Jon B Sparks Controversy After Calling Gunna and Chlöe’s Sample of "They Don’t Know" Ratchet
Music fans love them some blue-eyed soul, or white artists who sing R&B. Jon B, a Jewish and Dutch descendant, has been at the forefront of the genre, praised by some and criticized by others. In a recent interview on the "Can We Talk R&B?" podcast, Jon B shared his thoughts on being sampled by younger artists.
The singer, who is known for his classic ballad "They Don’t Know," revealed that his song gets sampled annually, and was recently used by Gunna and Chlöe in their hit single "You & Me." While many praised the track, Jon B wasn’t pleased, calling their version "ratchet" and expressing his disappointment that they didn’t get permission to use his song.
"They put that ratchet record out," he stated, adding, "I couldn’t stand it. I wish they never did it."
Jon B also claimed that the sample wasn’t cleared, and called out Gunna for not getting permission to use the track. He expressed his frustration, saying, "Gunna, we gotta holler about that… That’s some business s**t we gotta handle."
While Jon B later clarified his sentiments, stating that being sampled is a "compliment," many fans and critics were not pleased with his words. "A white man calling two black ppl ratchet is crazy," tweeted one user.
Singer-songwriter Isadore Noir tweeted, "I 100% understand him not being happy about sample clearance, but issue a copyright strike or cease & desist or [whatever] you have to do but the scorn and way he’s talking about two young black artists is incredibly disappointing."
Another user chimed in, saying, "It’s one thing to not like the sample of the song you don’t own, but watch your mouth! Also, this is why I don’t care for blue-eyed soul (excluding Teena Marie). This is why I’m not impressed/moved by what y’all perceive as soulful white artists or white musicians stepping above their normal mediocrity to perform at a level that’s basic for Black musicians. This is why I’m belligerently against those tired a** ‘cookout’ invites y’all love to pass out. #CloseTheGates."
Despite the backlash, others defended Jon B, with one fan writing, "Jon B ain’t said nothing wrong" and another saying, "They didn’t get sample rights to a classic, used it and butchered it, but people hung up that he called the version ratchet. You youngins don’t understand Jon B’s contribution to R&B movement."
It remains unclear if Jon B owns his masters, but the sample was cleared by Sony Music.
