On Nov. 27, Jack Harlow’s “Lovin on Me” secured the top spot on Billboard’s Hot 100, according to Billboard. While the record is the Kentucky rapper’s third No.1, the announcement also marked a win for another musician.
As “Lovin on Me” samples Cadillac Dale’s “Whatever (Bass Solique),” released in 1995, he scored himself his debut No. 1 hit, according to The Detroit News.
The win came unexpectedly for the Detroit artist, who gave the green light to Harlow’s team once he heard the sample and is credited as one of the song’s songwriters.
“This fell in my lap, man,” Dale shared, according to the outlet. “I was laying in bed with my wife pillow talking when the actual message came through and this all began.”
Dale’s dream coming true comes nearly three decades after getting his start in the music business.
The outlet details that in 1995, he was a part of the R&B duo with Shawn Harris named Shawn & Dale, and they dropped “Soulful Moaning,” which was a hit in Detroit.
While Dale has now seen success, Harris’ fate wasn’t so fortunate as he later became incarcerated.
In addition, there was a disagreement over royalties from the hit record, leading Dale to leave the single and its success behind him.
“It’s a heartbreaking story, but at the same time, man, it’s a glorious story,” said Dale.
After facing the hurdle in his music career, “Soulful Moaning” went on to be sampled in Big Sean’s “Body Language” in 2020. And now, his song “Whatever (Bass Solique)” is sampled in one of 2023’s biggest records, thanks to Harlow’s song.
During the halftime show of the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers game on Thanksgiving, Harlow performed “Lovin on Me” in Dale’s hometown of Detroit — making the moment even sweeter.
When meeting Harlow, Dale shared that the 25-year-old was “very, very genuine” and thanked him for letting him use the sample.
What’s more, Harlow also expressed to Dale that he knew the single was special.
“I find myself waking up in the middle of the night asking, ‘Is this for real?’ And it’s like, ‘Yeah Dale, this is for real,’” Dale said. “I know how to pace myself, but when all of these things that you say you want to do are right there in your face, you have to breathe.”
He continued, “I remember when ‘Soulful Moaning’ was No. 1 in just little ol’ Detroit, that was overwhelming. So I’ve learned how to grow into this. It is what it is, I accept it because it’s something that I want and I’ve been working on for a long time, but my purpose has changed. It’s not about, ‘I want to sell a million records.’ It’s about using this gift that was given to me to make music that touches people.”
