BTS's Suga recently clarified that when he incorporated Jim Jones' speech in his new mixtape "D-2," "he didn't know it was improper." However, rumors claim that it was intentional and the proof is in another non-title song, "Set Me Free."
Suga's song "Set Me Free" from his mixtape "D-2" also cited Post Malone's "Jonestown," according to an exclusive article by WikiTree on June 1. It's just the same spot where religious leader Jim Jones committed the "Jonestown massacre."
According to reports, Suga asked for an opinion from a famous Korean producer, who also developed and partnered with popular musicians locally and internationally.
Informant A stated, "If a track called 'Jonestown' had not been launched by Post Malone, Suga's 'Set Me Free' might not be born."
A company then analyzed the code's progression from both songs, and they noticed both "Set Me Free" and "Jonestown" have the same flow and order. Both recordings were close to the top of the B♭ code choice, and appears in a four-word riff, beginning with C code.
The evidence doesn't end here as they claim that the general layout of instruments (bass, guitar, drum) and BPMs are also identical. The vocal patterns were alike, as well. The informant explained, "I can tell that Suga was hooked on 'Johnstown' and used it as a guide, without a doubt."
Post Malone's "Johnstown" is all about a massacre in Guyana Johnstown. If Suga listened to the track and created and produced "Set Me Free," perhaps he put the speech into "What Do You Think" while being fully aware it was Jim Jones, the cult leader.
However, Big Hit Entertainment quickly jumped in to make clarifications regarding Suga's mixtape sampling controversy. On May 31, the agency released a statement and apologized about the issue, adding that the producer had no "special intent" and "was unaware of the identity."
The sample is now removed from the track. It was taken from the 1977 speech by Jim Jones, an American cult leader who committed widespread homicide-suicide in the remote region known as "Jonestown."
Excerpts from the original statement said:
"The vocal sample in "What Do You Think? introduction on the mixtape was chosen without even any special purpose by the producer, who was uncertain of the speaker's character, and then used the sample for the track's overall vibe."
The statement added:
"Big Hit Entertainment has processes for updating its complex content for possible social, historical, and cultural problems aimed at a worldwide audience. However, we encounter the fact that there are boundaries to understanding and appropriately responding to every circumstance. In this scenario, we were unable to identify the problem beforehand and demonstrated a complete lack of knowledge about related historical and social issues. For this, we sincerely apologize to those who have felt upset or hurt."
Meanwhile, on June 3, shortly after this rumor surfaced online, Big Hit Entertainment released a new statement to counter the claims.
The agency wrote:
"As we divulged in our initial statement, the producer of this song selected the audio sample as he was considering the mood of the track, with no ulterior intentions and no knowledge of the person who delivered the speech."
What do you think of this issue?
