Lil Yachty Reveals Bob Ross’ Estate Didn’t Want To Clear Sample For “Let’s Start Here”

Lil Yachty made an unexpected turn in his career when he came through with Let’s Start Here. Over the past few months, people have anticipated Yachty’s next move. The release of “Poland” earned him another viral single that became an anthem of the year. However, he also contributed to Drake and 21 Savage’s Her Loss, which many felt was a promising sign of his next musical endeavor. Yachty produced four songs on the record and even contributed ad-libs to the album.

Between “Poland” and Her Loss, many felt like Yachty would’ve taken his signature sound to new heights. Instead, he leaped into psychedelic rock and delivered a body of work that stands as one of the best in his catalog. With a tight-knit group of collaborators and instrumentalists, he showcased his range as an artist with an unexpected musical direction. He could return to hip-hop in the future but it seems like he might explore this particular genre further in the foreseeable future.

Lil Yachty’s Bob Ross Sample

Though the project doesn’t have many features, Yachty did manage to include a sample of Bob Ross on Let’s Start Here. Ross’s voice appears on the “We Saw The Sun!” outro following an excellent performance from Ant Clemons. The sample comes from Ross’ The Joy Of Painting as he provides a hopeful message. But according to VP of A&R at Motown Records Gelareh Rouzbehani, the estate of the late painter didn’t necessarily want to clear the sample at first.

“I think a big concern of theirs was that Yachty is known as a rapper, and Bob Ross and his brand are very clean,” Rouzbehani told Billboard in their new cover story with Yachty. “They didn’t want to associate with anything explicit. But Yachty was adamant, and played the track for Ross’ team and also sent the entire album’s lyrics to set the group at ease. With a lot of back and forth, we got the call. Yachty is the first artist that has gotten a Bob Ross clearance in history.” Eventually, they got it cleared and made history together. How do you feel about Lil Yachty’s new album? Sound off in the comments below.