As excited as T.I. was about the beat to his newest single, “Memories Back Then,” featuring B.o.B and Kendrick Lamar, the song didn’t quite end up as Tip originally intended.

T.I. explained that the song originally sampled Gotye’s Grammy Award-winning “Somebody That I Used to Know,” and that he was unable to clear the song sample.

“We just remixed it and did our own thing to it. Took the sample out so we wouldn’t have any trouble in our due diligence,” he said in an interview with MTV News. “I didn’t want to waste the opportunity because it was such great performances and such a meaningful message from myself, from Bob and from Kendrick,” he explained.”

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“‘Memories,’ it began as a record that my DJ MLK, he brought a record to me that was produced by Keno and it had a sample, the sample of the biggest record last year and basically I just rocked out as soon as I heard it.”

T.I. took a positive spin on the matter, regardless. “I think the record is just as hot, if not hotter without the sample,” he said. “No disrespect to the people whose record we sampled. If we could’ve done it that way we would’ve loved to, but we didn’t wanna step on no toes.”

The song was originally intended to be included on Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head.

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Watch the interview below:

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