Kelis called out Beyoncé for not asking for permission to use her song Get Along. (Credit: Getty Images)
Kelis has called out Beyoncé for “theft” claiming that the superstar has no “integrity” or “soul” for sampling her song without approval.
Beyoncé’s new album RENAISSANCE was released today (29 July) at midnight to the delight of fans.
The song in the middle of this kafuffle is track five on RENAISSANCE called ‘Energy’ that samples Kelis’ 2000 song ‘Get Along With You” from her album Kaleidascope.
The songwriters credited on RENAISSANCE are the Neptunes’ Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo. Kelis is not credited.
Kelis took to social media to vent her frustration at being excluded after a fan page called @kelistrends posted the Beyoncé would be sampling the song.
The singer commented under the post with her cooking accounting called @bountyandfull and wrote a scathing response to the news.
“My mind is blown too because the level of disrespect and utter ignorance of all three parties involved is astounding. 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,” she wrote.
A user commented on the post that it was “the collab the world really needs” however Kelis corrected the fan and saying: “It’s not a collab it’s theft.”
When another user wrote “I always felt like Beyoncé really admire Kelis,” the singer said “admire is not the word”.
Kelis didn’t stop there but she took to Instagram to explain why she was offended that Beyoncé didn’t reach out telling her she would be using the song stating that it is “common decency” to do so.
“Not only are we 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 that hard to contact [me],” she said. “It’s just common decency … even if you’re gonna do it anyway.”
Kelis also clarified that her “real beef” wasn’t with Beyoncé but with Williams and Hugo who “swindled” her out of her publishing rights.
“Pharrell knows better,” she claimed. “This is a direct hit at me. The reality is, this is frustrating. I have the right to be frustrated.”
Kelis also took the time to address Beyhive fans who were calling her jealous on social media.
She said: “It’s not about me being jealous. Jealous of someone using my song? That’s the dumbest, most ignorant thing I’ve ever heard. Like grow up.”
In a second Instagram video Kelis captioned the post with an message for fans stating that she would fight for what’s hers and seek “reparations”.
“I just heard the record everyone is saying has my sample . But it’s beyond this song at this point . 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 added: “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 . Peace.”
Kelis has spoken about bad contracts and Williams stealing her songs in the past and has vented her frustration often.
In an interview with The Guardian in 2019 she claimed that she was “blatantly lied to and tricked” by “the Neptunes and their management and their lawyers and all that stuff”.