Singer-songwriter Kelis put Beyonce and Pharrell Williams on blast for sampling her classic record without permission.
Beyonce’s new album, Renaissance, which was released on Friday, includes a song that interpolated Kelis’ hit record, Milkshake.
The track Energy credits The Neptunes, which are the production duo, Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo.
Before the album’s release, Kelis revealed that was not consulted or aware that her record was used on the album.
Kelis revealed that she felt disrespected by the trio involved in creating the record, calling it “theft.”
The 42-year-old singer goes into detail about how more established artists allegedly steal publishing rights from up-and-coming musicians with shady contracts.
Kelis opens up about not receiving credit for songs she wrote
In an Instagram video, Kelis explains her issue with Beyonce, who she claims has “copied her before” sampling the Milkshake record.
She addresses the fact that she is not credited as a songwriter on the record and accuses Pharrell and “spineless” Chad Hugo of “swindling” her out of her publishing rights.
“I know what I own and what I don’t own. I also know the lies that were told,” Kelis said in the video above in reference to her dispute with Hugo and Williams over songwriting credits.
“I also know the things that were stolen. Publishing was stolen, people were swindled out of rights. It happens all the time, especially back then. So, it’s not about me being mad about Beyoncé,” she said.
Kelis accuses Pharrell and Beyonce of hypocrisy
In a second video, she calls out Pharrell, accusing him of hypocrisy when he advocated for artists’ rights last year.
In the caption, she wrote the following, demanding that she be given credit for songs she says she wrote:
“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. 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.”
The singer said that Pharrell did not write her hit singles but took credit for them when she was signed under his record label.
She also accused Beyonce of hypocrisy for singing about women’s empowerment, accusing her of being all talk but no action.
In a 2020 interview with The Guardian, Kelis claimed that “she made nothing from sales of her first two albums,” after being “tricked” at just 19-years-old by “the Neptunes and their management and their lawyers…”