Update [August 14, 8:15 PM CST]: Hudson Mohawke and James Blake continue to disagree about their previous working relationship.
First, in response to questions about the legitimacies of his claims, Mohawke posted a screen cap of an email from February of 2014 supposedly confirming his claims. “Can’t believe i have to prove this. Seems so petty,” Mohawke wrote before posting the screen cap. In the email, Blake wrote, “I tried a few things with the beats you sent me but I didn’t get very far. I’m sorry about that. It does happen a lot with me, like I said.”
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According to Mohawke, the issue is a matter of protecting his career, which he claims is being damaged as if he is, “some sort of liar.”
In response to Mohawke’s tweet, Blake posted a longer response written on his iPhone Notes app confirming he listened to Mohawke’s beats but did not contribute anything new to them. “Thank god we’ve never worked together because I wouldn’t be able to trust you with my music,” Blake wrote. “Going forward if you continue to threaten to leak music or even suggest your ability to do so, soon no one else will trust you with their music either.” Read Blake’s entire statement below.
Update [August 14, 10:17 AM CST]: After a few days of silence, Mohawke has returned to Twitter to clarify his initial tweets. According to Mohawke, Blake “tried a few things” with instrumentals for Mohawke’s last record, but nothing came of the work.
Blake has not yet responded to this latest round of tweets. In April, we reported on Blake’s collaboration with Beyonce.
Update [August 12, 11:30 AM PST]: James Blake has responded to Hudson Mohawke’s claims that the two worked on demos together. “As talented as I think he is, I’ve never worked with Hudson Mohawke and don’t know what he’s talking about,” Blake Tweeted, adding, “I’m respectfully baffled.”
While Frank Ocean fans are still waiting for his second album, Boys Don’t Cry, Scottish producer Hudson Mohawke has offered a microscopic glint of hope to those wanting to hear any sort of new material from the reclusive artist.
Responding earlier today to Twitter user DDoering23, who really wants a Mohawke and James Blake collaboration to happen, HudMo wrote that the two actually “demo’d a few,” slipping in that he’d also recorded with Ocean, “but I can’t get into anymore trouble for leaks.” Any anticipation was quickly shot down when he added, “None of this music is confirmed as ever seeing the light of day n im not gona leak anything [sic].”
Mohawke has become a go-to producer for artists outside the dance space. After breaking through the Top 40 radio barrier with Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T, and 2 Chainz’s 2012 hit “Mercy,” he has continued to collaborate with West—resulting in his signing to West’s G.O.O.D. Music label—in addition to making beats for artists such as Drake, Lil Wayne, Pusha T, and A$AP Rocky. Most recently, he was a co-producer of ANOHNI’s album Hopelessness.
Blake recently released his third studio album, The Color in Anything, which he originally stated would feature Kanye West and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, though only the latter made the final cut. However, the album does include songwriting contribution from Ocean.
Meanwhile, the wait for Boys Don’t Cry drags on. Someone’s even created an app that will text users when—if—it drops.
