(AllHipHop News) Over the last year, musicians like Summer Walker and Tory Lanez heavily drew on Rhythm & Blues songs of the past. Walker’s Over It album borrowed elements from iconic acts like Usher and Destiny’s Child, while Lanez’s Chixtape 5 LP interpolated 2000s-era hits from numerous collaborators.
“I wanted to make something that people from different generations could appreciate and share together. Something that would make us celebrate our happy memories – music to enjoy life to,” explained Tory Lanez on recreating popular records with Chris Brown, T-Pain, Trey Songz, Mýa, and others.
Omarion is also tapping into turn-of-the-century nostalgia with “The Millennium Tour 2020” featuring Bow Wow, Soulja Boy, Ashanti, Ying Yang Twins, Lloyd, Sammie, and Pretty Ricky. However, the B2K founding member is not a big fan of sampling old R&B cuts in order to make modern renditions.
“I think it’s lazy,” said Omarion during an interview for Joe Budden’s Pull Up show. “It’s already difficult, in my personal opinion, to make a great song greater. So if you’re not making the song greater, then the song is kinda like what it was. I think people forget that they’re sampling a great song and they forget to make it even more great which is difficult to do.”
He added, “I think the sentiment of [creating something familiar] is okay… You can’t stifle yourself by having a song that is already famous. Then it’s like, ‘Well, what happens after that song?’ You still have to create music from scratch… ‘You gotta work on your sh*t’ is basically what I’m trying to say. Perfect your art. Continue to grow in your skill.”
Omarion did acknowledge he was featured on Bow Wow’s song “Let Me Hold You” which sampled Luther Vandross’s classic “If Only for One Night” cover from 1985. According to O, their 2005 version was different from the Vandross version because it was made by a singer and a rapper.
The 35-year-old vocalist is planning to release his next full-length project, tentatively titled Passport, later this year. His solo discography already includes the #1 albums O and 21. Omarion also contributed to B2K’s Top 10 projects B2K and Pandemonium!