Kelis, right, took to Instagram to express her frustration that Beyonce, left, didn’t call her before using “Milkshake” song on new album. (Kelis Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) (Beyonce Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP, File)
Anybody who doesn’t live under a rock knows the Beyhive stings at full force when someone comes for their queen Beyonce. That buzzing reached pitch after singer Kelis accused the “Break My Soul” artist of “theft” for sampling one of her songs on her new album without telling her first.
On Friday, July 29, Beyonce dropped her latest work “Renaissance.” Before that, she’d shared a track listing for the album that included songwriting and performance credits.
After one of Kelis’ fan pages on Instagram said the two artists collaborated on the song “Energy,” Kelis commented from her official page and expressed her frustration that Beyonce used her iconic “Milkshake” song without reaching out to her ahead of time.
“My mind is blown too because the level of disrespect and utter ignorance of all 3 parties involved is astounding,” Kelis wrote. “I heard about this the same way everyone else did. Nothing is ever as it seems, some of the people in this business have no soul or integrity, and they have everyone fooled.”
When another fan commented and said, “That’s a collab the world really needs, Kelis responded, “it’s not a collab it’s theft.”
It didn’t take long for the Beyhive to activate in Beyonce’s defense after Kelis called her out.
“So the Neptunes own her music and didn’t credit her (f**ked up). Beyoncé samples the song THAT SHE IS NOT CREDITED ON but yet gives Kelis the credit she never had for sampling the song, and somehow Beyoncé is at fault because why? I need help,” @shady_j tweeted.
“Tbh she’s been jealous even before 2006. Probably was seething at the 2004 Grammys when Beyoncé sweeped the awards and Kelis didn’t even win her 1 nomination for Milkshake,” @saucygrrrl tweeted.
“Wow, she’s really doing the absolute most, if I was Beyoncé I’d take her name off the credit for the sample cause she doing ALL of this over not getting a f**king phone call??” @JerseyMika wrote.
“i love kelis, but she buggin rn. pharrell is foul for wat he did to her, but buggin in the comments @ beyoncé is doing absolutely nothing but making herself look like an a**hole,: @bbychakra wrote.
“Kelis not apologizing after hearing the song & hearing how clearly wrong she was tells you everything you need to know about her,” @bjday4 chimed in. “Bey should never address this situation. Pay her dust.”
“I’m so happy Kelis posted that comment about Bey being helped by Satan. Now I can rest knowing my instincts about this were right after all,” @Ms_ZamaNdlovu tweeted.
Kelis then took to her Instagram page to double-down on her comments, noting she knows she doesn’t legally own the rights to the music because, according to her, Pharrell stole them.
However, Kelis explained she felt it would have shown “common decency” for Beyonce to reach out artist-to-artist before using the song.
“I’m a human being so I get pissed off and I get ticked off. I’m an artist so as Erykah [Badu] said I’m sensitive about my sh*t,” Kelis said in the video. “The reality is that my real beef is not only with Beyonce because at the end of the day she sampled a record; she’s copied me before. … So have many other artists. It’s fine I don’t care about that.”
“The issue is that not only are we female artists, Black female artists in an industry where there’s not that many of us. We’ve met each other. We know each other. We have mutual friends. It’s not hard, she can contact right,” Kelis continued. “It’s just common decency; especially because as so many of you pointed out as though I don’t know so let me help you … I know what I own and what I don’t own.”
“I also know the lies that were told,” Kelis continued in the Instagram video. “I also know the things that were stolen. Publishing was stolen, people were swindled out of rights. It happens all the time, especially back then. So, it’s not about me being mad about Beyoncé.”
In a follow-up video, Kelis further explained her major issue is with Pharrell the hypocrisy.
“This was a TRIGGER for me. Milkshake alone is one of the most licensed records of our generation. I am a creator , I’m an innovator, I have done more then left my mark on an era of music and style that will go down in history,” Kelis wrote in the caption. “But there are bully’s and secrets and gangsters in this industry that smile and get away with it until someone says enough is enough . So I’m saying it today . I’m coming for what’s mine and I want reparations.”
While many in the Beyhive said they were canceling Kelis for her jealousy, others came to her defense.
“I understand i don’t know how many songs my voice is Sampled and not one of these artists or producer’s had the decency to call Out of respect,” Luther Campbell aka Uncle Luke tweeted.
“Folks are gaslighting Kelis & trying to invalidate her feelings. But any person would be upset to see their work as an artist constantly being stolen or not receiving credit,” @HotCommieGal wrote. “Like, yeah, The Neptunes owns her masters. But that’s the whole point. They exploited & stole from her.”
“Y’all are being very nasty to Kelis.. Like, as many times as y’all have shared Kelis on y’all’s pages for pioneering a certain sound/aesthetic,” @HotCommieGal wrote. “Y’all should really keep that same energy by respecting her as a person who was wronged & is still wronged by the industry.”
“Especially cuz all Kelis is saying is, ‘Damn, I wish you woulda let a b**ch know,’” @AdamantxYves tweeted. “She’s not even saying that Beyoncé needed her permission. She just wanted to be notified. I totally understand her indignation.”
“Pharrell was an established music producer – with 10 years under his belt when Kelis released ‘caught out there’ & he is much older than Kelis. Homeboy knew he was exploiting her,” @itsJaninebtw wrote. “Agree, the very least Beyonce (or hear team) could do was giver her call.”
“If you can’t hear what Kelis is mad about, here it is,” @JonnationDaRapa tweeted along with a link to a video comparing the songs in a side by side visual.
“Stan culture got y’all so delusional that y’all justify the worst traits in your faves. Kelis is right. Pharrell Williams is a horrible person for all of this,” @MrErnestOwens chimed in. “Beyoncé should have done better in resolving this before the album dropped. That’s it. Debate your cat.”
“The Kelis hate backfired and now she getting more flowers and praise. See when you’re chosen …,” @RossiSongo tweeted.
IN THE ORIGINAL PHOTOS:
Kelis arrives at the Secret Genius Awards at Vibiana on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
Beyonce at the “Lion King” premiere in London on July 14, 2019. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP, File)
