Smokey Robinson has left his indelible mark on the entertainment industry thanks to his decades of music he has shared, and according to him, he wants his art sampled over and over again. Moreover, he does not relate to artists who don’t like having their work sampled, and he recently called those people “fools.”
In the latest episode of the R&B Money podcast, host Tank inquired about the first time Smokey Robinson heard D’Angelo’s version of “Cruisin’.” “D’Angelo’s my little brother. I love him,” the legendary songwriter responded. “What did I think when I heard it? I thought, ‘Yippee, ooh great.’ That’s the same thing I think of when I hear anybody doing any of my songs. As a songwriter, I hope that happens all the time.”
The Love, Smokey singer explained why he feels truly honored when artists sample his music, adding, “I know when the kids started to sample music, people would come to me, ‘Hey man, they sampled your music.’ No, sample all of mine. Sample every song I every wrote in my life. When you sample it, that says to me, that out of all the billion songs that are on earth… you chose one of mine to incorporate into your music? Thank you.”
He also added that D’Angelo’s rendition left him “flabbergasted.”
Co-host J. Valentine delved further by mentioning there’s often a “line in the sand” when it comes to sampling, as some people may feel they do not want their music “touched.” To that, Smokey interjected to call those people “fools” and “stupid.”
The 85-year-old drove his point home by adding, “First of all, it’s flattery. And you’re also going to earn some money, so why would you protest that?” Watch the conversation above (“Cruisin’” and sampling portion begins at the 36-minute mark) and revisit the classic tune below.
Many viewers and social media users praised Robinson’s generous stance, with one X user writing, “The fact Smokey Robinson said sample everything he ever made makes me even more of a bigger fan!!”
Another person echoed, “No greed, mans is rich in influence.”
With his official stamp of approval, artists both young and old are free to sample Smokey Robinson’s irreplaceable category in good faith. The music industry titan began his career in the ’50s with The Miracles. He went on to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and was awarded the 2016 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for his lifetime contributions to the music world.
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