Swizz Beatz pulled last-minute strings with his contacts in Saudi Arabia to personally clear the Clipse “So Be It” sample.
Swizz Beatz flew into action on the day of Clipse’s album release to personally secure a delayed sample clearance for their track “So Be It,” using his deep-rooted connections in Saudi Arabia to get it done face-to-face.
The track, which samples celebrated Saudi singer Talal Madah’s “Maza Akoulou,” had been held up by legal red tape, forcing Clipse to drop only the music video while the official version sat in limbo.
The delay meant the original song was missing from streaming platforms at launch, replaced by a backup version titled “So Be It Pt. II.”
According to Clipse’s manager Steven Victor, the sample clearance was stuck until Swizz stepped in—literally on his way to Saudi Arabia.
“Swizz asked, ‘Why didn’t you call me about [“So Be It”]?’” Victor said during a conversation with Audiomack co-founder Brian Zisook. “I told him, ‘I did—I sent it to you.’ He said, ‘I didn’t realize it was that record. Let me handle it.’”
Victor added, “He said, ‘I’ll connect with the right people in person and get it resolved.’ And that’s exactly what he did.”
Swizz’s timing couldn’t have been better. Already scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia that day, he used the trip to meet with the necessary parties and push the clearance through.
His ties in the region run deep—he owns a camel racing team called Saudi Bronx and runs a creative agency, Good Intentions, based in Riyadh.
The sample was cleared shortly after the album’s midnight drop, meaning the first vinyl pressing didn’t include the original version.
But once the green light came through, the track was swapped in on streaming platforms, replacing the alternate version.
Clipse Recall First Hearing “So Be It” Sample
The whole situation started when Pharrell Williams, executive producer of Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out, heard Madah’s song on Swizz’s Instagram.
“Pharrell heard it and he just called me, like, ‘What the hell is that?’” Pusha T said during a recent interview with Ari Melber.
The original version of “So Be It” samples “Maza Akoulou” by Saudi legend Talal Madah.
Pharrell first heard the song on Swizz Beatz’s Instagram, according to Pusha T in an interview with MSNBC’s @AriMelber. pic.twitter.com/Gt4ewlxIh8
— Z (@BrianZisook) July 22, 2025