Sean Paul Denies Saying Jay-Z Was Jealous Of Beyoncé Collab After Comments Went Viral

BY Erika Marie 4.9K Views
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Sean Paul, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Baby Boy
The Dancehall icon sat down with us and exclusively detailed how his words were taken out of context after his appearance on a radio station caused a stir.

Their 2003 hit "Baby Boy" was glued to the No. 1 spot on the charts for nine weeks and has become a classic party song worldwide. Yet, ever since the single first hit airwaves, Beyoncé and Sean Paul have been the subject of rumors surrounding their collaboration. For nearly two decades there has been gossip about Jay-Z not approving of his then-girlfriend's artistic pairing with the Jamaican Dancehall singer-rapper, most notably because Paul and Bey didn't appear on set together in the music video, and last month, fuel was added to the rumor-mill-fire after Sean Paul appeared on a Jamaican radio station.

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During his interview, the radio host reportedly stated that he believed Jay-Z was jealous at the time and didn't want Beyoncé around Sean Paul. The singer is reported as agreeing with the host, but he exclusively spoke with us recently and denied he ever said such a thing. Sean Paul detailed what happened and why he continues to face the same gossip decades later, even though he's never said anything negative about Jay-Z or Beyoncé.

"It was a radio show here in Jamaica and I get this regularly. When I go to Texas, also, radio shows there, I don’t know what it is, people are like, ‘So tell me…’ and it gets to that part in that interview where they're like, ‘What happened with you and Beyoncé?’ Nothing really happened. The hit song was dope," said Paul. "You know, some of them made up their own mind. That's the whatever. Sometimes with interviews, you can say, ‘I'd rather not speak about it,’ but then, people would think that something was going on. So, I was trying to defend it like, ‘Hey nah, but weird things did happen, that's probably why there were rumors,' but people leave out 'that's probably why there were rumors' part."

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"There were weird things that happened on stage with our performance, with the [music] video. I know a headline said that ‘oh, Jay-Z didn’t want me there.’ It had nothing to do with him as far as I'm concerned," Sean Paul explained. "[Beyoncé's] her own artist that was managed by her own manager. They were going out at the time. They weren't married yet. I don't think he would have influenced whatever her vision was. She's a very determined person. She's very precise with her thoughts and her movements and she works very hard. It was probably her vision."

"So, what I did speak about in that interview was that there were some weird things that happened and that's probably why people had rumors about it because a couple of times while on stage, we tried to perform [‘Baby Boy’] properly. There were problems with the ProTools, which doesn't usually happen. There was problems with my mic in one performance in Germany. That’s probably why people started talking about [it] and then this guy did the same thing back to me. So, hey, big up to him," he said with a chuckle, adding that the host got his viral moment.

Make sure to read our full interview with the Dancehall icon as he speaks about mending divisions in the genre and what fans can expect from his two new albums: "Sean Paul Speaks On Beyoncé-Jay-Z Rumors, Dancehall's Clash Culture, & New Album."


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.