Jay-Z, oh my God! I’ve heard he talks like a horse, can you believe it? And get this—word on the street is that soon, folks will be coming for Jay-Z and Beyoncé, calling them out for some Diddy-like behavior. But it won’t just stop at that; they might be facing backlash for all the careers they’ve allegedly ruined. Apparently, behind the scenes, people are starting to piece together their stories. Someone, please cue Blue Cantrell!
But what I really want is to reach out to Blue Cantrell—the original Blue, not their daughter. Blue, you were such a force in music! You made a choice to work with someone, and it’s likely you didn’t realize just how shady he was at the time. I know I didn’t. But now it’s time for you to speak up. It’s time for you to sing again because I know you still have that talent. You’ve got the gift, just like I do. Jay-Z worked hard to erase you and me from the conversation, just like he did with L, his complicated history with R. Kelly, and Aaliyah. Blue, let’s hear your story!
For those who remember the early 2000s, Blue Cantrell was a huge name in R&B. She once shared that she was out with her sister when someone approached her and said, “You look like a singer.” And guess what? He was right! After hearing her sing, they took her to Red Zone, and she was signed right away.
Blue was such a powerhouse that she had several labels clamoring to sign her, and she eventually landed with Arista Records. But here’s where it gets a bit crazy. I mean, we’re talking about a successful singer with an incredible voice—labels were literally fighting over her. Yet, in 2004, Arista somehow forgot to renew her contract. Seriously, how do you forget to renew a contract for one of your most talented artists?
Around that same time, Blue started to realize that she hadn’t made nearly as much money as she should have while at the label. In an interview on “You Know I Got Soul,” she expressed a strong wish that she had someone to guide her through the industry. She revealed, “I would have gotten my lawyer because that lawyer ended up representing them, which was a conflict of interest. So they were all working together to basically take what was mine. Nobody knows the whole truth but me and them, but I was really taken advantage of.”
You’d think that with her talent, it would be easy for her to find another label, right? Not quite. With Hollywood’s power couple, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, essentially blackballing her, it was like she vanished from the entire industry.
The last time we really heard from Blue Cantrell was back in 2012. There were reports that she had to be taken to a hospital for a psychological evaluation in Santa Monica. Apparently, a passerby saw her screaming in the street about someone giving her poisonous gas, and it got to the point where someone called the police.
There were also rumors that her absence had a lot to do with some tension between her and Beyoncé. People said it was because Jay-Z had an eye on Blue. There were even whispers of a romance between them. When Blue was asked about it, she denied anything was happening, but she did admit to Wendy Williams that she had a big crush on him.
So, did she really have a hold on him? Honestly, I think they had something special, at least in a political sense. I truly believe they were in love. I mean, I had a crush on him too—no shame in that!
Do you still have a crush? Oh, no, no, no! I’m pretty picky about who I crush on. What? Really? Yeah, I really liked him back then, but it doesn’t matter who he’s with now. I’ve always had a crush on him, though. If he walked in here right now and everyone else was gone—well, you know! You’re in New York? Sure. So, if you bumped into them and the moment felt right, would you go for it? I wouldn’t turn it down, but you can’t just go around hooking up with guys like that, you know?
Did you catch how she said that if she ever met Jay-Z and everything felt right, she wouldn’t turn him down? Imagine if he actually approached her, and they really hit it off! People have long whispered that Jay-Z was so taken with Blue that he convinced Beyoncé to name their first child after her. It’s also said that Jay-Z’s favorite color is blue because of his affection for her.
Let’s start with Blue. Anyone who followed her back then knows she wasn’t the type to be easily swayed. She had a strong sense of what she wanted and didn’t back down. I can’t say the same for Beyoncé, though. And remember, both Blue and Beyoncé were launching their solo careers around the same time, so it’s only natural that a bit of competition brewed between them. There’s a prevailing belief that anyone who posed a threat to Beyoncé during her rise had to be sidelined for her to get the spotlight.
Take Amerie, for example. There are rumors that Beyoncé lifted the go-go sound from Amerie after Rich Harrison—who produced for Amerie—began working with her. People point to Beyoncé’s first solo single, “Work It Out,” which didn’t really take off, as evidence. It wasn’t until she started producing tracks similar to Amerie’s that she really found her groove.
Honestly, I’ve always thought Amerie was the original Beyoncé. Think I’m exaggerating? Just look at the “Crazy In Love” video and then watch Amerie’s “Fall In Love.” The timeline tells a story too. Amerie released her debut album, All I Have, in 2002, and Rich Harrison was the sole producer, crafting her unique sound. Beyoncé was a fan and tracked him down, resulting in “Crazy In Love,” which used the same winning formula he’d created for Amerie.
When Amerie dropped her second album, Touch, the lead single “One Thing” felt eerily similar to “Crazy In Love.” It was Amerie trying to reclaim a sound that originally belonged to her, but by then, Beyoncé was already soaring to new heights.
So here’s the million-dollar question: If Amerie had put out “Crazy In Love,” would it have been as massive? Other artists, like Teairra Mari, have also claimed that the Carters sabotaged their careers. In L.A. Reid’s memoir, Sing To Me: My Story of Making Music, Finding Magic, and Searching for Who’s Next, he recalls first encountering Rihanna. He didn’t even know if she was a singer; she was just a pretty girl hanging out in a hallway. But Jay-Z had already heard her sing and was determined to sign her.
