Jon B is walking back earlier remarks he made about Chloe Bailey and Gunna’s duet “You & Me,” which samples his 1998 R&B classic “They Don’t Know.”
The veteran crooner had initially dismissed the track as “ratchet”—a word he now says he deeply regrets using. His candid admission came during a recent appearance on Shirley’s Temple with Shirley Ju, where he opened up about how the backlash pushed him to reevaluate his tone, his message, and his legacy.
The episode marked a rare moment of vulnerability for Jon B, who acknowledged that podcast culture was still unfamiliar terrain for him. “I regretted how I spoke on it the first time,” he admitted. “Wasn’t used to doing podcasts. I didn’t know how to speak my truth the right way.”
His response wasn’t just about media inexperience—it was about the emotional weight of his words. “It hurt me,” he added. “That could be my daughter right there. It hit different.”
Jon B Apologizes To Gunna & Chloe Bailey
The original criticism seemed, to some, like a generational slight. But Jon B insists that wasn’t his intent. His frustration, he clarified, didn’t stem from ego or disdain for today’s artists, but from a misplaced reaction he now owns.
He stressed that he never wants to be perceived as someone who tears down younger talent, especially those who honor his work by bringing it into a new era. “I never want to come off like a hater,” he said. “I appreciate someone remembering me in any instance to make a joint.”
Though he confirmed that the sample used in “You & Me” was never officially cleared, Jon B didn’t dwell on the legalities. Instead, he emphasized respect—for artistic evolution, for creative reinterpretation, and for the artists shaping the future of R&B. He knows how rare it is to be sampled, let alone recognized, decades later.
Jon B’s revised stance reflects maturity and accountability. In a space where legacy can be rewritten by a single quote, he chose course correction over defensiveness. His message now is clear: honoring the past doesn’t mean holding back the present.
And as new voices reinterpret old melodies, Jon B wants to be remembered not just for the songs—but for how he supported the next generation singing them.
