On Sunday night, Lupe Fiasco dropped “Around My Way (Freedom Isn’t Free)”  Any hip-hop fan should immediately recognize the saxophone riff and bass line lazily lifted from Tom Scott’s “Today”, a sample used in one of the most iconic hip-hop songs of all time, Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth’s 1992 “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.).”

Pete Rock’s comments in full:

No disrespect to lupe fiasco and i like him alot but TROY should be left alone. Feel so violated,the beat is next to my heart and was made Outta anguish and pain. When it’s like that it should not be touched by no one!

It’s so hard for folks to make original music, I possess that, but these dudes are scared of that and this is supposed to be HIP HOP? Man I’m a lupe fan and everything but TROY was my homie man. I think about him and Hev every fucking day!!!! Smh

This business can be so lame, sometimes I make beats blindfolded with one hand tied behind my back and still these cats can’t be original to Save their fucking life. #impissed

via Spin Mag