Reid mentions, “After signing Rihanna, Jay-Z and his team handled the A&R for her first album, and I wasn’t involved at all. The funny thing is, at that time, we signed two girls: Rihanna and another talented young lady named Teairra Mari.”
Later on, L.A. Reid shared that during an in-house company showcase, Beyoncé and Jay-Z happened to be in attendance. The lineup featured Teairra Marí, Rihanna, a four-girl group called Black Butterfly, and Ne-Yo. But L.A. had his eyes firmly on Teairra, believing she had the potential to be the big star. They really invested in her, giving her more attention and resources.
At the time, Rihanna had already scored a hit with “Pon de Replay,” but the label still thought Teairra would rise to greater heights. However, Beyoncé suggested that L.A. focus more on Rihanna, perhaps because she saw Teairra as a bigger threat to her own success. And that’s exactly what the label did.
L.A. recalled, “I signed Rihanna and set up a showcase. Teairra Marí performed, and she’s such a sweet girl. Honestly, I was a little more focused on her than on Rihanna. After the showcase, Beyoncé gave me this look and said, ‘That Rihanna girl, she’s a beast,’ then turned away. I thought, ‘Wow,’ and did a double-take at Rihanna. It’s not that I didn’t believe in her—I love that girl—but Beyoncé’s comment definitely made me take a closer look.”
Interestingly, Rihanna was someone else that Beyoncé and Jay-Z allegedly tried to undermine. The very person Beyoncé thought wouldn’t be a major threat to her turned out to not only challenge her career but also complicate her marriage. We’ve heard plenty of rumors about how Beyoncé and Jay-Z tried to sabotage Rihanna’s rise, but few expected the connections to the drama surrounding Chris Brown.
The story of Rihanna and Chris Brown took a serious turn back in 2009, just before the Grammys. They were in a Lamborghini when Rihanna confronted Chris about being with another woman. What started as a heated discussion quickly escalated into a physical fight, and sadly, Rihanna ended up with a black eye. Chris later claimed that during the struggle for his phone, Rihanna grabbed him inappropriately, which led him to bite her while he was trying to drive. After that, Rihanna jumped out of the car and started screaming for help, saying, “Help! He’s trying to kill me!” To which Chris responded, “Stop, we’re going to get in trouble.”
This entire situation spiraled out of control, resulting in Chris facing serious consequences. He was sentenced to five years of probation, a year of domestic violence counseling, and six months of community service. There were also rumors floating around that Chris got angry after finding out Rihanna had given him an STD, which she allegedly caught from an affair with Jay-Z. Following this, Rihanna confronted him, leading to their infamous fight.
But it doesn’t stop there. Beyoncé and Jay-Z have also been accused of sabotaging other artists’ careers. For instance, back in 2003, Jennifer Armour claimed that Beyoncé’s label, Columbia Records, had stolen her song “Got a Little Bit of Love for You.” After hearing Beyoncé’s “Baby Boy” on the radio, which she thought sounded suspiciously like her demo, she filed a lawsuit. Unfortunately for her, she lost because she couldn’t prove that Beyoncé had heard her song before.
Beyoncé has faced criticism for other things too. Choreographer Marilyn Ortiz publicly accused her of stealing dance moves for her Formation world tour from Ortiz’s troupe, De La Guarda. In a lengthy Instagram post, Ortiz expressed her frustration, saying that while she appreciated inspiration, she and her struggling colleagues deserved some credit.
There’s also the time Beyoncé covered Des’ree’s song “Kissing You,” renaming it “Still in Love (Kissing You)” and crediting herself as a writer. When a licensing deal didn’t go through, she still went ahead with the re-recording and even made a music video for it. Des’ree ended up seeking $150,000 in damages and wanted the song’s distribution stopped.
And the list of controversies surrounding Beyoncé seems endless. Critics say she falsely claimed credit for writing “Crazy in Love,” misrepresented her role in “Irreplaceable,” and even took credit for a Stevie Nicks sample in “Bootylicious.” Some people believe that her 2011 Billboard Music Awards performance was directly copied from an Italian pop star. Many argue that because Beyoncé is such a huge figure in the industry, she and Jay-Z have faced little to no consequences for their actions against other artists.
When it comes to Blu Cantrell, she really didn’t stand a chance against the Carters, especially since she was aware of their attempts to undermine her. There was a time when she pointed out that the music video for Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s “’03 Bonnie & Clyde” looked strikingly similar to the promo for her song “Round Up,” which had dropped first. Plus, after Blu scored a massive hit with Sean Paul, Beyoncé quickly released “Baby Boy” with him, too.
On top of that, some people believe that Beyoncé subtly referenced her issues with Blu in her song “Signs” when she sang, “I was in love with a Sagittarius. I’ve been burnt by a Pisces.” For those who might not know, Jay-Z is a Sagittarius, and Blu is a Pisces. Back then, it felt like Blu was always up against a powerhouse couple, and her chances were slim. But now, things might be changing. Reports say that Blu is getting ready to spill some tea, and it sounds like it’s going to be wild.
When artists start speaking out about how Jay-Z and Beyoncé may have sabotaged their careers, it’s likely we’re going to see a long list. This couple has been making headlines lately, especially with rumors swirling about their legal troubles and the situation with Diddy. People are saying they better brace themselves for what’s coming, because it might not just be about their connection to Diddy.
So, what do you think about how they treated artists like Blu Cantrell? Let me know in the comments! And feel free to drop any other names you think should join this list of artists who’ve faced sabotage from Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
