Sean Paul Claims Jay-Z Was Uncomfortable With Him Around Beyoncé Amid ‘Baby Boy’ Promotion
Beyoncé proved all of the naysayers wrong when she stepped out of Destiny’s Child in search of solo stardom. Her debut album Dangerously In Love, spawned four number-one singles. One of which was “Baby Boy,” a collaboration with Sean Paul.
Interestingly, Beyoncé only performed the song live with Paul once. She always however ensures the song is part of her concert setlist.
Paul recently offered an explanation as to why, claiming Beyoncé’s now-husband was not comfortable with having him around.
Sean Paul and Beyoncé collaborated on the 2003 single ‘Baby Boy’
“Baby Boy” is the second single from Beyoncé’s debut album Dangerously In Love. The song features Jamaican reggae and dance hall artist, Sean Paul. It was allegedly Beyonce’s idea to have Paul contribute vocals to the song.
An accompanying music video also has island vibes, with Beyoncé performing on the beach and in night clubs.
Related: Beyoncé’s Best Albums, According to Streams on Spotify
The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for nine consecutive weeks. It was Beyoncé’s longest-running No. 1 single before being surpassed by her 2007 single “Irreplaceable.”
Aside from its success in the U.S., “Baby Boy” reached the top 10 charts in other countries including Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, and Norway.
“Baby Boy” was certified platinum by both the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). ASCAP recognizes “Baby Boy” as one of the most performed songs of 2004.
Sean Paul says Jay-Z was uncomfortable with him around Beyoncé
Jay-Z has a co-writer credit on “Baby Boy.” He also has a co-producer credit on the track. Despite his contribution to the song — and knowing Paul would be needed for promotion — Paul says Jay-Z was not comfortable with his presence around Beyoncé.
Per DancehallMag, Paul revealed such during a recent interview with the Jamaican radio show Too Live Crew, Action & the Burgerman. The host pointed out that it was rumored Jay-Z prevented too much interaction between him and Beyoncé, which Paul confirmed.
“Yes, to me that was something that was apparent at the time,” he replied. “We know that artistry is artistry.
Beyoncé and Sean Paul rarely performed ‘Baby Boy’ together
Paul says he’s not happy with how things turned out as it prevented him from actively participating in the success of the song. With the exception of appearing in the music video (which Paul shot separately from Beyoncé), the two only performed the song together live on stage one time.
While Beyoncé is sure to perform “Baby Boy” during every tour and in plenty of variations, Paul only took the stage alongside her for the 2003 MTV Europe Music Awards. It marked the first and last time they’d perform the song together.
Despite such, Paul revealed to MTV in 2012 that he’s grateful he had the opportunity to be part of a No. 1 hit.
“There was just a lot of controversy,” he said at the time. “She’s an amazing artist, the song was at #1 for like nine weeks, so that was a very special time for me and for dancehall.”
Paul continues to perform and record music.
