Denise Says That Everything Is Above Board With Shenseea’s ‘Lick’
‘Saucy’ wowed by Shenseea’s ‘Lick’
“Everything is above board.”
That’s the word from soca singer Denise “Saucy Wow” Belfon following the use of a sample of her music in Jamaican dancehall star Shenseea’s latest release “Lick”.
Soca fans immediately noted a familiar hook on the song’s intro when Shenseea (Chinsea Lee) released the eye-popping music video on Friday.
“Lick”, which features American rapper Megan Thee Stallion (Megan Pete), samples Belfon’s 1998 soca release “Work”.
Belfon’s vocals appear at the top with Shenseea vocalising the hook: “Put yuh back in it”. That chorus line was shared millions of times by social media users around the planet responding to the soca star’s viral “Put Yuh Back in it Tik Tok Challenge” in 2020.
Thousands of soca fans accused the Jamaican DJ of stealing the soca sample on social media. Shenseea’s “Lick”, which features raunchy lyrics and imagery simulating acts of cunnilingus, has been viewed more than two million times on YouTube since its release on Friday.
But, Belfon, who appeared at the launch party for the song in New York on Friday night with Shenseea, confirmed she had already received her lick of the ice cream when she spoke to the Express on Saturday.
The Carenage-born soca act said permission was given for the use of the sample to the record labels Interscope, 300 Entertainment and Warner Music Group, as well as the management teams of both Shenseea and Megan Thee Stallion. The song is produced by Canadian super producer Murda Beatz (Shane Lee Lindstrom).
“Everything is above board. I would love to send love and congrats to Shenseea, Megan Thee Stallion and their recording labels and their management teams, Romeich (Rudolph Brown) and Wassim ‘Sal’ (Slaiby) and the producers Murda Beatz for considering and using my song ‘Work/put your back in it’ on their mega hit ‘Lick’,” Belfon told the Express Saturday on WhatsApp.
The New York-based soca act said “Lick” is a chance for soca music to once again land on the Billboard Hot 100 music charts.
“I am very grateful and wish them the best of luck. Let’s get it to number one on the Billboard charts ladies. Soca influences the world,” Belfon added.
Shenseea thanked Belfon publicly for “clearing my song” and “never fighting me” in a video shared online from Friday’s launch party, at the Doux night club in New York.
“I just want to say big up Denise. She is the original queen for ‘Put yuh back in it’, the wining queen straight from Trinidad. And I wanna say I am a woman and I love to support women, me doh like when gyal ah fight down each other; dem ugly.
“Mi like women who support each other, support other women, support each other business, whey stand up with each other against any waste man wha talk to all ah we. So big up yuhself Denise, thank you so much for clearing my song. Yuh never fight me, yuh put down yuh hand and held me up,” Shenseea said.
Photo: PERMISSION GRANTED: Soca act Denise “Saucy Wow” Belfon, left, joined Jamaican dancehall star Shenseea (Chinsea Lee) at the launch party for her new single “Lick” at the Doux night club in New York City, USA, on Friday night. The single, which features American rapper Megan Thee Stallion (Megan Pete), samples Belfon’s 1998 “Work”. —Photo courtesy Denise Belfon