Republic Records rapper Ski Mask The Slump God was slated to released his latest mixtape, Beware the Book of Eli, late last year, but shortly after revealing the final tracklist on December 13, the Florida native announced that the tape would be delayed.
A month later, we now know why: sample clearance.
On Saturday, Ski Mask wrote the following caption on his Instagram: “STUPID MOTHERFUCKERS, YOU CANT GET RID OF ME, STFU ABOUT THE TAPE MY SAMPLES ARE BEING CLEARED ITS NOT EASY TO USE SHIT LIKE THE BOY MEETS WORLD THEME SONG AS A SAMPLE.”
Ski Mask is right, the process of clearing a sample is indeed arduous, but it becomes even more difficult—and expensive—when the song containing the sample is released, either in full or as a snippet, before the paperwork is complete. In Ski Mask’s case, the Jamz-produced and Busta Rhymes-assisted “Boy Meets World,” which samples the ’90s sitcom of the same name, has been floating around the net since mid-December.
For Ski Mask, the constant barrage of messages on social media, inquiring why the tape has not yet been released, is likely equal parts frustrating and annoying, but calling an entire fanbase “stupid motherfuckers” because of business that the artist and label didn’t handle in the proper order probably isn’t the best way to show appreciation for their loyalty and patience.