“I’m in the studio, the album postponed indefinitely, just waiting. And then, on the day we were supposed to drop, I get the call: ‘It’s cleared.’”
That moment of relief came after years of uncertainty. I spoke with Chicago rapper Saba about the wild journey of clearing a Janet Jackson sample for his new album with legendary producer No ID.
Today, March 18, 2025, Saba dropped From The Private Collection of Saba and No ID, a project over three years in the making. But it was supposed to be out sooner.
The reason for the delay? A single sample—Janet Jackson’s “I Get Lonely,” used on track two, “Breakdown.”
Sample clearance is one of the most stressful parts of releasing music. But that didn’t stop Saba from going all in—8 of the album’s 15 tracks contain samples. His distribution partner, The Orchard, provided a $125K budget for clearances, and they managed to stay under.
Unlike many samples, which can be cleared through publishers and rights holders, “I Get Lonely” required personal sign-off from Jackson herself—an artist known for being extremely selective about sample approvals.
Saba and his team brainstormed every possible way to get the song in front of her. Ideas ranged from leveraging mutual industry connections to dropping an acoustic version online to rally fans behind it. But after checking her socials, he realized that route might be a dead end.
Then, in January 2025, on the eve of the project’s intended release date, Saba saw that legendary producer Jimmy Jam (who co-produced “I Get Lonely” with Terry Lewis) would be at The NAAM Show—a massive annual music industry trade show in Anaheim, California. He hatched a new plan.
“I just walked backstage,” Saba said when I asked him to describe his master plan. “Their security was not hittin’.”
Once face-to-face with Jimmy Jam, Saba introduced himself, explained the situation, and played his biggest card: “I’m working on an album with No ID.”
That news got Jimmy Jam’s attention. He listened to Saba explain the sample use but said Janet would be particularly concerned about its lyrical content.
“Janet don’t just be out here approving a bunch of stuff,” he explained.
After a short conversation, Jimmy Jam told Saba to have No ID call him directly. Right then and there, Saba stepped aside, called No ID, confirmed he didn’t have Jimmy Jam’s number, and returned to ensure the connection was made.
“I waited to make sure he texted No ID while I was standing there. That was my job done,” he said.
From there, they handed things off to Eric Weissman, a legendary sample clearance executive with over 20 years of experience, who oversaw the clearances for the album.
Fast forward to February 25—the day the album was initially scheduled to drop. Saba was in the studio, still waiting for an update. Then the call came: the sample was officially cleared.
“The amount of relief I felt that day… I can’t even really explain it,” he said.
Clearing samples is expensive and unpredictable, even for major label artists. For an independent artist like Saba, it can be even more daunting, often requiring workarounds like replays, interpolation, or outright abandoning songs.
“I didn’t know it was gonna take years,” Saba exclaimed.
Despite the risks, Saba committed to keeping samples in the album’s DNA. He wanted the project to sound like a No ID album, even if that meant financial hurdles.
“It’s kind of like—fuck it, lose money. Who cares?” he shared.
His priority was making the best music possible.
“It’s a privilege to work with No ID. I wanted it to sound like that,” said the Chicago native, 30, who currently makes his home in Los Angeles. “We figured it out. We made it work. And now, finally, the world gets to hear it.”
From The Private Collection of Saba and No ID is out now. If you love sample-based production, storytelling, and elite-level rap, this album is for you. “Great things have always happened to me when I put the art first.”
Photo Credit: Mark Peaced
Follow Brian Zisook on X at @BrianZisook