Soca Legend Denise Belfon Says Drake Helped Her Get Royalties From “Work” Sanple First Time In 28 years

Soca legend Denise Belfon has given Drake props for helping her receive royalties on a 1998 song that the rapper sampled on his recent album, Maid of Honour. The Trinidadian vocalist is speaking about her Soca classic “Work” being featured on Honour track “BBW,” after years of not being allotted royalties from the song. Initially the process was “Work” producer Pupa Nas-T and Belfon claims that her name was removed from the song’s credit, which she seeks to uncover in pending legal proceedings. "Because of Drake's team, the producer of 'Work' was forced to say 'yes,'" Belfon told the publication. "For 28 years, he had refused to sign off on my receiving my royalties. With Drake adding my vocals on 'BBW,' he agreed that, moving forward, I would receive my appropriate payment."Along with “BBW,” Belfon now has the ability to receive royalties from future songs that sample “Work,” but its reach has already spanned 2020s music. 2022 Shenseea and Megan Thee Stallion collaboration “Lick” has utilized the song, along with Leigh-Anne’s 2026 single “Been a Minute” along with Major Lazer cut “Rotate” featuring Skillibeng. Belfon also wants to negotiate of backpay for roughly 8,000 other recordings that have sampled her “Work” vocals, a legal battle that she’s also pursuing for the song’s writer, Harkness Taitt. [Pupa Nas-T] has refused to give me and Harkness our backpay; he said we should just forget about it and concentrate on new projects,” Belfon told Billboard. “Harkness is a beautiful soul, and it’s unfortunate that he was wrongfully dealt with for all these years. If it’s with my last breath, I will make sure that Harkness gets what he missed out on all these years.”

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