we've had this discussion before under my old log in name killah (but for some reason my password just doesn't seem to work anymore...) but back to basics. I understand Com doesn't want to get sued and that $300,000 (I'm assuming this is how much it costs to clear samples) is a lot but damn NO SAMPELS? It just seems to me, the way you make things sound is that NO hip hop album can be made because of the sample police. I'm sure Thoguht's album has some samples. The new Jay Dee (Welcome and his MCA joint) will have samples. Reflection has samples. Gangstarr uses samples. And since you say is the best producer EVER because of the way he can manipulate samples than what's the problem? I'm sure the new Blackstarr will have samples. Outkast uses samples, but to hear you say it, it's impossible to make a hip hop samples in 2001, and I trust what you're saying but than why is EVERYONE STILL MAKING HIP HOP ALBUMS WITH SAMPLES? And banging ones at that? So Jay is gonna produce on this but use NO samples? Sounds like a blah album to me...