Homage, even in the slightest way, is the biggest form of flattery when it comes to making music. Artist have for years been sampling each other, whether it's a bar, a beat or an entire verse — remember when Weezy jacked Aaliyah's "I Don't Wanna" for a mixtape song with Pleasure P?
In short, sampling can be considered an honor when done correctly, and Cali-bred rapper Caleborate does just that with his new record "What U Want" that gives a slight nod to the classic 1997 hip-hop soul record of the same name by Harlem rap icon Mase and R&B trio Total.
Caleborate's "What U Want" takes one of the main guitar riffs from Mase & Total's "What You Want," reworks it into an acoustic, then put an entire new spin on the instrumental by way of producer Willem Ardui that's simply well-done and very lowkey. The song overall is catchy too — not as much as "Tell me what you want from me / Take a look at what you see," but still! — and Caleborate is able to showcase both his rap skills and vocals with ease.
Thankfully the new music isn't just a one-off, as Caleborate recently announced on Instagram (seen above) that his new album will be titled Light Hit My Skin and is set to arrive in March. The announcement reads, "I'm very excited , and can't wait for you to hear where I've been, what I've been through, where I'm going, what I've seen, how I've interpreted it, how I've opened my music, and myself up more. There is so much, but for now enjoy the music and new music video and stay tuned!"
Listen to "What U Want" by Caleborate below, and also watch his ride-or-die-inspired music video for the song as well:
Quotable Lyrics:
Tell me what you want from me
Tell me what you need
Take you for a ride down the California coast 'til the tank hits E
Tell me where to go from here
Tell me who you see
When you look me in the eyes
I can feel it in my soul
I just wanna be free