Songwriter Tiffany Red has publicly addressed concerns about publishing royalties attributed to Beyoncé. In a comprehensive online video, Red criticized various artists, accusing them of claiming songwriting credit where she believes it was undeserved. The Grammy-winning songwriter specifically called out Zendaya, Tamar Braxton, and Sevyn Streeter, expressing disapproval of their involvement in receiving a share of publishing royalties for songs they allegedly did not write or produce.
Red then directed her criticism at Beyoncé for engaging in similar practices.
I’m learning more about the movement towards unionizing for songwriters. Folks are going off re Tiffany Red’s rant- but whether you agree with her or not- she’s apparently put a lot of action & skin into advocacy for musical creators. https://t.co/hSngkQox4d
— ammawhatt (@ammawhatt) February 20, 2024
Did you read this?
“The reason I called out Beyoncé is because Beyoncé is the Michael Jackson of our generation,” she said. “I talked to somebody yesterday who’s the manager of somebody who’s a writer and producer on Renaissance. The record is one of y’all faves. The song was written six years before it got to Beyoncé. She got 25 percent of the song.
“I spoke to another writer who wrote and sang on one of y’all favorite songs. Credit not right, his business all fucked up. Beyoncé was on tour last year with that record with that person’s vocals.”
My hope is that on Act ll @Beyonce will #PaySongwriters a songwriter fee and master points and not take publishing or songwriting credit on any songs she did not write.
— Tiffany Red (@iamtiffanyred) February 19, 2024
Tiffany Red, who has worked with the likes of Cassie and Jennifer Hudson, added: “The reason why people who work for Beyoncé don’t talk is they’re all on NDA’s. Because that’s how she works. She silences people so that nobody can speak.”
She also wrote on X: “My hope is that on Act ll @Beyonce will #PaySongwriters a songwriter fee and master points and not take publishing or songwriting credit on any songs she did not write.”
HipHopDX has reached out to Beyoncé’s team for comment but has not yet received a response.
Kelis previously called out Beyoncé for similar reasons.
In various social media posts made in 2022, Kelis highlighted that Beyoncé's song "Renaissance," specifically the track "Energy," incorporated elements from her 2003 hit "Milkshake." She asserted that she was never approached for permission regarding the use of her work.
According to Kelis, her mind was blown because of what she refered to as disrespect and ignorance of all three parties involved. She added that some people in the business lacked intergrity and fooled everyone.
She also directed her frustration at Pharrell, who produced “Milkshake” alongside his Neptunes production partner Chad Hugo.
Kelis pointed out a perceived abundance of hypocrisy and nonsense in the industry, expressing her dissatisfaction. She elaborated, mentioning that during her time signed to Pharrell, she shared the same manager, and yet Pharrell received writing credits on her records. Kelis claimed that he had no involvement in writing any of her songs, lyrics, or contributing creatively in any way.
The sample from "Milkshake" in "Energy" was eventually removed, although Beyoncé did not publicly address Kelis' allegations.
