Additional Coverage:
- Jay-Z swaps out Kanye West’s name in song lyric during surprise Beyoncé concert appearance (the-independent.com)
Jay-Z Appears with Beyoncé in Paris, Seemingly Snubs Kanye West During Performance
Music icon Jay-Z made a surprise appearance during his wife Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour stop in Paris on Sunday, delighting fans with a medley of their hit collaborations. The power couple performed classics such as “Crazy In Love” and a “Drunk in Love”/”Partition” remix. However, it was Jay-Z’s solo performance of “Ni**as in Paris,” his 2011 collaboration with Kanye West, that raised eyebrows.
Fan-recorded footage shows Jay-Z pointedly altering a key lyric in the song. Instead of rapping the original line, “Just might let you meet Ye,” he substituted his wife’s name, rapping “Just might let you meet Bey.” This subtle change comes amidst ongoing tension between the two former collaborators.
In recent weeks, West has publicly expressed his desire to reconcile with Jay-Z, posting on social media that “all my dreams have been about apologizing to Jay-Z.” The pair’s once-close friendship and musical partnership has been strained for years, reportedly beginning with Jay-Z’s absence from West’s wedding to Kim Kardashian in 2014. While various reasons for the rift have been speculated upon, including marital issues between Jay-Z and Beyoncé, and disagreements over West’s political views, neither artist has offered a definitive public explanation.
Despite a brief collaboration on West’s 2021 album Donda, which led some to believe they had mended their relationship, subsequent events suggest otherwise. West later revealed lingering disagreements over Jay-Z’s lyrics on the track “Jail,” and in March, West made disparaging remarks about Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s twins on social media, later apologizing for the comments.
Jay-Z’s lyrical alteration in Paris appears to be the latest development in the ongoing saga between the two artists, leaving fans to speculate on the future of their relationship.