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Sept 2021
Driving on the highway, one hand grasping the leather steering wheel of his Lamborghini Urus and in route to Norco, Tavon listens to Ebro Darben's podcast on Beat One, playing from his phone and through the cars speakers to hear clearly.
Song ends and Ebro says, "There you have it folks; Shantey Ledé new single "Mad at Me". I can hear the chorus interpolates the hook of OutKast's mega hit "So Fresh, So Clean". What inspired you to use the sample? Cause I'll be real, most artists fear touching songs as iconic as that one because it can most times be career suicide, but you took that risk."
"I did," Shantey's smooth tone speaks, "I have always been a huge fan of OutKast; my love for Hip Hop when I was younger was crazy. I was in Atlanta when I done the record and was listening to the song on full blast and my own lyrics start to pop in my head. I found the instrumental and out of nowhere I start free styling the first verse. I had finished the record, had my manager reach out to both Big Boi and Andre 3000 to come and listen to the record. A hour tops, they was at the studio and listened to it."
"Wow. So you got their stamp of approval?"
"Yes, and that had me hype!" She elaborates, "OutKast been my favorite since the Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik. I still got my old album and everything."
"See, a lot of people say they fans but can't rap one song word for word."
"A nigga ready from the get go. Y'all hear my shit go, it's Andre, can yo punk ass come out to play? Stay in your little hole, then coward duck your head. You don't know who you be fucking with you'se better off, dead..." Shantey proceeds to rap André 3000's full verse from "Ain't No Thang".
Tavon finds himself rapping along, grinning in approval, and joins in on the chorus with her. "Ain't no thang but a chicken wang. We having a smoke out in the Dungeon wit the Mary Jane — Yeah!" he laughs.
She stops once finishing the chorus. "See, don't play wimme bout OutKast, Ebro."
Tavon chuckles with her and the radio personality says, "aight, you proved me wrong," he chuckles, "You kicked off the track with aggressive, rapper like verse wit some interesting choice of lyrics. My opinion, you completely dominated the iconic track; no doubt. Would you do a remix with OutKast themselves?"
"Hell yes," she replies swiftly and chuckles, "is that really a question? I hope they do. I'm gone speak that into universe and manifest that right now."
"Is this record a way of letting your fans know your third album is finally coming?" Ebro asks, "we been waitin' for a while for another Shantey Ledé album. Your last one was when, 2017?"
