Entertainment
Erykah Badu attacked, reignites fire for Beyoncé fans after calling out Jay Z and accusing the singer of stealing her style
The buzz of swarming bees is music to Erykah Badu’s ears, which also includes real insects and fiercely loyal followers who pledge their allegiance to Beyoncé.
As for speculative fans, each women consider Texas their home state, but there isn’t any semblance of a relationship between them. They have evolved into one of the most unsuspecting rivals in music over the last yr, largely as a result of Badu several times attacking the “Beautiful Liar” singer’s creative integrity, or perceived lack thereof.
On multiple occasion, the Neo-Soul star saw her comments crammed with bee emojis, marking an all-out digital attack from the BeyHive, angered by her snubbing Beyoncé.
A number of months after his last sting, Badu asks one query: “Where is the hive now?” He appeared on Halloween episode “The Breakfast Club,” where hosts DJ Envy, Charlamagne tha God, and guest Lauren LaRosa didn’t hesitate to ask the artist if she was being targeted by her modern fans.
“I haven’t seen BeyHive in a long time. And I love bees,” she replied shyly. “They do not know I prefer it. I like bees. This is my totem… They will tear me to pieces.
In 2023, Badu angered countless members of the hive when she derisively remarked that she was “everyone’s stylist” while showing photos of herself and Beyoncé wearing similarly large, metallic, wide-brimmed hats.
The global pop star was on the Renaissance Tour at the time and recurrently used the accessory as part of her stage costume collection, although the look harks back to her time on the Lemonade Tour in 2016.
When Badu faced backlash for the comment, she hopped on Twitter to call for support. “To JAY Z. Say something to Jay. You left, you let that woman and those bees do this to me?”
To Jay Z. Say something, Jay. You left, you let that woman and those bees do that to me? 😆 pic.twitter.com/oxNhNgvfWp
— ErykahBadoula (@fatbellybella) March 20, 2024
When asked about the intentions behind her decision to involve Jay-Z, Beyoncé’s husband, in the fight, the Dallas native replied that it was all a joke. “I don’t know why people take everything so seriously. It’s just my sense of humor. I love Jay,” she joked.
Badu said earlier Standard that BeyHive never gave her the opportunity to offer context to her tweet. Instead, she was “guilty before it started.”
However, the murmurs about suspected rift between the women became louder when Badu once more fueled the rumors by slamming Beyoncé for wearing Fulani braids in the cover of her “Country Carter” album.
Badu has worn the same hairstyle over the years and others throughout her profession. On The Breakfast Club, she selected her words fastidiously when she noticed her peers taking the same approach.
“Even though we love our art, it doesn’t belong to us once it comes to light… You can’t decide what people do with art. You can’t decide if they’re going to replicate it, do a different interpretation, or just enjoy it or use it as inspiration. It can’t be done, but there is no need to remain silent about it,’ she said. Badu added: “If it makes you feel any way, you should say something about it.”
Andre 3K if he hears screams like that from her, he might give Erykah an aneurysm https://t.co/2YkzCagTA5
— Can I tag you @Sethrogen? (@MrsKhandiCoated) April 2, 2024
The response to the interview was: “Badu is not mocking Beyhive trolling.” Someone else said her comments prove she’s jealous of Beyoncé. Although one other person suggested: “He’s weirdly obsessed with her.”
Another viewer wrote that the women’s dispute involved a 3rd party. “It’s about André 3000,” he said. André 3000 and Badu dated over twenty years ago and share a son. He collaborated with Beyoncé and even gained recognition when she received the Innovator Award at the 2024 iHeart Awards.