
Read: Everton Blender Says He Isn’t Getting Royalties For ‘Ghetto People Song’
On Instagram over the weekend, he appeared somewhat pleasantly surprised by the sample and praised Montana and Fraud for their treatment of the classic song.
However, the veteran expressed the hope that Montana will “fix things”.
“First I want to say good job French Montana and Harry Fraud. I love the re-make of my song Ghetto People Song,” Blender wrote. “Sampling my Voice this time around the GHETTO ANTHEM COMES ALIVE ONCE MORE. It’s [a] good look, goes to show good music never die.”
French Montana, who has previously sampled several other Dancehall and Reggae songs, responded to Blender in a comment: “Legendary family, Appreciate u 🙌🏽,” while Harry Fraud added: “Preciate you legend 🙏🙏”
In a subsequent Instagram comment, Blender revealed that he only knew of the sample after Higher was released.
“Their idea was spot on. [I] just wish them all the best with this track, even [though] I had to hear about it after it release. I know French Montana will fix things. Him know the struggles we face as artist in this music world,” Blender wrote.
Everton Blender is known for several other hit songs, including Lift Up Your Head (1994), Blen’ Them (1994), Coming Harder (1996), and Blow Your Nose (1996).
How Ghetto People Song was made
While Rebel could not comment on clearance issues with the song, he recalled how Ghetto People Song was made.
“He (Everton Blender) came into the studio with a song, ‘Ghetto People Song’, and when him come into the studio the lyrics were too much, so me just start sing to him the verse, ‘Followers, followers of downpression/Why do you only terrorize the poor?/ Diluting the fact they are human/ Who one day will not take it anymore’,” Rebel told Donovan Watkis of World Music Views.
“In the studio, me write the three verse and leave the ‘ghetto people song’ chorus,” he continued.
The song, which was recorded at Penthouse House studios, had a previous dispute between the beatmaker and Tony Rebel, who he says won a default court case against him.
“Me and the youth who made the riddim, had a court case, he won because of a default, it was an ‘unless order’ from the Judge, but he brought the beat to me with three instruments and I put on about 8. Him win and him a carry me go court for damages,” Rebel explained.
Montana’s Other Reggae and Dancehall samples
French Montana has a history of sampling Dancehall and Reggae music.
His 2013 track Freaks, with Nicki Minaj, had sampled Lil’ Vicious and Doug E. Fresh’s Dancehall track Freaks (1994) as well as Chaka Demus and Pliers’ Murder She Wrote (1992). F-ck What Happens Tonight, released in 2013 with Mavado, DJ Khaled, and others, had also sampled Murder She Wrote.
Montana’s 2015 track Off The Rip, which featured Chinx Drugz and N.O.R.E., had sampled Super Cat’s Nuff Man A Dead (1992).
To Each His Own (The Outro), released in 2015, had sampled Little John’s In The Ghetto (1985).
In 2016, Montana’s Have Mercy, which featured Beanie Sigel, Jadakiss and Styles P, had sampled Musical Youth’s Pass The Dutchie (1982) and German producer Dub Activist’s Smoking Ganja (2010).
Montana also co-produced Kanye West’s All Day (2015), which had sampled Noel Ellis’ Dance With Me (1983).
His Stefflon Don collab Hurtin’ Me (2017) had sampled some lyrics from Sizzla’s Just One Of Those Days (2002), while his 2013 collab with Ice Prince, titled I Swear, had sampled Ini Kamoze’s World-A-Music (1984).
His other collaborations with Jamaican artists and producers include Mavado on F-ck What Happens Tonight and Ghetto Prayer, Alkaline on the Formula (Remix), Rvssian and Stephen McGregor on Writing On The Wall with Cardi B, and most recently Skillibeng on the Whap Whap (Remix) with Fivio Foreign.