Leftside Got Flack For Letting ‘Snitch’ Tekashi 6ix9ine Sample His Best Song
Dancehall artiste Leftside admits that he has been getting flack for licensing his hit song Phat Punani to the American rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine who has been labeled by some a ‘snitch’ and ‘informer.’
Tekashi, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, narrowly avoided significant jail time for federal racketeering and participation in gang-related activities after he agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors. In court testimony, he named names and revealed information about the Bloods, but said his role in the gang was to make music, make money, and in return, they would offer their protection.
Many of his fans and rappers like Snoop Dogg, Meek Mill, and Rick Ross, however, called the rapper a snitch. Of the many rappers calling out Tekashi, few came to his defense like Akon, and Nicki Minaj, who called the outrage “hypocrisy”.
The shunning of snitches (or rats) is similar to the “informa fi dead” culture in Jamaica, where informing or snitching is looked down upon. Leftside, however, says he doesn’t care about Tekashi’s personal life or legal troubles. “I have people coming at me like ‘yow that’s why you nuh mek it inna dancehall, yuh work with snitch and informa’”.
He says this type of mentality is not good for the music business.
“That is also a mentality you know that contributes to limitations, you know, [because it is anti-business]… mi nuh business about Tekashi personal life, mi and him nuh friend, wi nuh par…what mi fi do?, he questioned.
“Yow pay this percentage but yuh a informa enuh, keep that? It dunce man,” he said in reference to those who would have preferred he didn’t work with the rapper.
The Phat Punani track was recorded ten years ago, but according to the deejay, this year, the girlfriend of 6ix9ine reached out to him on social media while the rapper was still in jail.
Tekashi wanted full copyright ownership of the track, but Leftside told TVJ’s Entertainment Report he was only willing to license it as he was attached to the track.
“So I explained to him this is my biggest song up to this day, I did it over a decade ago and it has put so many [sic] food on my plate and it’s not for sale you understand, but what I can do, you can give me a clearance fee yuh zimi and my publishing and my royalties have to be in check, don’t worry about buying it, that’s not gonna happen.”
The singer artiste said this was in April, and he didn’t hear from Tekashi for a few weeks until June when he heard from the rapper who agreed to sample the work. From there, the lawyers for the parties drew up legal agreements and Tekashi received a license to use the track in which he released Punani three weeks ago.
The song currently has 88 million views on YouTube.
While not revealing the type of agreement the parties reached, it does sound like it is an agreement for royalties. It may include a flat fee or performance royalties, which means Leftside gets a percentage of the money earned each time a copy of the song is sold or performed by Tekashi.
Whatever it is, it is a sound decision for Leftside, who is no stranger to music business being the son of legendary bass player Lloyd Parks. He’s known to be talented and wears many hats such as writer, instrumentalist, and experienced in production.
“Because at the end of the day you need to as artiste, you need to have publishing, sign up with a publishing company that’s gonna administrate for you, trace these things for you…me selling him that, I’m no longer the owner of the sample/ the song.. I’m like naw that’s not for sale, he tells TVJ’s, Anthony Miller.
Leftside released his 20-track debut album, Xcitement, on August 14 with the lead single Dem Nuh Ready Yet featuring Sean Paul.